I’m excited to start this new “Venue Spotlight” blog series in 2014 of amazing places to get hitched.  We’ll cover our faves everywhere from locally here in the DC area, to across the country in some of our favorite cities and of course, magical places abroad for our jetsetter brides.

The first to kickstart the new series:  Villa Balbienello.  The villa can be found on the edge of a steep peninsula boasting 360 degree views of lovely Lake Como.  The villa was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini.  We scouted this venue a little over a year ago and I am just waiting for one of my brides to fall in love with it as much as I did 🙂  You may recognize it from Casino Royale – the villa was portrayed as a hospital where James Bond recovered.  I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking – simply dreamy.

Picture: a glamorous James Bond moment with your guests arriving by speedboat

Cuisine: outside catering

Ceremony/Reception space: both

Accommodates: 2-130 guests (For 50+ guests, the grounds can be tented.)

Accommodations:  no rooms onsite but plenty in hotels nearby – we stayed at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and it was just a short boat ride away.

Time of Year:  March-November, but May-September are best.

Cost: depends on the # of guests and the facilities used, as well as time of year.  Rental fee can be anywhere from 4000-15.000€ + vat. for exclusive use.  Smaller weddings many not require exclusive use.

 Photo Credits:  Martha Stewart Weddings, Flickr, Distinctive Weddings in Italy, Villa Balbianello