01
A real wedding at Villa Erba in Cernobbio
This was not a styled shoot or a venue visit. I photographed Catherine and Christophe’s real Lake Como wedding, with Villa Erba forming the setting for their Persian ceremony and celebration. The wedding was part of a three-day story that also included Sant’Abbondio, Villa Giuseppina and post-wedding photography on the lake.
For couples researching weddings at Villa Erba on Lake Como, the photographs are useful because they show the venue doing its actual job: holding a ceremony, guests, family, portraits and a party rather than simply looking beautiful when empty.
Persian wedding at Villa Erba
02
Photographing the sofreh aghd and the people around it
The ceremony centred on a sofreh aghd arranged in the garden. The spread carries family symbolism and detailed objects, but the photographs also need to hold the people around it: the couple, parents, relatives, reactions and the movement of the ceremony itself.
My approach to a Persian wedding is documentary first. I photograph the details clearly, then work around the ceremony rather than interrupting it. Portraits can be more structured later, when there is space to use Villa Erba’s architecture and lake setting.
03
What Villa Erba is like to photograph
Villa Erba works especially well when the photographs show scale. Wide frames, clean geometry and the relationship between the architecture, gardens, lake and guests are more useful here than trying to turn every corner of the property into a portrait location.
The practical difference is planning a short route before the portrait session starts. That keeps the couple away from unnecessary walking, protects time with guests and lets the photographs move from architecture to garden to lake without making the wedding feel like a production.
04
Use the scale
Villa Erba rewards wide compositions that show the building, landscape and celebration together.
05
Keep portraits efficient
A planned route produces more variety with less time away from guests.
06
Let the day stay real
The venue already provides visual structure. Direction can stay calm and minimal.
07
One wedding, several sides of Lake Como
Catherine and Christophe’s celebration unfolded over several events rather than one compressed day. That changes the photography completely: each location can have its own rhythm instead of trying to force ceremony, portraits, dinner and lake photographs into the same short window.
Sant’Abbondio & Villa Giuseppina.
A Christian ceremony followed by the reception and the beginning of the wider Lake Como story.
Persian ceremony at Villa Erba.
The sofreh aghd, family, garden ceremony, portraits and celebration at the centre of this page.
Lake Como & Riva boat portraits.
Post-wedding photography on the lake, with more freedom because the wedding-day timeline had finished.
Questions couples ask before booking photography.
Yes. This page shows a real wedding I photographed for Catherine and Christophe, including their Persian sofreh aghd ceremony at Villa Erba as part of a three-day Lake Como celebration.
Yes. I photograph the ceremony itself, the sofreh aghd details, family interactions, portraits and the wider celebration without turning the day into a staged photo shoot.
Yes. This wedding combined events at Sant’Abbondio, Villa Giuseppina and Villa Erba, followed by post-wedding photography on Lake Como. Multi-day coverage is useful when the celebration is spread across several locations.
Use my Lake Como wedding venues and costs guide for venue comparisons, current planning considerations, guest-count formats, transport and budget context.
Planning your own wedding on Lake Como?.
Send me your date, venue, approximate guest count and number of events. If you are planning Villa Erba as part of a multi-day celebration, include the welcome dinner, boat trip, brunch or any second venue so I can suggest the right coverage.
