Lake Como Elopement Packages 2027: Prices, What's Included and How to Elope
Lake Como Diary — A guide by Nadia Fraqair · Updated 8 November 2026
A Lake Como elopement package brings the ceremony, the place, the planning and the photographs together, so the two of you only have to say your vows. My complete Lake Como elopement costs €8,000 for two, with planning, a celebrant, flowers, hair and makeup, two hours on a private boat, champagne, photography and film. Most couples who elope on Lake Como spend €8,000–€16,000 for a full day, and €20,000 and more once an exclusive villa and guests are added.
My husband and I married on Lake Como too, and I have photographed more than 1,000 couples. In this guide I show you what an elopement package includes, what it really costs, how to elope in Italy with a symbolic or a legal ceremony, the best places and months, and how to plan the whole day from abroad.
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Lake Como elopement at a glance
- The Lake Como Elopement: €8,000 for two, planned, photographed and filmed
- Includes: planning, a celebrant, a ceremony setting with flowers, hair and makeup, two hours on a private boat, champagne, up to six hours of photography and film, around 400 photographs and a highlight film
- Ceremony: symbolic, with no Italian paperwork, or legal, as a custom elopement
- Guests: just the two of you, or a few of your closest people
- Best months: May, June, September and early October
- Book: six to twelve months ahead for May to September, and at least six months ahead for a legal ceremony
In this guide:
- Lake Como elopement packages compared
- What your elopement day looks like
- What an elopement package includes
- How much it costs to elope on Lake Como
- Extra costs to plan for
- Symbolic or legal: how to elope in Italy
- Where to elope on Lake Como
- The best time to elope
- How to plan your elopement, step by step
- Why couples elope with me
- Frequently asked questions
Lake Como Elopement Packages Compared
There are three ways to elope with me on Lake Como. Each one is shaped around your date, your place and your story.
Already married
Wedding Portrait Session
Married at home or at the town hall? Wear your wedding clothes on Lake Como for portraits in Bellagio, Varenna, a villa garden or on a boat. Most couples choose two or three hours.
€8,000 · for two
The Lake Como Elopement
The complete day: planning, a symbolic ceremony with a celebrant, flowers, hair and makeup, a private boat, champagne, dinner planning, photography and a film.
Tailored to you
Custom Elopement
A legal ceremony, an exclusive villa such as Villa del Balbianello, a few more guests, a welcome dinner, a second day, or a made-to-measure FRAQAIR gown from my own atelier.
When you compare elopement packages, check three things: whether a film is included, whether the celebrant, flowers and hair and makeup are part of the price, and how many hours of photography you receive. In mine, my husband and I make the photographs and the film together, so they tell one story, in one style.
What Your Lake Como Elopement Day Looks Like
Every day is planned around your story, the season and the light. Here is a typical day in June:
- 3:30 pm · Getting ready. The dress, the rings, the last touches. The photography begins.
- 4:30 pm · The first look. A quiet moment, just the two of you, before the ceremony.
- 5:00 pm · The ceremony. Your vows at a setting reserved for you, with flowers in place.
- 5:45 pm · Champagne and portraits. Your first toast as newlyweds, then portraits in a garden or a village.
- 6:45 pm · Two hours on a private boat. The villas and the mountains around you, into the golden hour.
- 9:00 pm · Dinner by the lake. A candlelit table, booked in advance, and your first toast at dinner.
In May and September, everything moves one to two hours earlier, following the sunset.
What Is Included in a Lake Como Elopement Package?
A good elopement package takes every decision off your shoulders, so you can stay in the moment. Mine is built around seven parts.
1. Planning and coordination
The place, the timeline, the celebrant, the flowers, the boat and the restaurant, planned with you by email and on a call before you arrive. On the day, I coordinate everything, so you never need to look at your phone.
2. The ceremony and the celebrant
A symbolic ceremony led by a celebrant, with help writing the ceremony and your vows. Keep it to ten quiet minutes, or add readings and music.
3. A ceremony setting reserved for you
A villa terrace or garden, a panoramic terrace or the boat itself, reserved for the time of your ceremony. Every place on the lake has its own rules. The gardens of Villa Melzi, for example, welcome portraits but not ceremonies or setups, so we say the vows elsewhere and walk there after. Iconic villas with their own rental fees, such as Villa del Balbianello, are quoted separately as a custom elopement.
4. Flowers, hair and makeup
A floral setup for the ceremony, a bridal bouquet and a boutonnière, designed around your dress and the season, and hair and makeup for the bride before the photography begins.
5. A private boat and champagne
Two hours on a private boat with a captain after the ceremony, with a champagne toast as newlyweds and portraits on the water, in front of the villas and the villages.
6. Photography and film
Up to six hours of photography and film by my husband and me, from getting ready to the first toast at dinner. You receive around 400 edited photographs in a private online gallery, in high resolution and ready to print, and a cinematic highlight film of 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Dinner by the lake
A lakeside restaurant chosen and booked for you, for a candlelit dinner for two or for your closest people. The meal itself is paid on the night.
