Most of the couples who write to us about Lake Como don't live in Italy. They're in London, New York, Dubai, Toronto. Some have never seen the lake, others came once on vacation and never quite got over it. Between the lines, what they're really asking is whether it's worth bringing a hundred people across the world for one weekend. After many weddings on the lake, my answer is yes: a Lake Como destination wedding is worth it, as long as you plan it as a weekend and not as a single day.

Why a Lake Como destination wedding

The setting comes first, obviously. Mountains that drop straight into the water, villas with their own jetties, gardens that were designed to be admired from a boat. But Lake Como is also practical, and people tend to forget that. Milan's airports are about an hour away, so guests can land in the morning and be on the lake for lunch. And the hotels here know weddings well. They're used to looking after people who have traveled a long way.

Villa Erba, where Renee & Tino got married in June, is a good example. It stands on the shore in Cernobbio, a few minutes from the town of Como, which makes it one of the easiest villas on the lake to reach. Their guests stayed in hotels close by and arrived on foot or with a short shuttle ride. Nobody spent the day on the road.

Plan a weekend, not a day

A destination wedding works best over two or three days. Your guests have made a real effort to be there, and one evening goes by far too quickly. The shape that suits most couples is simple:

• The welcome evening. Drinks or a relaxed dinner the night before, ideally somewhere with a view of the water. It's when the two families and the friends who have never met finally break the ice.
• The wedding day. Getting ready in the morning, the ceremony in the late afternoon, then aperitivo, dinner and the party.
• The morning after. A long brunch, or a boat tour of the lake for whoever is still standing. Some of the best photographs of the weekend happen here, when everyone has finally let go.

The day itself

At Villa Erba everything happened in one place, which on Lake Como is a real luxury. Renee got ready in the historic rooms upstairs while the guests gathered in the gardens. The ceremony was set right by the water under an arch of white flowers, with the town of Como and the mountains across the lake. Then a classic wooden boat took the two of them out on the water for twenty minutes before the aperitivo.

I always tell couples to protect that time on the water. It's the only moment of the weekend when nobody needs anything from you. And from the jetty, or from above, it gives us the photographs that say Lake Como at a glance.

When to come

The wedding season on the lake runs from spring to early autumn. May and June are green and fresh, with long evenings. July and August are warm and busy, and you feel it on the roads and on the water. September is my favorite month: the days are still warm, the light turns golden earlier and the crowds start to thin out. Many hotels around the lake close for the winter, so check your dates with the venue early.

Whatever month you choose, have a plan for rain. Summer storms can build up over the mountains in the afternoon. They usually pass within the hour, but you don't want to be deciding about a tent on the morning of your wedding.

Evenings on the lake

When the sun goes down, the villas change completely. At Villa Erba dinner was served in a frescoed hall under Murano chandeliers, and later the party spilled out onto the terrace, glasses in hand. That moment, everyone outside in the dark with the lake somewhere below, is the one I'd tell you not to rush.

What I'd tell any couple planning from abroad

• Work with a planner based near the lake. Boats, permits, shuttles and the narrow lakeside roads are much easier for someone who deals with them every week.
• Book early. The most sought-after villas and hotels are often reserved a year or more in advance, especially Saturdays in June and September.
• Many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony on the lake. It gives you complete freedom over the time and the place.
• Keep your guests close. Choose hotels near the venue, so nobody spends the evening in a car.
• Talk to your photographer and videographer about drone shots early. Flights over the lake need an authorization, and it takes time.

You can see the full gallery in Renee & Tino's Villa Erba wedding story, watch their wedding film, read our notes on getting married at Villa Erba, or plan the practical side with our guide to Lake Como wedding budgets and villas. And if you're dreaming of Lake Como, discover our Lake Como wedding photography and films.