A Norwegian Family Wedding at Villa Carlotta, Lake Como

Helene and Tobias had been together for more than fourteen years, and had three children, by the time they married at Villa Carlotta on Lake Como. When love has stood the test of time like that, it deserves a proper celebration, and they gathered their people by the lake for it: their children, their families and their friends, many of whom had traveled from Norway just for the day.

I photographed their wedding with Marina Muravnik, as part of Roman Ivanov's team. Villa Carlotta, with its gardens stepping down in terraces to the water, still holds a special place in my heart.

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Villa Carlotta and its gardens above the lake

Before the guests

The day began at Hotel Lenno, where Marina stayed with Helene and Tobias while they got ready. I went ahead to the villa to see the terrace while it was still empty. White chairs stood in rows facing the water, the European and Italian flags flew overhead, and at the far edge of the terrace stood a round arch of baby's breath, so full of tiny white flowers that it framed the lake like a window.

I photographed the flowers and all the small things someone had set out with so much care. Years from now, those are the pictures that will remind Helene and Tobias how much thought went into their day.

Then the guests began to arrive, many of them seeing Villa Carlotta for the first time. You could feel the excitement as they wandered through the gardens, taking photos as they went, and I loved watching their faces as they found one beautiful corner after another.

Vows under the arch

Helene wore a fitted off-the-shoulder gown and Tobias a black tuxedo, and they married under the baby's breath with Lake Como and the mountains behind them. The terrace lay in full sun. The only shade was under one big tree at the side.

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The ceremony on the terrace, in full sun

Their children had their own parts in the ceremony, which made it feel personal and sweet. At one point a little girl in a crown of baby's breath read a note into the microphone, and Helene leaned down beside her, bouquet in hand.

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A note read aloud, and a moment under the arch

Parts of the ceremony were in Norwegian. I don't speak it, and on that terrace I didn't need to: the faces of their family and friends said everything.

A short walk around the villa

As soon as the ceremony ended, we took Helene and Tobias for a short walk. I had looked around earlier while photographing the details, so we didn't lose a minute searching: the stone terrace and its balustrade above the lake, the garden stairs and the statues, then inside, to the marble floors and the tall windows.

Outside, the sun was hard and the stone threw sharp shadows, so I let some of those frames become black and white, where a shadow turns into a line. A few steps inside, a tall window onto Lake Como turned the same sun into soft light on Helene's face and veil.

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Above the lake, and down the garden stairs

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Window light inside the villa

We worked quickly, and Helene and Tobias were back with their guests before anyone had waited long.

By boat to Lido di Lenno

Dinner was a few kilometers down the shore, at Lido di Lenno, and the two of them went by water. Marina stepped into the boat with them, a varnished wooden runabout, and I went ahead to photograph the marquee before anyone sat down.

Arriving by boat is one of my favorite parts of a Lake Como wedding. For a little while the couple has the lake to themselves, and when they arrive, their guests are already waiting for them on the shore.

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Waving from the boat on the way to Lenno

Long, heartfelt speeches

The marquee at Lido di Lenno was open at the sides, so every table looked out over the lake and the mountains, and dozens of wicker lamps hung from its roof. The tables were laid with white linen, colorful flowers and fine glasses. It felt elegant and comfortable at the same time.

Then the speeches began, and I learned how much they matter at a Norwegian wedding. They were long, some of them close to twenty minutes. I couldn't understand a word, and it made no difference. Guests cried, then laughed, then clapped, and more than once I was close to tears myself, just from watching their faces. Helene stood up and spoke too.

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Speeches under the wicker lamps, Helene's among them

Norwegian speeches are about family and friendship: stories about the couple, told by the people who know them best. By an Italian lake, far from home, I could see how much each one meant to the room.

Dancing after sunset

During dinner the last sun lit the mountains across the water.

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The last light on the mountains across the lake

When the sun had gone, the dancing began, and the guests who had come all the way from Norway celebrated like people who had traveled a long way for this night. I moved between the two sides of the evening: quiet moments between Helene and Tobias, and their family and friends dancing all around them. At one point Helene was lifted high above the crowd, laughing.

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On the dance floor at Lido di Lenno

Photographing Helene and Tobias reminded me why I love weddings far from home: a family from Norway, an Italian lake, and their own traditions carried all the way there.

If you are dreaming of Villa Carlotta, start with the light. The terrace looks across the water to Bellagio, with the mountains at its back, so it stays in sun for most of the day, as it did for this ceremony, and turns soft in the evening while the far shore still glows. Spring to early fall is the season, and guests can arrive by boat at the Tremezzo stop, a short walk from the entrance.

Villa Carlotta's terms, the boats from Como and the choice between a civil and a symbolic ceremony are in a separate guide.

If you are planning your own day on Lake Como, write to me. Tell me how you met and who will be there; I would love to hear your story.