Not included: your travel and hotel, the dinner itself, your dress and suit, and the rental fees of iconic villas.
How Much Does It Cost to Elope on Lake Como?
For the two of you, a complete elopement day on Lake Como usually costs €8,000–€16,000, before travel and hotel. Here is what each level includes:
- A ceremony with an officiant only: from around €1,000. The simplest option across the lake: a short ceremony, without photographs, flowers or a boat.
- Small packages: around €2,000–€3,500. A ceremony, a bouquet and one to three hours of photography, sometimes with a short boat ride.
- Complete elopement days: €8,000–€16,000. Planning, a celebrant, a ceremony setting with flowers, hair and makeup, a private boat, photography and often a film. My Lake Como Elopement is €8,000 and includes the film.
- Exclusive villas and guests: €20,000 and more. A villa reserved only for you, a legal ceremony, a few more guests, a welcome dinner or a second day.
What makes the price go up: exclusive use of a famous villa, a legal ceremony with translations and an interpreter, more guests, more hours on the boat or a classic wooden boat, a weekend date in May, June or September, and a designer gown.
Extra Costs to Plan For
When you compare elopement packages, check which of these are included:
| Cost | What to expect (2026–2027) |
|---|---|
| Villa rental or exclusive use | Quoted by each villa; iconic villas such as Villa del Balbianello are planned as a custom elopement |
| Private boat with captain | About €175–€300 an hour for a modern motorboat, €300–€600 an hour for a classic wooden boat (two hours are included in my package) |
| Celebrant, flowers, hair and makeup | Included in my package; often extra in photography-only offers |
| Legal ceremony | Town hall fees, apostilles, sworn translations and an interpreter |
| Your dinner | The restaurant is chosen and booked for you; the meal is paid on the night |
| Travel and hotel | Never included in elopement packages; book early for May to September |
Read more about boats, routes and prices in my guide to a private boat tour on Lake Como.
Symbolic or Legal: How to Elope in Italy
The first decision is the kind of ceremony. It changes the paperwork, the places you can choose and how early you need to start.
A symbolic ceremony: what most couples choose
A symbolic ceremony is not legally binding, and that is its freedom: no Italian paperwork, any place you love, any hour of the day, and your own words. Most couples sign the legal papers at home, before or after, and say their vows on Lake Como. My Lake Como Elopement is a symbolic ceremony.
A legal civil ceremony
Foreign couples can marry legally in Italy, at a town hall or at a villa authorised by the local Comune. The steps depend on your nationality. For American couples, they are:
- Atto Notorio: a sworn statement made at the Italian consulate in the United States, with four witnesses, within three months of the wedding.
- Sworn declaration: made in Italy before a US consular officer, confirming that you are free to marry.
- Documents: your passports and long-form birth certificates with an apostille and an Italian translation, and a divorce decree if it applies.
- Declaration at the town hall: before the Civil Registrar of the town where you marry, with two witnesses, in the days before the wedding.
- The ceremony: led by the mayor or a civil registrar, with two witnesses, and an interpreter if you do not speak Italian.
After the wedding, ask the town hall for your marriage certificate and have it apostilled at the Prefettura, so it is recognised at home. Couples from other countries follow similar steps with their own embassy. Start at least six months before, and always confirm the requirements with your embassy and the town hall. A legal ceremony is planned as a custom elopement, and the steps are also in my Lake Como wedding guide.
Where to Elope on Lake Como
Choose the place by how you want the moment to feel:
- A villa terrace or garden reserved for you. Stone balustrades, cypresses and the lake behind your vows: the classic Lake Como elopement.
- A private boat. The most intimate ceremony of all, in the middle of the lake. A boat elopement also lets you say your vows at sunset, when the villa gardens are already closed.
- Villa del Balbianello, Lenno. The most iconic villa on the lake, with civil or symbolic ceremonies in its loggia, planned as a custom elopement. Read my guide to visiting Villa del Balbianello.
- Bellagio and the gardens of Villa Melzi. Plane-tree avenues, a Moorish kiosk and a terrace on the water, for portraits as newlyweds after the ceremony. See my guide to Villa Melzi Gardens.
- Varenna. Stone lanes, pastel houses and the gardens of Villa Monastero on the quieter eastern shore. See my guide to Villa Monastero.
- Tremezzina. Grand lakeside villas facing Bellagio, such as Villa Balbiano, for couples planning a larger celebration. Read my Villa Balbiano wedding guide.
The Best Time to Elope on Lake Como
- April and May: azaleas and rhododendrons in bloom in the villa gardens, fresh green hills and mild days.
- June: the longest evenings, with the sunset after nine, perfect for a late-afternoon ceremony and dinner by the water.
- September and early October: soft golden light, the lake still warm and fewer crowds than in summer.
- July and August: hot and busy; plan the ceremony and the portraits for the late afternoon.
- November to March: many villa gardens close, but the villages, the boats and the hotels stay beautiful and quiet. Read my guide to Lake Como in winter.
