Bride and groom toasting together on a Riva boat during an indian celebration at Villa Geno
If you're planning a wedding on Lake Como, chances are you've already imagined that photograph: the two of you aboard a beautiful vintage wooden boat, surrounded by deep blue water, with a magnificent Italian villa and the mountains rising in the background.
It's one of those images that immediately says Lake Como. Elegant, cinematic, timeless.
But is a boat photoshoot really worth it? How much time should you dedicate to it? Do you need a drone? And how can you make it happen without disappearing from your own wedding for an hour?
After photographing weddings on Lake Como, we've learned that the secret isn't spending more time on the water. It's knowing exactly what you want to achieve and organizing everything around it.
Here's our approach.
1. Do You Really Need a Boat Photoshoot for Your Lake Como Wedding?
Our answer is almost always yes.
Think about why you chose Lake Como in the first place. You probably fell in love with its extraordinary scenery, historic villas, glamorous atmosphere, and unmistakable sense of Italian elegance.
Lake Como is about something very specific: the iconic.
Iconic locations. Iconic architecture. Iconic wedding dresses. And, naturally, iconic photographs.
A boat photoshoot brings all these elements together in a way that's difficult to recreate anywhere else.
Of course, your wedding photography should be much more than a collection of beautiful portraits. We believe the genuine moments with your families and friends are the real heart of the story.
But among hundreds of spontaneous, emotional photographs, there should also be a handful of images that simply take your breath away.
And a beautiful wooden boat floating in front of a historic Lake Como villa? That's a pretty good place to start.
2. Which Boat Should You Choose? Why We Love the Classic Riva
There are several types of boats available for wedding photoshoots on Lake Como, from traditional wooden water taxis to modern motorboats and luxury vintage launches.
Our favorite? A classic wooden Riva.
And there's a reason.
Riva boats are part of the visual language of Italian luxury. Their polished mahogany, elegant curves, beautiful upholstery, and unmistakable silhouettes evoke the glamour of the Italian Riviera, the golden age of Hollywood, and the sophisticated lifestyle of the 1950s and 1960s.
They have a long history in cinema and celebrity culture, closely associated with the glamour of stars such as Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot. Lake Como itself has been a setting for films including Casino Royale, Ocean's Twelve, and Star Wars.
There's something wonderfully cinematic about stepping onto one of these boats in a wedding dress or an elegant tuxedo.
But our preference isn't only about nostalgia.
A Riva looks beautiful from practically every angle, including from directly above.
Its shape, proportions, and warm wooden finish create a wonderful contrast with the blue and green waters of the lake. This is particularly important when drone photography is involved.
One practical tip: when booking, ask for the exact boat model and recent photographs. Not every vintage wooden boat is an authentic Riva, and not every Riva has the same classic appearance.
3. Drone Photography: The Shot You Absolutely Want (But Not the Only One)
Bird’s eye view of the bride and groom lying down on a Riva boat on Lake Como during a wedding at Villa Geno
Let's talk about the photograph everyone wants.
The bird's-eye view.
A beautiful Riva floating on the lake, its elegant wooden shape surrounded by water, with the couple perfectly positioned inside.
It's graphic, minimalist, and incredibly sophisticated. In our opinion, it's usually the first photograph you should plan when organizing a Lake Como boat photoshoot.
For this particular kind of imagery, we consider drone photography essential, provided local flight restrictions and conditions allow it.
But there's a mistake we often see: photographers concentrate entirely on the overhead photograph and forget how much more a drone can do.
We love lowering the drone to create a completely different perspective.
Imagine the boat photographed almost at water level, with a magnificent villa in the background, the mountains rising behind it, and the couple enjoying the moment.
Think of the glamorous Mediterranean lifestyle photography of Slim Aarons: beautiful people, extraordinary places, effortless elegance.
That's the atmosphere we're looking for.
With the right angle, the boat driver can sometimes be hidden behind the boat's structure or discreetly removed during editing, leaving a wonderfully clean composition.
The result feels less like a traditional wedding portrait and more like an image from a vintage luxury travel magazine.
Of course, drone flights need to be planned around the applicable aviation restrictions, venue permissions, and safety conditions. On Lake Como, you should never assume that flying is automatically permitted.
Bride and groom on a Riva boat with a village in the background during a wedding villa il Balbianello
Read our related article: https://www.relliniartstudio.it/articles/lake-como-wedding-drone-photos
4. Don't Forget the Photographs Taken ON the Boat
Here's something important.
If your photographer focuses exclusively on the drone, you're missing half the opportunity.
The aerial photographs are spectacular, but they're usually quite distant. They celebrate the location, the boat, and the overall composition.
