Lake Como Proposal Packages: Prices, What’s Included and How to Choose
Lake Como Diary — A guide by Nadia Fraqair · Updated 29 October 2026
A Lake Como proposal package brings the place, the planning and the photographs together, so you only have to ask the question. On Lake Como, a short proposal photography session starts from €1,000 per hour; a full day with planning, a private boat, flowers, photography and a film costs €5,000–€6,000; and an exclusive proposal at Villa del Balbianello costs €12,000. Across the lake, simple packages with a short boat ride and a photographer start at around €1,600–€1,900.
I have photographed more than 1,000 couples, and I plan and photograph proposals on Lake Como together with my husband. This guide shows you every package, what it includes and what it costs, the extra costs nobody mentions, and how to choose the right one for the two of you.
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Lake Como proposal packages at a glance
- Proposal photography only: from €1,000 per hour
- Full-day proposal packages: €5,000–€6,000, with planning, a private boat, flowers, photography and film
- Exclusive villa proposals: €12,000 for two hours of exclusive use of Villa del Balbianello
- Best months: May, June, September and October
- Book: at least two to three months ahead for May to September
- Where to propose: compare every place in the Lake Como proposal guide
In this guide:
- Lake Como proposal packages compared
- What your proposal day looks like
- What a proposal package includes
- How much a Lake Como proposal costs
- Extra costs to plan for
- How to choose the right package
- Why couples book with me
- How to book
- Real Lake Como proposals
- Frequently asked questions
Lake Como Proposal Packages Compared
These are the proposal packages I plan and photograph on Lake Como. Every package can be tailored to your date, your place and your story.
€12,000 · exclusive use
Villa del Balbianello
Two hours with the villa reserved only for you, three hours on a private boat, an hour in Bellagio or Varenna, dinner and up to 7 hours of photography.
€6,000 · flowers and candles
Castello di Vezio
Two hours on a private boat, then the proposal at the castle among flowers and candles, an aperitivo and photoshoot high above the lake, and dinner.
€6,000 · a dress she keeps
FRAQAIR Evening Dress
A full day with a FRAQAIR evening dress from my own atelier, a villa, a private boat, flowers designed around the dress, photography and film.
€5,000 · full day
Varenna and Villa Monastero
The lake's most loved proposal terrace, with a private boat, flowers, champagne, photography and a cinematic film.
€5,000 · full day
Bellagio
Classic Lake Como romance: a private boat, a villa setting, flowers, around 300 photographs, a 3-minute film and a celebration at a restaurant.
€5,000 · full day
Private Boat
The most private proposal on the lake: a boat with a captain, a villa setting, flowers, champagne, photography and film, and a sunset on the water.
€5,000 · a garden walk
Villa Melzi Gardens
The most natural surprise on the lake: a walk through Bellagio's lakeside gardens that ends in a yes, photographed and filmed discreetly.
€5,000 · the longer film
Proposal Videographer
A full day with a 3–5 minute highlight film, a 20–30 minute extended film and photographs, for couples who want to hear their own words again.
from €1,000 per hour
Proposal Photography Session
A short session for the moment itself and portraits after the yes, with my help choosing the place and the hour.
See all of them, with more photographs, in the Lake Como proposal packages collection.
What Your Proposal Day Looks Like
Every day is planned around your story, the season and the light. A typical full day looks like this:
What Is Included in a Lake Como Proposal Package?
A good proposal package removes every decision that could spoil the surprise. Mine are built around six parts.
1. Planning and the cover story
The idea, the place, the hour and the exact spot where you will ask, planned with you before you arrive. Just as important is the cover story: a boat tour, a garden visit or "an aperitivo with a view" gives your partner a natural reason to be there. Your partner never hears from me.
2. The place and the permits
Every villa has its own rules. Villa Melzi charges €350 plus VAT for a day of professional photography and does not allow decorations, setups or drones. Villa del Balbianello and Villa Monastero ask for photography to be arranged and paid in advance. Castello di Vezio allows flowers by arrangement. A package should take care of all of this for you.
3. A private boat
Most full-day packages include a private boat with a captain, for your arrival, for portraits on the water, or as the place of the proposal itself. A boat is also the only way to propose at sunset in front of the famous villas, because their gardens close long before.
4. Flowers, champagne and the details
A floral setup where it is allowed, a bouquet, champagne after the yes. In a full-day package these are planned and in place before you arrive.
5. Photography and film
The proposal is photographed discreetly from a distance, then we come closer for portraits after the yes. My full-day packages include around 300 edited photographs and a cinematic highlight film, because a film keeps what photographs cannot: your voice, the pause before the yes, the laughter after it.
6. The celebration
Lunch, an aperitivo or a candlelit dinner at a lakeside restaurant, chosen and booked in advance, as the last chapter of the day.
How Much Do Lake Como Proposal Packages Cost?
A Lake Como proposal costs from €1,000 for a short photography session to €12,000 for exclusive use of Villa del Balbianello. Here is what each level includes:
- Proposal photography session: from €1,000 per hour. A photographer for the moment itself and portraits afterwards. You organise the place, the boat and the flowers yourself.
- Simple boat and photographer packages: around €1,600–€1,900. This is the starting price across the lake for a short boat ride, a photographer for an hour or two and champagne.
- Full-day proposal packages: €5,000–€6,000. Complete planning, a private boat, a villa setting, flowers, champagne, around 300 photographs, a cinematic film and restaurant planning.
- Exclusive villa proposals: €10,000 and more. The villa reserved only for you. My Villa del Balbianello package is €12,000.
What makes the price go up: exclusive use of a villa, more hours on the boat, a styled setup with flowers and candles, a film as well as photographs, a designer dress, and the most requested dates, which are weekends in May, June and September.
