When couples imagine a destination wedding in Northern Italy, two names usually come first: Lake Como and Venice. Both are undeniably beautiful, both have become icons of Italian luxury, and both appear constantly on social media, in fashion editorials and in wedding inspiration boards. But there is another lake, just a little further west, where grand villas, elegant hotels, dramatic mountains and luminous waters create an equally sophisticated setting — with a more discreet and unexpected character.
Lake Maggiore is one of the most intriguing destinations for a wedding in Northern Italy.
Less associated with mass tourism than Lake Como and less immediately recognisable than Venice (although The Gentlemen may have changed that for some viewers), Lake Maggiore offers something increasingly precious: the feeling of discovering somewhere extraordinary rather than simply arriving at a famous destination. Its landscape is romantic without being predictable, its historic residences retain an aristocratic atmosphere, and its islands, gardens and lakeside villages provide an extraordinary variety of settings for a destination wedding.
There is also an illustrious precedent. In 2015, Beatrice Borromeo and Pierre Casiraghi (Grace Kelli’s grandson) chose the Borromean Islands for their religious wedding ceremony, bringing royals, celebrities and international attention to the lake. Their celebration took place on Isolino San Giovanni, within the Borromeo family’s world, while the festivities continued around the islands and at the Rocca di Angera.
It was a wedding that perfectly illustrated the character of Lake Maggiore: aristocratic, private, spectacular — but never ostentatious.
A lake with an aristocratic past
The fascination of Lake Maggiore as a destination for international travellers is far from new. From the nineteenth century onwards, the lake became a favoured retreat for wealthy European travellers, aristocrats and members of royal families. The development of Stresa in particular transformed the area into one of the most prestigious resorts on the lake.
The opening of the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées in 1863 marked an important moment in this transformation. The hotel quickly attracted an international clientele, including English, German, French and Slavic aristocrats, influential industrialists and financiers. The arrival of the railway through the Simplon tunnel in 1906, together with the Orient Express connection, further strengthened Stresa’s position on the European luxury-travel map.
Queen Victoria visited the area in 1879, staying at Villa Branca in Baveno, while the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées welcomed aristocratic guests from across Europe. The hotel’s historical archive still records royal and noble visitors, including Alexandra, Grand Duchess of Russia, and Anna, Princess of Hesse and by Rhine and Prussia.
The lake also attracted artists and writers. Ernest Hemingway stayed at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées in 1918 and later used the hotel as a setting in A Farewell to Arms. Stendhal and Giuseppe Bonaparte are among the historic figures associated with the wider area.
This history is still visible today. It is in the grand hotels, in the old villas hidden behind mature gardens, in the stone churches above the lake and in the elegant promenades of Stresa and Pallanza. A wedding here does not need to manufacture an atmosphere of old-world glamour: the setting already has one.
The Borromean Islands: the jewels of Lake Maggiore
No Lake Maggiore wedding story can begin without the Borromean Islands, the small archipelago that has become the visual symbol of the lake.
The three principal islands are Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori. Each has a very different personality.
Isola Bella is the most theatrical. Its extraordinary Baroque palace and terraced Italian garden rise dramatically from the water, creating one of the most recognisable views on the lake. The island has been visited by illustrious travellers for centuries, including Napoleon Bonaparte. Today it can be visited as part of the Terre Borromeo circuit, and exclusive private visits with an aperitif in the gardens are also available.
Isola Madre is quieter and more botanical, with its historic palace and remarkable English-style botanical garden. It feels particularly appropriate for couples looking for a more intimate and contemplative experience — and its secluded beauty makes it an enchanting setting for a marriage proposal, perhaps followed by a private boat ride across the lake to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter together.
Isola dei Pescatori is entirely different again: smaller, atmospheric and still shaped by its historic fishing-village character. And, significantly for couples planning a wedding, the island has an official civil-ceremony setting. The Municipality of Stresa makes it possible to celebrate a civil wedding in a small room or outdoors at the island’s wooded western end, directly surrounded by the waters of Lake Maggiore.
It is easy to imagine the scene: a bride arriving by boat, the lake sparkling beneath the afternoon sun, the mountains creating a distant backdrop and the sound of the water replacing the traffic and crowds of a major city.
From an ancient church to a private boat
Perhaps the most romantic way to experience a Lake Maggiore wedding is not to choose a single spectacular venue, but to create a sequence of places.
Imagine beginning the day in a small historic church, where the architecture has the patina of centuries rather than the polished perfection of a modern event space.
The Chiesa Vecchia di Santa Maria in Belgirate is exactly this kind of place. Perched on a rocky spur above the village, its origins reach back to around the year 1000, while its Romanesque bell tower dates from the first half of the twelfth century. The stone architecture, the old portico and the surviving fifteenth-century frescoes on the façade give the church an atmosphere that feels deeply connected to the history of the lake. Inside, sixteenth-century frescoes cover walls and pillars, creating an extraordinary backdrop for an intimate religious ceremony.
Another possibility is the Romanesque Church of Saints Gervaso and Protaso in Baveno, whose pale stone façade and ancient bell tower date back to the medieval period. Inside are fifteenth-century frescoes, works attributed to important Renaissance and Baroque painters and a remarkable sixteenth-century wooden crucifix. Its elevated position also gives the church a beautiful relationship with the lake.
After the ceremony, the experience can change completely.
Instead of simply getting into a car, imagine stepping aboard a classic motorboat. The newlyweds leave the shore behind, the church tower disappearing into the distance while the clear waters of the lake open around them. The Borromean Islands appear one after another, villas emerge from gardens and the mountains frame the horizon.
