The Journal

Notes on Marrying in Italy

A slow guide to weddings on Lake Como and in the hills above it: the legal path, the true costs, the seasons, and how to choose between our two family villas. Written from the estate, for the couples who write to us.

The frescoed Grand Salon of Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky, set for a civil ceremony

Legal & Ceremony

Getting Legally Married at a Villa in Italy

Most Italian villas can only host a symbolic ceremony, with the legal act signed elsewhere. We understand our estate in Erba may host an on-site legally binding civil ceremony, which is rare.

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Aerial view of Villa Revel Parravicini and its gardens on Lake Como

Choosing Your Villa

Villa Revel or Villa Parravicino: Choosing Between Our Two Villas

A wedding on the Lake Como waterfront, or a historic estate with old parkland in the Lake Como countryside? One family owns both, so you are choosing a setting, not a service level.

8 min read
Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky seen across its centuries-old park

The Lake Como Countryside

Marrying in the Lake Como Countryside: the Lake, Without the Crowds

Between Milan and Lake Como lies a green, hilly region where Milanese nobility have summered for centuries. It has the same pre-Alpine light as the lake, and it is far less known internationally. Here is why it may be one of the most quietly rewarding places in Lombardy to marry.

8 min read
The lakefront garden of Villa Revel Parravicini on Lake Como

Planning & Budget

Lake Como Wedding Cost: A Real Breakdown for 2027

What a celebration on the lake actually costs: honest ranges by category, per-guest catering, Italian legal fees and the hidden extras that quotes so often omit.

9 min read
A bride walking toward a lakeside ceremony setting at Villa Revel Parravicini

Planning & Budget

A Lake Como Wedding Planning Timeline

A calm, month-by-month sequence for planning a wedding on Lake Como: when to book the villa, hire a planner, start the Italian paperwork, and everything in between.

9 min read
Aerial view of Villa Revel Parravicini and Lake Como

When to Marry

The Best Time to Get Married on Lake Como

A month-by-month guide to the lake’s weather, light and crowds, why May, June and September reward you most, and how to plan a celebration around them.

8 min read
A ceremony setting in the historic gardens of Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky

Legal & Ceremony

Symbolic, Civil or Religious: Which Ceremony to Choose in Italy

Three kinds of ceremony, three different days. What "symbolic", "civil" and "concordat religious" actually mean in Italy, which one is legally binding, and how to choose between them.

6 min read
The Lake Como shoreline near Villa Revel Parravicini

Travel & Logistics

Getting to Lake Como and Its Countryside: Airports, Transfers and Guest Logistics

Which airport to fly into, how long the drive really takes, and how to move a wedding party from Milan to the lake and the hills behind it without anyone getting lost.

6 min read
The private grounds of Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky, given over to a single event

Exclusive Use

Exclusive-Use Villa Weddings: What Hiring the Whole Estate Includes

What “exclusive use” really means, why it changes the feel of the day, and how to think about what is and is not part of hiring a private estate for your wedding.

6 min read