Wedding at Villa Erba, Lake Como

A wedding at Villa Erba means another wonderful experience in what was proclaimed by the American newspaper Huffington Post in 2014 as the most beautiful lake in the world. It is a title that is difficult to dispute because Lake Como never fails to enchant and amaze with its varied and rich landscapes, its historic villages and villas, and its nature, which takes on different forms and atmospheres depending on the shores of the lake’s three branches.

On the western shore of the lake, in a predominantly mountainous area not far from Cernobbio, stands one of its most famous villas. A wedding at Villa Erba, considering the villa’s international prestige, is a dream come true and the certainty of a celebration filled with elegance and beauty.

Weddings at Villa Erba are organized and carried out with particular care, offering a wide range of solutions depending on requirements, including venue preparation, catering, hospitality, and guest transportation. Both the exterior and interior of the villa offer views and settings of unparalleled beauty.

Surrounding the main building, the grounds feature exquisite sculptures of historical and mythological character, service quarters, a complex of gatehouses, a greenhouse, a boathouse, and stables, which become incredible backdrops for every occasion, like the wings of a natural stage where a wedding at Villa Erba becomes an almost regal spectacle.

The centuries-old park is one of the largest on the lake, with such a variety of trees that it is rich in vegetation in every season of the year. An interesting feature that testifies to the desire for cross-fertilization of species and pays homage to other traditions is the presence of a small Zen garden created in 1988. The interior of the villa is lavishly decorated with friezes, stuccoes, and gilding by the Lombard artist Angelo Lorenzoli, providing a backdrop for the figurative frescoes by Ernesto Fontana and the numerous 17th- and 18th-century paintings, many of which are of unquestionable value, that decorate the walls.

It was in this villa, owned by the family following the marriage of his mother Carla Erba to Duke Visconti di Modrone, that the great director Luchino Visconti spent his summer holidays as a child. His presence over the years helped to enliven and stimulate the cultural climate of the area, making Cernobbio the ideal place, between receptions, for meetings between famous personalities and intellectuals. Visconti, who had been ill for some time, chose it as the place to spend the last months of his life.

From all this, it is easy to understand why Nifemi and Funmilade decided to travel from the United States, where they live, to the other side of the world to celebrate their wedding at Villa Erba. The ceremony was planned down to the smallest detail with meticulous attention to ensure that everything was elegant, yet natural, perfect, and spontaneous.

Nothing was missing to make this wedding a unique event: a boat trip on the lake, simple and elegant decorations with white flowers, a quartet of violinists dressed in pink clouds who enlivened the ceremony with their music, a sumptuous banquet, and colorful fireworks at the edge of the lake. Nothing was out of place, nothing was excessive, everything was perfect, as if the script of a high-quality artistic performance had been executed with discretion and invisible skill.

I am curious by nature and wanted to find out the meaning of the names of these two newlyweds. Nifemi means “love belongs to me, love has me.” Funmilade means “she has given me joy and happiness.” In short, following the Latin saying, nomen omen, this union should be perfect, as was their wedding at Villa Erba..