Extra Costs to Plan For
When you compare packages, check which of these are included:
| Cost | What to expect (2026) |
|---|---|
| Garden tickets | Villa Melzi €10 each; Villa del Balbianello €15 for the park, €25 for the villa and park |
| Professional photography permits | Villa Melzi €350 plus VAT for the day; Villa del Balbianello and Villa Monastero arranged and paid in advance |
| Private boat with captain | About €175–€300 an hour for a modern motorboat, €300–€600 an hour for a classic wooden boat |
| Flowers and styling | Only where allowed: a boat, a hotel terrace, or Castello di Vezio by arrangement |
| Your dinner | The restaurant is chosen and booked for you; the meal itself is paid on the night |
Read more about boats, routes and prices in my guide to a private boat tour on Lake Como.
How to Choose the Right Lake Como Proposal Package
Start with your partner, not the place. Ask yourself how they would love to be asked:
- Private and a little shy? Choose a private boat. Nobody else is there, and the boat can pause wherever the view is most beautiful.
- Dreaming of the most famous view? Choose Villa del Balbianello, with exclusive use so the loggia is yours alone.
- Happiest on a quiet walk? Choose the gardens of Villa Melzi in Bellagio, where a walk is what everyone does, so nobody suspects a thing.
- Romantic and classic? Choose Varenna and Villa Monastero. The newspaper Il Giorno reported 79 marriage proposals at the villa in 2024.
- Love a grand gesture? Choose Castello di Vezio, with flowers and candles at sunset high above the lake.
- Fashion lover? Choose the FRAQAIR evening dress package, for a proposal that looks like an editorial.
Then check three practical points. The season: many gardens close from November to March, while boats and Varenna's lanes stay beautiful. The hour: villa gardens close in the late afternoon, so a sunset proposal usually happens on a boat. The style of the photographer: look at full galleries and films, not only one beautiful picture.
Full package or photographer only?
Choose a photography session if you already know the place and are happy to organise the details yourself. Choose a full-day package if you are travelling from abroad and want the boat, the flowers, the permits and the restaurant taken care of, or if you want a film as well as photographs.
Why Couples Book Their Proposal With Me
- Rated 5.0 on Google. Read all 35 reviews on my Google profile.
- More than 1,000 couples photographed. I know where the light falls at every hour, which villas allow what, and where to stand so your partner never sees us.
- A husband-and-wife team. My husband and I photograph and film together, so the photographs and the film tell one story, in one style. We married on Lake Como too.
- 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. Light, colour and movement are how I see every picture.
- Real proposal films. Lake Como Diary is a series of real proposals I have filmed on the lake. You can watch them before you decide.
- Everything planned, nothing left to chance. The permits, the boat, the flowers, the restaurant and a plan B for rain, so on the day you only have to ask.
- I reply personally. You plan with me, not with an agency, from the first message to the last photograph.
How to Book a Lake Como Proposal Package
- Write with your date and a few words about your plans.
- 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 ask.
For May to September, write at least two to three months ahead. Exclusive use of Villa del Balbianello needs the villa's approval, so start as early as you can.
Keeping it a surprise: plan only by email from an address your partner does not read, keep the cover story simple, and leave the timing to me. We arrive first and stay out of sight until after the yes.
Real Lake Como Proposals
Every episode of Lake Como Diary is a real proposal I photographed and filmed on the lake. It all began with Episode 1: a private sunset proposal on a hidden terrace at Villa Monastero in Varenna.
- Episode 1: a surprise proposal at Villa Monastero, Varenna
- Episode 2: a summer proposal at Villa Melzi, Bellagio
- Episode 3: a misty November proposal on a private boat
- Episode 4: roses and lanterns at Castello di Vezio
- Episode 6: a golden-hour boat proposal at Villa del Balbianello
- Episode 7: an October proposal at Villa Melzi
- Episode 8: how he kept the ring a secret
Watch them all in Lake Como Diary.
Lake Como Proposal Packages: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a proposal on Lake Como cost?
A proposal photography session starts from €1,000 per hour. Simple boat and photographer packages start at around €1,600–€1,900, full-day packages with planning, a private boat, flowers, photography and film cost €5,000–€6,000, and exclusive villa proposals cost €10,000 and more.
What is included in a Lake Como proposal package?
Usually planning and a cover story, the place and its permits, a private boat, flowers and champagne, photography and often a film, and a restaurant for the celebration. Always check which tickets, permits and boat hours are included.
Can you propose at Villa del Balbianello?
Yes. You can propose during a normal visit, shared with other visitors, or book exclusive use so the villa is reserved only for you. Professional photography must be arranged and paid in advance with the villa.
Do you need a permit to photograph a proposal at a Lake Como villa?
Yes, for professional photography. Villa Melzi charges €350 plus VAT for the day, and Villa del Balbianello and Villa Monastero ask for photography to be arranged and paid in advance. Your photographer should arrange it for you.
What is the best time of year to propose on Lake Como?
May, June, September and October bring soft light, warm days and fewer crowds than July and August. Many villa gardens close from November to March, but a private boat and the villages stay beautiful in winter.
Can you propose at sunset on Lake Como?
Yes, but usually on a private boat or at Castello di Vezio, because most villa gardens close in the late afternoon.
How far in advance should I book a proposal package?
At least two to three months ahead for May to September, and earlier for weekends or for exclusive use of Villa del Balbianello.
Can I book only a photographer?
Yes. Proposal photography sessions start from €1,000 per hour, with help choosing the place and the moment. Write to me with your date.
What happens if it rains?
Every plan has a covered alternative: a loggia, a covered terrace, a different hour or a different boat plan. Soft weather can be beautiful on the lake.
Your proposal on Lake Como
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About the Author
Nadia Fraqair is a Lake Como proposal and wedding 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 →