Tremezzo, Lake Como
Villa Carlotta
A villa from 1690 on the western shore, gardens that turn red and pink with azaleas in spring, and vows on a terrace that looks straight across to Bellagio.
Prices updated November 2026 · by Katerina
- from €18,000all-inclusive for two
- 2 to 12guests
- Elopementsymbolic or legal
- TremezzoLake Como
The short answer
Villa Carlotta is the elopement for couples who want the famous gardens of Lake Como and the view of Bellagio in every photograph. You marry on the Camellia Terrace, walk through some of the most celebrated gardens in Italy for your portraits, and leave by private boat. All-inclusive from €18,000 for the two of you.
It is a museum and a botanical garden, not a wedding venue, so it suits the two of you or a small group best. And unlike most gardens on the lake, it is approved for civil weddings on limited dates, so you can marry legally right here.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Tremezzo, on the western shore, facing Bellagio |
| Best for | An elopement, or a ceremony with a few of your closest people |
| Guests | Two to twelve |
| Ceremony | Symbolic or legal, on the Camellia Terrace |
| Time at the villa | A 1.5-hour ceremony slot, then portraits in the gardens |
| Price | All-inclusive from €18,000 for two, with Italian VAT |
| Best months | April and May for the azaleas and rhododendrons, then June and September |
| Where to stay | The Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a short walk away |
The villa and the gardens
Villa Carlotta was built in 1690 for a Milanese banker, in Tremezzo on the western shore, with Bellagio right across the water. Today it is a museum and a botanical garden of more than 100,000 square metres, open to visitors from spring to autumn.
The ceremony takes place on the Camellia Terrace, with Bellagio and the mountains behind you. Then the gardens take over: camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons that flower in April and May, a bamboo grove, citrus, old maples and plane trees, and paths that climb above the lake for the wide views.
Inside, the villa is one of the finest museums in Lombardy, with sculptures by Antonio Canova and his school, Thorvaldsen's frieze of the Triumph of Alexander the Great, and Hayez's The Last Kiss of Romeo and Juliet. It is worth an hour of your stay even before the wedding day.
How your elopement day goes
Ceremonies at Villa Carlotta take place at 11:00 or at 16:00. We usually choose 16:00, for the softer light and a slow evening on the water after.
- Getting ready. Hair and make-up in your suite, at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo a short walk away or at a villa of your own, with the photographer there for the details.
- Arriving at the villa. Your planner meets you at the gate and walks you up to the Camellia Terrace.
- The ceremony. Live music, the vows your planner wrote with you, and Bellagio behind you. The slot is one and a half hours.
- Portraits in the gardens. Through the camellias and azaleas and up to the viewpoints over the lake. The gardens stay open to visitors, and we plan the route around them.
- The boat. A private boat from Tremezzo for an hour on the lake, with prosecco.
- Aperitivo and dinner. An aperitivo for two after the ceremony, then a table by the water in Tremezzo or across the lake in Bellagio, booked by your concierge.
The ceremony, and what is legal
At Villa Carlotta you can choose. A symbolic ceremony is led in English by your planner, with the words written for the two of you, and most couples from the US, the UK and Australia sign the legal papers at home.
Or you can marry legally on the terrace itself. Villa Carlotta is approved for civil weddings by the town of Tremezzina on limited dates, so there is no trip to a town hall and no second ceremony. The ceremony is in Italian with a sworn interpreter, and two witnesses over eighteen sign with you; they can be your friends, or we bring them.
