Robert + Natalie’s low-cost lakeside wedding
Photo: Ollie Baines
You might hear ‘low-cost’ and think perhaps Robert and Natalie had to sacrifice elements of their day to keep within their budget. Far from it! With a ceremony in a picturesque courtyard overlooking Lake Orta, a bridal entrance by boat to a private jetty, to their classic alfresco reception with live music - all captured by both a photographer and videographer. This couple, who call Texas home, stumbled upon the decision for an Italian wedding after searching for their honeymoon. Only spending 20,000 USD (18,000 euro), Robert and Natalie had guests fly in from across America for their August celebration, creating a relaxed vibe allowing friends and family to soak up the authenticity of Orta San Giulio.
SUPPLIER TEAM
Venue: Hotel San Rocco : Planner: Italian Wedding Company and Valentina Lombardi and Ernesto Troncarelli | Celebrant: Lorenzo Poletti Matrimoni | Hair: Maria Cristina Fraschini | Flowers: I fiori di Bruna | Photographer: Ollie Baines | Videographer: Abigail & Luke Films | Live Music: Matteo Ferrario and Ariel Jazz | Boat: Navigazione Orta
The Dating
“We met on the dating app Hinge. We lived less than a mile apart from one another in downtown Houston. Robert took me out for some pizza and wine and the rest was history!”
The Engagement
“We went to the top of "Enchanted Rock" and Robert proposed. Enchanted rock is a state park in central Texas with sweeping views of the Texas Hill Country - stunning. ”
“I think what made this wedding authentic was the fact that they chose to only have a select few key family and friends attend the wedding. They didn't want the hype of a huge wedding, but instead to enjoy the beauty of Lake Orta and create memories with those they hold dearest.”
Ollie Baines Photographer
“We probably paid a little bit more on Videography and Photography than the rest of the wedding and for us it was worth every penny. We had the pleasure of working with Luke Scarfe and Ollie Baines and they were just phenomenal.“
Why Italy?
“With our extended family in Seattle and Texas, there wasn't an obvious ‘easy’ location for our wedding. We looked at local venues in Texas but weren't excited, so we started planning where we wanted to honeymoon instead. We pulled up the Google flights map for Europe and quickly landed on Italy - with that realization, we quickly said, "Why not just get married in Italy??”
“We did have to adjust to the timelines of our Italian friends. 1-2 business days in America translates to 1-2 business weeks or months in Italy!”
How did you choose your venue?
“We fell in love with the idea of getting married along one of the Italian lakes. We were open to getting married on Lake Garda, Como or Maggiore - but our wedding planner, Valentina, told us about Lake Orta and its authentic Italian vacation spot that isn't overly popular with tourists. We never would've found Lake Orta without her recommendation, and couldn't be happier that we chose it. The venue was the town hall courtyard of Orta San Giulio which overlooked the lake, complete with a dock that Natalie used to arrive to he ceremony by boat. Locals gathered outside the gate to watch and cheer as we said our I do's and a nonna even made her way into the courtyard to watch from a bench.”
Stand out moment
“Saying our I do's! A little girl walked up to us while we were taking photos after the ceremony on the nearby island of Orta San Giulio and gave Robert a four leaf clover. We're not overly superstitious, but we did have our first baby boy Theodore exactly 9 months after that.”
The styling
“For us it was probably the location. We did have floral arrangements for the ceremony, aperitivo and reception, but for the most part, the little town of Orta San Giulio provided a more stunning backdrop than we ever dreamed of. ”
Top piece of advice
“Planning a wedding in Italy meant we needed to learn to let go. There is just a very different speed of doing business in America vs Italy. For us we wanted everything sorted out months in advance, and immediately. But that's just not realistic to the way things are done in Italy. We put out faith in our coordinator Valentina and at the end of the day, everything about our wedding exceeded our expectations. From the walkable little town of Orta San Giulio, to the town hall courtyard overlooking the lake, the live musicians we had for the ceremony, aperitivo and reception. It truly was the best day of our lives.”
Stand out Supplier
“Ollie Baines & Luke and Abigail Films! They weren't just great at their jobs, but also wonderful to be around and all of our guests loved them. Outside of photography and videography, all of our suppliers were coordinated via our coordinator Valentina and they were all incredible.”
SUPPLIER TEAM
Venue: Hotel San Rocco : Planner: Italian Wedding Company and Valentina Lombardi and Ernesto Troncarelli | Celebrant: Lorenzo Poletti Matrimoni | Hair: Maria Cristina Fraschini | Flowers: I fiori di Bruna | Photographer: Ollie Baines | Videographer: Abigail & Luke Films | Live Music: Matteo Ferrario and Ariel Jazz | Boat: Navigazione Orta
Want to know how much you should expect to pay for each element of your Italian wedding? Head to our Budgeting Articles to see the breakdowns our planners currently work with.
Categories
PLANNING | REAL WEDDING | BUSINESS | SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT | INSPIRATION | WANDERLUST
