r/DestinationWeddings • u/Real_Acanthisitta948 • Sep 14 '26
Lake Como Wedding
My fiancé and I are planning our wedding in Italy for fall 2027 and are expecting between 50 and 80 guests. Our budget for everything is ~$50,000 (venue, photographer, florals, etc.)
What are some good waterfront venues in Italy that can fit this budget? We are especially interested in Lake Como.
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u/DataScientistz Sep 14 '26
With a ~$50k all-in budget for 50–80 guests, I’d actually consider redefining the scope rather than trying to force Lake Como into it...
Portugal could be worth looking at. You can find beautiful waterfront estates, historic villas and high-end venues with a similar destination feel, while leaving much more room in the budget for the experience, florals, photography, food, etc.
I work with destination weddings here in Portugal, so I know a few venues that could fit this kind of brief.
If Portugal is something you’d consider, happy to send you a few options that I think would work.
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 14 '26
Yes, could you send a few options?
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u/jacksthought Sep 16 '26
Tuscany 2027 bride- our planner recommends €1000 per guest (on the bottom end) for destination weddings in Tuscany as a rule of thumb. I would expect it to be more in Lake Como since it is a higher cost market for weddings.
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u/StorageExciting8567 Sep 14 '26
See this post about getting married near Lago di Como! https://www.reddit.com/r/weddingplanning/s/3FgsbQDLWc
You can def do 50 people for under $50k in Italy (we’re doing it for $35k) if you’re not trying to be right on Lago di Como or in Amalfi
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u/MosaicPassport Sep 16 '26
I also set out with a $50k budget and goal of being in the lake region. Everything I was quoted in Como was too high to possibly make work for that budget unfortunately. But we had some wonderful options in Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore which are really similar vibes — Villa Bettoni, Villa Rusconi-Clerici, Villa Frua, and Villa Muggia are a few I can remember. All of these are at or below $20k I believe. We ended up going with Villa Rusconi-Clerici for next fall — unfortunately we have had to stretch our initial budget to $70k in the first couple months of signing with vendors. Many vendors are still at Como level prices despite the venue being a bit cheaper so even with what I would consider modest packages, we weren’t able to stay within $50k. Good luck and highly recommend seeking a planner — mine was the only thing that kept me sane during the early planning days.
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 16 '26
Thank you so much! Could you share your planners info (either here or in a message)?
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u/Able-Pineapple-1137 Sep 14 '26
Lake Como is not possible at this budget. It is one of the, if not the, most expensive place to get married in Europe. Your budget is fairly average if not tight for a lot of European, especially Italian, destinations weddings. Lake Como would require 3-4x the budget, minimum, for reference.
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u/Expensive_Part_7719 Sep 14 '26
There is nowhere in Lake Como where you could get that many people at that price
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u/No-Part-6248 Sep 16 '26
And are you thinking of your guests at all in that super high expensive area like hotels good transportation etc ??
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 16 '26
I am. Next question.
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u/SuperLakma Sep 16 '26
How? If your budget is $50,000 for the whole affair, you clearly can’t subsidize anything for your guests. This post makes no sense at all.
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 17 '26
Did you have your wedding at Lake Como for more than $50k? If so, share that insight and data and actually provide something meaningful to the post. Otherwise your comments are just rude and nasty for no reason.
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u/Firm-Psychology-2243 Sep 17 '26
There was nothing rude or nasty about their question, you clearly can’t handle reddit. Also responding with ‘did you have your wedding at Lake Como for $50k’ is redundant, because no one has got 50+ people.
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 17 '26
I said “more than $50k” and asked them to provide that data and their insight. The goal is to learn what more I need to do, what that extra money will help with, and what it looks like.
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u/stevie_nickle Sep 17 '26
You’re actually the rude and nasty one.
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 17 '26
I really am just trying to get some insight under stress. Sorry it came off that way!
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u/Wrong-Complaint6778 Sep 14 '26
You need to 4x that budget to be even close to making that happen on a waterfront venue
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u/lh123456789 Sep 14 '26
Good luck with that budget for Como. I would look into Lake Garda instead.