Then comes the arrival at the reception.
Historic villas made for a Lake Maggiore wedding
Among the most atmospheric possibilities is Villa Rusconi Clerici, an elegant nineteenth-century lakeside residence surrounded by a romantic garden. The couple can arrive by boat and dock directly at the villa’s private pier, passing the Borromean Islands along the way. The gardens overlooking the water provide a natural setting for an outdoor ceremony or aperitivo, while the interiors offer historic rooms, an imposing main staircase and a beautiful winter garden.
The villa has also recently gained a new kind of cinematic notoriety: it was one of the Italian locations chosen for The Gentlemen 2, Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series, whose second season brought the sophisticated world of the production to Lake Maggiore. Villa Rusconi Clerici and the Grand Hotel Majestic in Pallanza were among the locations used for the Italian setting.
Discover the full story of our Lake Maggiore wedding at Villa Rusconi Clerici [here].
For couples looking for something more overtly aristocratic, Castello Dal Pozzo offers a completely different atmosphere. Set in the hills above the lake, the historic Gothic Revival castle combines period interiors, gardens and panoramic terraces with the possibility of accommodation on the estate. It has the feeling of an English country estate transported to Northern Italy, with the lake appearing beyond the greenery.
Then there is the spectacular Rocca di Angera, a medieval fortress rising above the Lombard shore. Its frescoed historic rooms, courtyards and panoramic terraces make it one of the most dramatic wedding settings on Lake Maggiore. The Sala di Giustizia, with its fourteenth-century fresco cycle, is particularly evocative, while the panoramic terrace opens towards the lake and the Piedmontese shore.
For something softer and more residential, Villa Muggia in Stresa offers the atmosphere of an elegant nineteenth-century lakeside residence. Its mature park, monumental stepped fountain, views towards the Borromean Islands, Murano chandeliers and Japanese tapestries create an intimate yet highly sophisticated setting. The villa is specifically available for weddings and ceremonies.
Still in Stresa, Villa Frua combines the character of an early twentieth-century residence with a beautifully landscaped botanical park and a more contemporary sense of luxury. Mature trees, elegant interiors, the panoramic greenhouse, infinity pool and generous gardens create a sophisticated setting for a wedding, with different spaces that can be shaped around the rhythm of the celebration.
Further along the shores of Lake Maggiore, Hotel Villa Porta combines the elegance of a historic lakeside residence with the convenience of an intimate hotel. Its panoramic covered reception room and terrace provide beautiful settings for a wedding, while the private pier makes a boat arrival or lake excursion particularly memorable. Add excellent cuisine and the possibility of accommodating the couple and their guests on the property, and Villa Porta becomes a particularly appealing choice for a destination wedding.
Where to stay: grand hotels with their own sense of history
A destination wedding also depends on where the guests stay, and Lake Maggiore has an exceptional selection of historic hotels.
The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées remains the obvious choice for those who want to step directly into the lake’s aristocratic past. Its history stretches back to 1863, when it opened as the most ambitious luxury hotel in Stresa. Today, its historic identity, gardens and position opposite the Borromean Islands make it particularly suited to a wedding weekend in which accommodation becomes part of the experience.
Villa & Palazzo Aminta, also in Stresa, offers a more intimate interpretation of lakeside luxury. Its panoramic terrace overlooking the Borromean Islands provides a natural setting for aperitifs and wedding celebrations, while the hotel allows the couple and their guests to remain within the same elegant environment throughout the event.
And then there is the Grand Hotel Majestic in Pallanza, a historic lakeside hotel with elegant rooms, panoramic terraces, gardens and a private jetty. It is also another location featured in The Gentlemen 2, reinforcing something the series understood particularly well: Lake Maggiore already possesses the visual language of international luxury.
Why choose Lake Maggiore for a destination wedding?
The appeal of a Lake Maggiore wedding is ultimately about more than finding a beautiful backdrop.
It is about choosing a destination with a story.
A place where royal guests once arrived by steamer, where grand hotels welcomed European aristocracy, where writers found inspiration, where the Borromeo family created extraordinary island gardens and where, more recently, international productions have rediscovered the landscape as the perfect setting for stories of elegance, power and glamour.
It is also about originality.
Lake Como may be the obvious choice. Venice may be the most iconic one. But Lake Maggiore offers another possibility: to give your guests the feeling that they have discovered somewhere exceptional. A wedding here can move from an ancient stone church to a private boat, from an island garden to a historic villa, from a grand hotel to a candlelit dinner overlooking the water.
And perhaps that is its greatest luxury.
Not simply being beautiful, but being beautiful without feeling overexposed.
For couples planning a destination wedding in Italy and looking beyond the familiar names, Lake Maggiore deserves to be discovered. Its luminous landscapes, elegant villas, historic hotels and aristocratic heritage create all the ingredients of an unforgettable celebration — with the added pleasure of choosing somewhere that your guests may never have imagined.
Lake Maggiore is not the alternative to the Italian lakes. It is one of their most fascinating secrets.
“I’m up here at Stresa, a little resort on Lake Maggiore, one of the most beautiful Italian lakes.”
— Ernest Hemingway, 1918
Planning a destination wedding on Lake Maggiore? Explore our real weddings at Villa Muggia, Villa Frua, Rocca di Angera and other exclusive locations, or contact Click E Chic to discover how we photograph weddings throughout Italy and beyond.
