A California couple on Lake Como

Camille and Andrew flew from California to Italy in August for a Lake Como wedding that used two of the most famous addresses on the western shore. They got ready at Villa d’Este, travelled across the water by boat, and said their vows on the lakeside terrace of Villa Pizzo, where the reception continued until night.

It was a very hot summer day, and every part of it was full of genuine emotion: the boat rides, the ceremony by the water and the speeches after dinner. My job was to stay out of the way and capture what was happening between people – with two cameras and two film formats.

Getting ready at Villa d’Este

Villa d’Este in Cernobbio was built in the second half of the 16th century, designed by Pellegrino Tibaldi for the Gallio family. In 1815 it was bought by Caroline of Brunswick, the estranged wife of the future King George IV, who renamed it Villa d’Este. Since 1873 it has been a luxury hotel – today one of the best known on Lake Como, with a Renaissance garden, a cypress avenue and a nymphaeum.

For a wedding film, the interiors are a gift: tall windows facing the lake, antique furniture and soft daylight. Camille got ready with her bridesmaids in one of the suites, while Andrew and the groomsmen waited in the villa’s salons.

Ceremony and reception at Villa Pizzo

From Villa d’Este the wedding party moved to Villa Pizzo by boat – one of the most cinematic ways to travel on Lake Como. Villa Pizzo dates back to the 15th century and the Muggiasca family. Its terraced gardens run down to the water along one of the longest private lakefronts on the lake, with an Italian garden, an English garden and a rose collection with historic varieties.

The ceremony took place on a terrace above the water, followed by dinner and dancing at the villa. The venue welcomes up to around 150 guests; outdoor music usually ends at 11 pm, and there are no rooms on site, so guests stay in nearby hotels such as Villa d’Este – which makes the boat transfer part of the experience.

Shot on Super 16 and Super 8

Alongside the digital cameras, I filmed parts of the day on real film: Super 16 on a Bolex and Super 8 on a Canon 514XL, both on Kodak 50D stock. Kodak 50D is a fine-grain daylight film, perfect for bright lakeside light. It gives skin tones, water and greenery a softness and texture that is very hard to imitate digitally.

Film is not about nostalgia for its own sake. A few minutes of Super 8 and Super 16 cut into a modern wedding film feel like memories – exactly what a day on Lake Como should feel like twenty years from now.

Planning a Lake Como wedding from the US

Most of my Lake Como couples plan everything from abroad. A few practical notes from Camille and Andrew’s day and others like it:

Getting there: the closest major airport is Milan Malpensa; Cernobbio, home of both Villa d’Este and Villa Pizzo, is a short drive from Como. Season: spring to early autumn; August is beautiful but hot, so plan portraits for the golden hour. Time zone: Italy is 9 hours ahead of California, which matters for planning calls – I am happy to schedule them in your evening. Boats: wooden water taxis are both transport and a backdrop, so build the transfer into the timeline.

I travel to Lake Como from Poland and work with couples from the US in English, from the first call to the final film. Lake Como wedding films start from $3,500.