Wedding in Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore is the ideal choice for couples who want that Italian lakeside view but cannot find a lakeside venue with a sufficiently large outdoor area on Lake Como. A couple who visited both lakes in 2025 described how, apart from one well-known villa, they could hardly find any such venue on Lake Como, and that is the gap that Lake Maggiore fills. The lake is Italy’s second largest, lies to the west towards Piedmont, and has Stresa, Verbania and the Borromean Islands at its heart.

The atmosphere is calmer and less touristy than that of Lake Como. There are still palaces, terraced gardens and boats picking up guests at the jetty, but fewer famous addresses and fewer couples vying for the same weekend.

The wedding venues line the lakeshore. Historic villas with gardens are most concentrated on the western shore between Stresa and Verbania, offering both views and outdoor space. Lakeside hotels provide accommodation, dining and logistics all in one, which is the simplest option when guests are travelling from afar. The islands, particularly Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori, offer the most memorable setting, but everything and everyone must be transported there by boat. Always enquire about outdoor capacity, not just indoor: it is the outdoor space that is the whole reason for choosing Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore or Lake Como? That’s the question this page is here to answer. Compare four factors: the availability of lakeside venues with large outdoor spaces, the price, guest logistics and how well-known the venue is. Lake Como wins on name recognition and the number of suppliers who’ve organised events there before. Lake Maggiore more often wins on value for money when it comes to outdoor space, and on the fact that it’s actually possible to book a weekend in peak season. We don’t earn anything from whichever option you choose, which is why we can say it straight out: Lake Como is the right choice if you want the well-known setting, Lake Maggiore if the party is to be held outdoors. Piedmont is just over an hour’s drive south if you’re heading in that direction anyway.

What couples actually paid here. We haven’t yet obtained any quotes of our own for Lake Maggiore, so the figures below are from Lake Como, which is the closest comparable market, and they are marked as such. In April 2026, a professional Italian supplier quoted between 3,000 and 10,000 EUR and upwards for the venue alone, excluding catering, for a villa near Lake Como, and 150-250 EUR per place for the catering. The same source highlighted restaurant and castle venues as the cheaper alternative in the same area. Lake Maggiore is generally below the level of Lake Como, but we cannot yet confirm exactly by how much, and we would rather leave this section blank than quote a figure we cannot stand by. The cost of a wedding in Italy depends on a number of factors.

The months, and the rain. May, June and September are the best. The lakes of northern Italy receive more rainfall than the rest of the country, and afternoon thunderstorms are common even during a fine summer. A rain plan indoors is therefore no mere formality here. July and August are warm and the gardens are at their most beautiful, but this is also when tourist numbers and prices peak. October can be both very beautiful and very wet in the same week. The best month to get married in Italy involves more than just the weather.

How guests get here. Milan Malpensa is the nearest airport and is about thirty to fifty minutes from Stresa and Verbania - a shorter journey than most Italian wedding destinations can offer. Trains run along the lakeshore and boats connect the villages and islands. Not all guests will need a hire car, but those staying on the opposite shore should expect to take a boat or face a long drive around the lake.

This is a concern worth taking seriously. The same couple who visited both lakes concluded that, if they had the chance to do it again, they would have got married at home instead: they couldn’t visit the venue without a long journey and couldn’t speak the language of the suppliers. Their wedding planner, found via Instagram, botched the day, and the florist delivered less than what had been quoted and refused to issue a refund. That is the most honest objection there is to a wedding abroad. It is also the very reason why we vet the suppliers we work with and why you receive several quotes to compare rather than just one blind offer. It doesn’t solve the problem of distance. It solves the problem of who you sign a contract with.

Highlights in Lake Maggiore

• Lakeside views and villa gardens
• The Borromean Islands
• Near Malpensa
• Calmer than Lake Como

Who is Lake Maggiore for?

Couples who want a lakeside location but need more outdoor space than the properties on Lake Como often offer

Wedding costs in Lake Maggiore

170 000 - 460 000

Our tips

Check boat transport arrangements well in advance if the ceremony is to take place on an island. The entire guest list will need to be ferried across the water and back in the dark.

Our recommendation for Lake Maggiore

We recommend Lake Maggiore for couples who want a lakeside setting but need more outdoor space than venues on Lake Como often offer, and who appreciate a short transfer from Malpensa. Best for 40-80 guests in May, June or September.

Editorial team, Wedding Abroad · Last updated May 2026