Elopements

Jonathan and Maegan’s Lake Como Elopement With a Mountain Hike & Private Boat Ride

Jonathan and Maegan have a special place in their heart for Italy and thought it was only right to have an intimate elopement experience at Lake Como. They explored around the area, had a private boat ride, and hiked to get an amazing view of the lake from above as they exchanged wedding vows. Get all the details from their special day below.

Are you ready to plan your Italy adventure? Explore our Italy elopement guide.

About This Lake Como Elopement

Photography by Adventure Amore

“Italy was a frequent destination for Jonathan and Maegan since they first visited as a couple four months into their relationship.

One of the places they had yet to visit in Italy was Lake Como, so they thought that would be the perfect place for their destination elopement. They wanted a wedding day that included all the classic, romantic aspects of Como while avoiding crowds and incorporating the beautiful nature surrounding the lake. This included renting a private boat, stopping at several spots along the way (including a stop for gelato!), and a hike up the mountains overlooking the lake to exchange their vows. Maegan and Jonathan created a classic and adventurous elopement in Lake Como, which makes their day truly unique.

Most people think about villas and luxury when it comes to the area, what they don’t realize is how many adventures they can experience in the surrounding mountains that overlook the lake. Maegan and Jonathan wanted to take full advantage of all that Lake Como has to offer in one of the most unique elopements I’ve ever seen in the area.” [Adam, the photographer]

Permits and Leave No Trace For Lake Como Elopements

“Lake Como is filled with villas, gardens, and beautiful locations perfect for an elopement backdrop. Each location will have different requirements for permits, so every couple (and hopefully their photographer) should make sure to reach out to the respective locations to figure out what’s required. You certainly don’t want to show up the day of without having done your homework only to be turned away or find out there’s a significant cost to be able to shoot at that location. You also want to account for a difference in expected response times and paperwork requirements from various locations as a result of differences in culture.

For our specific locations we did need a permit for Villa Balbionello, which we obtained beforehand. When it comes to Leave No Trace, we came prepared to respect the villas, lake, towns, and mountains that we explored in a respectful manner, following trails and packing out everything we packed in.” [Adam, the photographer]

Learn how to leave no trace during your elopement.

Top Tip Planning Your Elopement Here

“My top tip is to make sure you put together a team who can really help you navigate the intricacies of eloping in Lake Como. Each town, each villa, and each mountaintop offers a gorgeous and unique experience well worth your couple’s time, and each may have different requirements for how you can utilize each location. You’ll want an expert team that knows how to put it all together, as well as how to navigate Italian culture where service is treated differently than in America. Lake Como is an absolute gem of a location that has so much more to offer that people don’t know about” [Adam, the photographer]

Explore our elopement directory.

Deciding to Elope

“Well, we are not very traditional to begin with! But we also found the process of planning a traditional wedding to be stressful and a strain on our wallets. We felt like it was going to be difficult to accommodate everyone’s hopes for what our wedding should or should not be, so we opted out — and just decided to do what we were excited about. We love traveling together, so we decided to go on an adventure!” [The couple]

Explore these reasons to elope.

Deciding Where to Elope

“When we first started dating, Maegan tagged along on a business trip of mine to Italy and we really fell in love with each other — and the country — on that trip. Since that visit, we have returned to Italy a few times and have grown to love so much about the place: the people, the culture the art and especially the food. So it’s kind of our special place!

We decided specifically on Lake Como because we had never been there in all our travels across Italy. It seemed so glamorous, of course, but it also had these amazing hiking areas just off the beaten path. While the romantic areas of Como are a big draw for tourists for a reason, we decided to exchange our vows at the top of a scenic mountain because we wanted it to be an intimate moment. Overall, we were really happy with the mix of romantic, well-worn areas at the base of the lake (we even got tourists to participate in some of our photos!) and nature.” [The couple]

Explore more places to elope!

Planning Their Elopement Adventure

“We largely worked with our amazing photographer Adam Amit over the course of 10 months to pick out locations and an itinerary. He was super knowledgeable and gave us several options, from hiking locations to suggesting a boat, to calling some of our vendors himself. He also went above and beyond by telling us how to prepare for this unique day.” [The couple]

Estimate Elopement Cost

$6000 for the photographer, who also helped with planning
$1600 for flights
$450 for hotel (2nights)
$860 for hair and makeup
$3100 for wedding dress, alterations and accessories
a couple hundred for a private car hire
Jonathan’s suit was a gift
$60 for silk flowers
$300 for a photography permit
$1000 for boat rental
$40 for food.

Total ~ 13,410

“We also spent a few nights in other parts of Italy (Parma, Bologna, and Milan), combining our wedding and honeymoon, and saved money!”

Learn more about elopement costs.

Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the photographer:

“Right after the ceremony, on top of a mountain overlooking Lake Como, they put on some music and started to dance. They were the only people up that high in that area and seemed to have the entire world to themselves. The whole day culminated in this moment and there they were, letting loose, breaking it down, and laughing over and over again in one of the most romantic and gorgeous locations on earth.”

From the couple:

“When we climbed to a mile-high peak overlooking Lake Como and said our vows. It was quiet and peaceful and a breathtaking location. At the top, Maegan surprised me with a ‘first dance’ with an MP3 she downloaded onto her phone. It’s not every day that you get to dance with your new life partner … at the top of a mountain … in Italy … in … a full suit!”

Final Words From the Photographer

“Lake Como is one of the best places in the world for an elopement. It truly has it all, and I’d love for other couples to also combine the classy luxury of the villas and lake, with the adventurous gorgeous mountains above. Lake Como is one of those rare places in the world where you can have adventure and luxury all at the same time, in one of the most beautiful places ever. When you’re planning your Lake Como elopement, make sure to dream big and keep your heart open for all the opportunities this incredible place offers.” [Adam, the photographer]

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