Varenna, Lake Como
Villa Monastero
A former monastery on the water, a botanical garden that runs along the lake, and vows in a loggia with the mountains straight ahead. The villa we recommend most for an elopement on Lake Como.
Prices updated November 2026 · by Katerina
- from €18,000all-inclusive for two
- 2 to 25guests at the ceremony
- Elopementsymbolic ceremony
- VarennaLake Como
The short answer
Villa Monastero is where we send most couples who want to elope on Lake Como. You marry in a loggia on the water, the garden gives you two kilometres of portraits without moving the car, and a private boat waits at the villa's own dock. All-inclusive from €18,000 for the two of you.
It is not a wedding venue for a hundred guests, and it does not pretend to be. It is a museum and a botanical garden that opens a corner of itself for a ceremony, which is exactly why it feels so personal. Up to twenty-five people can stand with you, and dinner moves to a table by the water in Varenna afterwards.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Varenna, on the eastern shore, facing Bellagio |
| Best for | An elopement, or a ceremony with your closest family |
| Guests | Two to twenty-five at the ceremony |
| Ceremony | Symbolic, in the lakeside loggia or the neoclassical temple |
| Legal wedding | At the town hall in Varenna, not at the villa |
| Time at the villa | The loggia is yours for one hour, then up to three hours in the gardens |
| Price | All-inclusive from €18,000 for two, with Italian VAT |
| Best months | May, June and September; book six to eight months ahead |
| Getting there | Direct train from Milano Centrale to Varenna in about an hour, then a short walk |
The villa and the gardens
Villa Monastero began as a Cistercian convent at the end of the twelfth century. When it closed in 1567, the Mornico family turned it into a private villa, and each owner after them added something to the house and the garden. Today fourteen of its rooms are a museum, still furnished, and the botanical garden runs along the shore of Varenna, on the quieter eastern side of the lake, facing Bellagio.
The ceremony takes place in the lakeside loggia or by the neoclassical temple, with the water and the mountains straight ahead. The loggia is partly covered, which matters on a lake where spring showers come and go. After the vows, the garden does the rest: shaded paths, cypresses and citrus, stone steps down to the water and the villa's own dock, where your boat is waiting.
Next door is Villa Cipressi, and the hotels of Varenna are a few minutes' walk away, so the whole day happens on foot. The morning in your suite, the ceremony, the portraits, the boat and dinner by the water, with no transfers in between.
How your elopement day goes
A typical afternoon, timed so the ceremony catches the soft light. In July and August we move everything later, towards sunset, because the afternoons are hot.
- Getting ready. Hair and make-up in your suite in Varenna, with the photographer arriving for the last details.
- A short walk to the villa. Your planner meets you at the gate and takes you straight to the loggia.
- The ceremony. Live music, the vows your planner wrote with you, and the lake behind you. The loggia is yours alone for one hour.
- Portraits in the garden. Up to three hours along the shore, in the quiet corners we know. The garden stays open to visitors, and we plan the route around them.
- The boat. A private boat from the villa's dock for an hour on the water, with prosecco.
- Aperitivo and dinner. An aperitivo for two after the ceremony, then a table by the water in Varenna, booked by your concierge.
The ceremony, and what is legal
The ceremony at Villa Monastero is symbolic. It is led in English by your planner, with the words written for the two of you, and it feels every bit as real. Most couples from the US, the UK and Australia sign the legal papers at home, before or after the trip.
If you want to be legally married in Italy, the civil ceremony takes place at the town hall in Varenna, not at the villa. We prepare the documents, book the appointments at the US Consulate in Milan and the town hall, and bring the sworn interpreter the law requires. Our legal-ceremony service is €3,500 including VAT, plus the town hall's fee. For US citizens part of the paperwork is in person, so plan to arrive three working days before. Legal wedding on Lake Como →
What it costs
An elopement at Villa Monastero 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 Carlotta, our other iconic garden. 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 in Italy: paperwork, town hall, interpreter | from €3,500 + town hall fee |
| 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 |
| The villa after closing time, without visitors | on request |
What we would not do here
Promise you an empty garden. Villa Monastero is a public museum and stays open during your ceremony. The loggia is closed off for you, and we know the quiet corners for portraits. If you want the whole garden to yourselves, the villa can be booked after closing time.
Plan a wedding with forty guests. The ceremony spaces work for up to twenty-five people. A bigger group is happier at a villa built for weddings, such as Villa Cipressi next door.
Promise a legal ceremony in the loggia. The villa does not host civil weddings. The legal part is at the town hall in Varenna.
Book a midday ceremony in July. The heat on the lake is real. In summer we move the ceremony towards sunset, when the light is softer too.
Leave the rain to luck. April and May are the rainiest months here. The loggia is partly covered, and every elopement comes with a written plan B we would be happy to use.
Our weddings here
Four of our weddings at Villa Monastero, each linked to its full story:
- Anastasia & Armando, for two. Their story began on a bridge; they said yes in the loggia, then took a Venetian boat across the lake. Their wedding →
- Lina & Richard, from Australia, with their parents and closest family. The morning at Hotel Royal Victoria, vows in the garden, a boat cruise and a family dinner at Veranda dei Pescatori, all on foot in Varenna. Their wedding →
- Yulia & Jean-Marie, a flight attendant from Latvia and a pilot from France, who chose the lake for the most meaningful landing of their lives. Their wedding →
- Anna & Denis, twenty guests and their two dogs, a private tour of the villa and a boat carrying the bride alone to her ceremony. Their wedding →
The WOWITALY team were amazing from the start to the end. We're from Australia, and we booked them for our wedding in Lake Como. It was the best decision ever! The day turned out better than we could ever imagine.
Questions couples ask
Ask your ownHow much does an elopement at Villa Monastero 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 Monastero?
Not at the villa itself. The ceremony there is symbolic, and the legal one takes place at the town hall in Varenna, which we arrange for €3,500 including VAT, plus the town hall's fee.
Will there be other people in the garden?
Yes. The villa is a public museum, so the garden stays open while the loggia is reserved for you. For complete privacy, the villa can be booked after closing time.
Can our families come?
Yes, up to twenty-five people at the ceremony. Dinner is at a restaurant by the water in Varenna or in another villa nearby.
Villa Monastero or Villa Carlotta?
The same price and the same package. Monastero is quieter Varenna, a garden that runs along the water and a loggia for the vows. Carlotta is the western shore, the famous gardens in bloom and the view of Bellagio, with a legal ceremony possible at the villa. Villa Carlotta →
Is the ceremony in English?
Yes. Your planner writes it with you and leads it in English, or in two languages if your families need it.
When is the best time, and how early should we book?
May, June and September. Book six to eight months ahead for those months; dates at the villa are limited each season.
How do we get there?
The direct train from Milano Centrale reaches Varenna in about an hour, and the villa is a short walk from the station. We also arrange private transfers from Milan Malpensa and Linate.
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