A Lake Como Elopement at the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

The place

The place: the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

The Mandarin Oriental stands in Blevio, on the eastern shore of the lake’s southern branch, a short drive from the town of Como. Its heart is Villa Roccabruna, a nineteenth-century villa linked to the soprano Giuditta Pasta, set in a botanical park that runs down to the water, with a floating pool on the lake. For a film it is a gift: sculpted ivy arches in the garden, wrought-iron balconies above the water, a colonnaded terrace and a private dock for the boat.

The day

The day: gardens, a balcony and a boat on the lake

We began in the gardens, under the ivy arches, then moved up to the suite, where the French windows open straight onto the lake. A private speedboat took us out on the water: the wake behind them, the villas of the shore sliding past, a long veil in the wind. We finished on a stone terrace above the lake, and back among the arches as the light softened.

It was a soft, cloudy day, the kind of light Lake Como does better than anywhere: no harsh shadows, mountains fading into the mist, and colors that stay true to the gown and to the skin.

Two films

Two films: one to watch, one to share

We edited two films of the day, both on this page: a horizontal film for the big screen, and a vertical cut made for phones and for sharing. Filming for both formats at once takes planning, but it means every couple leaves with a film to keep and a film to share.

Planning a Lake Como elopement

An elopement on Lake Como can be a legal wedding, a symbolic ceremony, or simply a day of portraits and film in your wedding clothes, as Y & T chose. A few things we plan around every time.

The light and the water. Mornings and the hour before sunset are the calmest on the lake. On the western shore the sun disappears behind the mountains early, while the eastern shore, where the Mandarin Oriental stands, keeps the evening light longer.

Permissions. Hotel grounds are private, so we agree locations and timings with the hotel in advance. Villas such as Villa del Balbianello ask for an authorization for professional photography and film, and drone flights over the lake are planned early.

The boat. A private boat with a driver turns the lake into your set. We plan the route and the timing around the light, and around the wind, which usually rises in the afternoon.

A small team. For an elopement we keep the team small, a photographer and a filmmaker who work as one, so the day feels like yours and not like a production.