Weekdays are quieter than weekends at the villas and on the water, and a weekday date is easier to reserve.
How to Plan Your Lake Como Elopement, Step by Step
- Decide: symbolic or legal. It sets your timeline, because a legal ceremony needs at least six months.
- Choose your season and two or three possible dates, ideally on a weekday.
- Write to me with your dates. I reply personally with my availability and the first ideas for the place and the light.
- Choose the place and the style of the day: a villa terrace, a garden or a boat, just the two of you or a few guests.
- Find your dress and write your vows. My guide to choosing a wedding dress for Lake Como helps with fabrics, trains and boats.
- Book your hotel in Bellagio, Varenna or Tremezzina, and arrive at least a day before your wedding.
Why Couples Elope With Me
- Rated 5.0 on Google. Read all 35 reviews on my Google profile.
- 110K followers on Instagram. See more of our work every week on @nadiafraqair.
- More than 1,000 couples photographed. I know where the light falls at every hour, which villas allow what, and where a ceremony feels truly private.
- A husband-and-wife team who married on Lake Como. We photograph and film together, so your photographs and your film tell one story, in one style.
- A designer's eye. I graduated in fashion design from Istituto Marangoni in Milan and have shown my work at New York, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks. I am also the designer behind FRAQAIR, so your dress, your flowers and the light become one picture.
- Planning, photography and film in one place. One person to write to, from the first idea to the last photograph, with a plan B for rain.
- I reply personally. You plan with me, not with an agency.
How to book your Lake Como elopement
- Write with your date and a few words about how you imagine your day.
- I reply personally with my availability, ideas for the place and the light, and the package that fits.
- We shape the day together by email or on a call.
- Your date is reserved once everything is confirmed in writing.
- I plan every detail, so on the day you only have to say your vows.
For May, June and September, write six to twelve months ahead. Weekends are reserved first.
From My Lake Como Weddings and Elopements
- The Lake Como Elopement package
- Lake Como wedding photography and film, for a larger wedding
- How much a Lake Como wedding costs
- The complete Lake Como wedding guide
- Lake Como proposal packages, if the question has not been asked yet
Lake Como Elopement Packages: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to elope on Lake Como?
For two, a complete elopement day usually costs €8,000–€16,000, before travel and hotel. My Lake Como Elopement is €8,000 with planning, a celebrant, flowers, hair and makeup, a private boat, champagne, photography and film. Simple ceremony packages start at around €1,000, and exclusive villas with guests cost €20,000 and more.
What is included in a Lake Como elopement package?
Usually planning, a celebrant, a ceremony setting with flowers, a bouquet, hair and makeup, a private boat, champagne, photography and often a film, and a restaurant for dinner. Always check whether the film, the boat hours and villa fees are included.
Can we elope legally in Italy?
Yes. Foreign couples can marry at a town hall or a villa authorised by the Comune. You need passports, apostilled birth certificates with Italian translations and a declaration that you are free to marry; Americans also need an Atto Notorio. You declare your intention at the town hall with two witnesses, and an interpreter is needed if you do not speak Italian. Start at least six months ahead.
Is a symbolic ceremony legally binding?
No. A symbolic ceremony needs no Italian paperwork, so you can choose any place and any words. Most couples sign the legal papers at home and say their vows on Lake Como.
Can we elope on a boat on Lake Como?
Yes. A symbolic ceremony on a private boat is the most intimate way to elope, and it lets you say your vows at sunset, when the villa gardens are closed.
Can we bring guests to our elopement?
Yes. The package is designed for the two of you or a few of your closest people. For more guests, a welcome dinner or a second day, we plan a custom elopement.
How far in advance should we book a Lake Como elopement?
Six to twelve months ahead for May, June and September, and earlier for weekends. For a legal ceremony, start at least six months before.
When is the best time to elope on Lake Como?
May, June, September and early October, for soft light, warm days and fewer crowds than in July and August. Many villa gardens close from November to March, but a boat and the villages stay beautiful in winter.
Do you plan the elopement, or only photograph it?
Both. I plan the whole day with you, from the place and the celebrant to the boat and the restaurant, and then my husband and I photograph and film it together.
Can we book only photography?
Yes. If you are already married, a wedding portrait session lets you wear your wedding clothes on Lake Como for portraits in Bellagio, Varenna, a garden or on a boat. Write to me with your date.
What happens if it rains?
Every ceremony has a covered plan B: a loggia, a covered terrace or a later light window. Soft weather can be beautiful on Lake Como, and we adjust the boat and the portraits to the sky.
Your elopement on Lake Como
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Tell me your dates on Lake Como, how you imagine your elopement and a little about the two of you. I reply personally to every message, with my availability and the first ideas for your day.
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About the Author
Nadia Fraqair is a Lake Como wedding, elopement and proposal photographer and filmmaker, the creator of Lake Como Diary and the designer behind the FRAQAIR couture atelier. She has photographed more than 1,000 couples and works on the lake together with her husband. More about Nadia →