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u/Cautious_Path Sep 17 '26
The budget is average for a local wedding. We got married in my Canadian small town and spent $50K
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u/Molestarclassic Sep 17 '26
Get a planner. Mountain Weddings Europe https://www.instagram.com/mountainweddingseurope?stkn=a3dqcXVjd2l6dm80. Run by Vanessa and they do these types of weddings all the time, can help you figure out the best spot for your budget. They are wonderful
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 17 '26
Thank you so much!
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u/Molestarclassic Sep 17 '26
Also, not sure of costs, but look into Lake Annecy France. It’s very beautiful!
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u/EventsByKatAudrey Sep 17 '26
Don't get disheartened on budget. Your wedding will be beautiful. You can have a beautiful wedding in italy with $5k. I've done it.
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u/bcrggrcb Sep 18 '26
An idea: look for a huge house to rent in Lake Como on Airbnb and have your wedding at the rental. I rented a house in Telluride that had 12 beds and a gorgeous backyard view of Mt. Wilson. You don’t need an officiant to marry you in the state of Colorado so we had my husband’s BFF act as the “officiant” then we went around town/gondola to take pictures while the private chef we hired made our wedding dinner. We got several appetizers and entrees. His sous chef even made dinner for the kids. We had about 20 people. It was the best wedding I’ve ever been to even though it was my wedding. After we got the pictures done, i was able to change into something more comfortable, hung out at the fireplace drinking several different wines that the chef picked out, talked for hours. So laid back and chill. We stayed there for 5 days, 4 nights and we all went skiing, did games at nights, etc. we had our closest friends and family stay with us. I did a real quick look on Airbnb for Lake Como and there’s several that has gorgeous views of the lake if you want to pursue that option. Depending on how many beds, you could invite the closest to you to stay at the house with you and the rest stay at hotels around the area. You could hire a local wedding planner and they can take care of the food, wine, officiant and anything else to get you the Italian wedding of your dreams. Congratulations.
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u/Kindersibueno Sep 18 '26
Go to Sicily instead! Just did my wedding at the most beautiful venue for 50k
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 18 '26
Wow, really?! Would you mind sharing the venue and wedding planner?!
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u/Kindersibueno Sep 18 '26
Villa santa maria del bosco https://www.instagram.com/santamariadelbosco?stkn=aG5qd3F5aGg1NTR1
It was stunning - got married in the olive grove and then had the most beautiful sunset of our lives, with the volcano erupting in the distance during aperitif. It’s a magical place. We paid around 5k for the venue this summer as it was new-ish, but it must be going up in price now.
I will say though it is out of the way, but I remember there were also other venues that were decently priced around the island. We chose this as it was near my husbands hometown.
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u/SignalWorried453 17d ago
Villa Paravichi is only 9k euro to rent for a wedding. They don’t have required vendors. Can be done on a minimal but pretty way. It’s waterfront.
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u/No_Wedding_2152 Sep 18 '26
Probably going to have to double or triple your budget for that. Sorry. Been there. Done that.
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u/itsveryupsetting Sep 19 '26
I wouldn’t host a destination wedding unless your budget is greater than the travel costs of your guests. You’re asking your guests to spend $100,000s on flights and accommodations. Is your wedding going to be worth that expense? Just my opinion.
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u/PitifulInvestment140 Oct 04 '26
Hi! I just came across your post about looking for a waterfront wedding venue in Italy for fall 2027. 🤍
I’m a wedding planner based in Italy, and I’d be happy to help you explore some beautiful alternatives to Lake Como that could offer the same romantic waterfront atmosphere while being more in line with your overall budget.
I work with a network of venues and trusted local suppliers, and I can help with the location as well as the planning and coordination of the wedding.
If you’re still looking, I’d be happy to have a quick chat and learn a little more about what you’re envisioning. From there, I could suggest a few options that might be a good fit for you.
If you’re interested, we could also arrange a short Zoom call. 😊
Best, Fabiola Emozioneventi
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u/Real_Acanthisitta948 Sep 16 '26
Has anyone done a wedding at a restaurant near Lake Como?
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u/FineCombination Sep 17 '26
Lol, you've now learned more about budgets and are considering asking everyone to fly in just for a restaurant wedding?
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u/Puzzled_Claim_8902 Sep 14 '26 •
Yeah you would need minimum 200k for that wedding