For US citizens part of the paperwork is in person: the US Consulate in Milan, then your declaration of intent at the town hall in Tremezzo a day or two before the wedding. Tremezzina needs the complete file ten days ahead, and we send it for you, so plan to arrive three working days before. Our legal-ceremony service is €3,500 including VAT, plus the town's fee and the villa's fee for hosting the civil ceremony, which we confirm for your date. Legal wedding on Lake Como →
What it costs
An elopement at Villa Carlotta is all-inclusive from €18,000 for the two of you, with Italian VAT and our planning fee inside the number. It is the same price at Villa Monastero in Varenna, on the other shore. Lake Como elopement →
Included
- The villa, with every rental and venue fee
- Your English-speaking planner from the first call to the last toast, who writes and leads your ceremony
- A fine-art photographer for five hours, at the villa and on the water
- Ceremony flowers, your bouquet and boutonniere
- Hair and make-up
- Live music for the ceremony
- A private boat on the lake with prosecco, one hour
- An aperitivo for two after the ceremony
- Private transfers on the day
- A personal concierge before and during your stay, and a written plan B for the weather
Not included: flights and your hotel, dinner after the ceremony, your guests, film, a legal ceremony, and the villa's refundable security deposit where it applies.
| Add to your day | Price |
|---|---|
| Legally married at the villa: paperwork, town hall, interpreter | from €3,500 + town and villa fees |
| Content creator: reels and stories, delivered the next morning | €1,500 |
| Film Essential: 5 hours, a 3–5 minute film | from €2,900 |
| Signature Film: full day, cinematic film and teaser | from €4,900 |
| Guest Concierge, up to 6 guests | €1,500 |
| Guest Concierge, 7 to 12 guests | €2,500 |
What we would not do here
Promise you an empty garden. Villa Carlotta is a museum and stays open during your ceremony. The terrace is yours for the slot, and we know the quiet paths for portraits.
Plan a wedding with thirty guests. Up to twelve people is what feels right on the terrace. For a bigger group we would choose a villa built for weddings.
Leave the legal date to the last month. Civil weddings at the villa are possible only on limited dates, and the town needs your full file ten days before. We hold the date as soon as you decide.
Pick a date for the flowers alone. The azaleas peak in April and May, which are also the rainiest months on the lake. We plan a real plan B, not a hopeful one.
Choose 11:00 in July. The midday sun on the terrace is strong; in summer the 16:00 slot is kinder to you and to the photographs.
Our weddings here
- Brittney & Kasimu, for two, from the Bahamas. Personal vows in the gardens of Villa Carlotta, a vintage Porsche along the lake and a private boat with a surprise musical performance. Their wedding →
- Ksenia & Anton, for two. A morning at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a boat across the lake to their legal ceremony at the town hall in Bellagio, then portraits in the gardens of Villa Carlotta. Their wedding →
Questions couples ask
Ask your ownHow much does an elopement at Villa Carlotta cost?
From €18,000 for the two of you, all-inclusive, with the villa, your planner, a photographer, flowers, hair and make-up, music, a private boat and an aperitivo. Italian VAT is included.
Can we get legally married at Villa Carlotta?
Yes, on limited dates approved by the town of Tremezzina. We arrange the paperwork, the interpreter and the witnesses for €3,500 including VAT, plus the town's fee and the villa's fee.
Will there be other people in the gardens?
Yes. The villa is a museum and stays open, while the terrace is reserved for your ceremony. We plan your portraits on the quieter paths.
When are the gardens at their best?
In April and May, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower. June and September are calmer, warmer and drier.
Can our families come?
Yes, up to twelve people. Dinner afterwards is at a restaurant by the water in Tremezzo or across the lake in Bellagio.
Villa Carlotta or Villa Monastero?
The same price and the same package. Carlotta is the western shore, the famous gardens in bloom and the view of Bellagio, with a legal ceremony possible at the villa. Monastero is quieter Varenna, a garden that runs along the water and a loggia for the vows. Villa Monastero →
How do we get there?
About an hour and a half by car from Milan Malpensa or Linate. We arrange private transfers both ways and every boat on the day.
Check your date
Tell us roughly when and whether anyone is coming with you. Marina, who founded WOWITALY, answers every inquiry herself. The first video call is with Katerina, who lives on the lake, it costs nothing, and it is not a sales call. We take a limited number of elopements each season.
hello@wowitaly-weddings.com · +39 334 840 2086