What about you?
We also want beautiful, close-up portraits where we can see your expressions, your dress, your connection, and all those little details that make the photographs personal.
A photographer aboard the boat can create a completely different collection of images: elegant portraits of the bride, relaxed photographs of the two of you together, a little movement, a kiss, a laugh, a beautiful editorial composition.
And this is where having two wedding photographers makes a real difference.
While one photographer is on the boat directing the portraits and working with the couple, the other can operate the drone from a safe, permitted position.
Two perspectives, two completely different styles of photography, happening during the same short session.
That's how you get variety without spending twice as much time away from your guests.
Bride and groom wearing sunglasses sitting on a Riva boat in Lake Como with Villa Geno in the background
5. Why We Don't Recommend Booking a Second Boat Just for the Photographer
Some wedding planners on Lake Como still suggest booking two separate boats: one for the couple and another for the photographer.
We understand the idea. Traditionally, photographing a boat from a distance required another boat.
But today, with modern drone photography, we don't believe this should be the default solution.
A drone can create spectacular images from perspectives that a second boat simply cannot reach, especially the beautiful overhead compositions.
Meanwhile, having the photographer aboard the couple's boat makes it much easier to capture proper portraits.
It's generally a more efficient arrangement, with fewer moving parts, less coordination, and potentially lower costs.
A second boat can still make sense for certain productions, especially when drone flying is restricted or additional video coverage is required.
But for most of our Lake Como wedding boat sessions, one beautiful boat, two photographers, and a well-organized plan are all we need.
6. How Long Should a Lake Como Boat Photoshoot Take? Our 20–25 Minute Rule
This is probably our most important piece of advice.
You don't want your boat photoshoot to become a logistical nightmare.
Remember, there's a wedding happening at your villa. Your guests are enjoying cocktails, conversations, music, and the beautiful atmosphere you've spent months creating.
And you should be there enjoying it with them.
We've seen wedding timelines where the boat photoshoot becomes an unnecessarily complicated production, with multiple boats, long transfers, and photographers spending far too much time trying to get the perfect image.
That's not our philosophy.
We usually complete the actual boat photoshoot in 20–25 minutes, including aerial photographs and close-up portraits.
How? By knowing the location, deciding on the compositions in advance, coordinating with the boat driver, and working as a team.
Of course, this assumes the boat is already nearby, boarding is straightforward, and the route is short. Transfers, docking, weather, and other logistical considerations may require extra time in the overall wedding timeline.
The idea is simple: get the iconic photographs and return to your celebration before anyone starts wondering where you've disappeared.
7. The Smartest Trick: Turn Your Wedding Boat Transfer Into a Photoshoot
Sometimes the best solution is not organizing a separate boat session at all.
Imagine you're getting married at Villa del Balbianello, and your reception is at Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
You're already going to travel by boat.
Why not use that journey to create some beautiful photographs?
We love using boat transfers to capture spontaneous moments and additional portraits. It saves precious time later, reduces the need for extra logistics, and makes the photography feel like a natural part of the wedding day.
And the boat can become much more than a photoshoot location.
We remember an Indian wedding we photographed at Villa Geno, where the groom arrived at the ceremony aboard a Riva, wearing a beautiful white tuxedo.
It was an incredibly stylish entrance. The boat, the suit, the lake, the anticipation of the ceremony: everything worked together perfectly.
It wasn't simply a photograph we had organized. It was a real moment that deserved to be photographed.
And that's always our favorite combination: something genuinely happening, photographed with an editorial eye.
Bride under her veil on a Riva boat approaching Villa del Balbianello for the ceremony with the sun setting behind the mountain
8. What's the Best Time for Boat Wedding Photos on Lake Como? Follow the Light, Not the Clock
If we could choose just one moment for a boat photoshoot on Lake Como, it would be the beautiful, soft light of late afternoon.
But there's something important you should know about sunsets on the lake.
The sun often disappears behind the mountains well before the official sunset time.
This creates an unusually soft and romantic atmosphere, but it also means that the window for direct golden light can be shorter and earlier than you might expect. The exact timing changes considerably depending on your villa, the season, and the surrounding mountains.
We love using this light creatively, and one of our favorite tricks is incredibly simple: ask the boat driver to turn the boat.
When the sunlight comes from behind the couple, it creates a beautiful backlit atmosphere. The edges of the dress glow, the water sparkles, and the whole scene becomes softer and more romantic.
When the light comes from the side, everything changes. Faces become more sculptural, the dress gains texture, and the photographs take on a stronger, more editorial character.
Sometimes all it takes is turning the boat a few degrees to create a completely different photograph.
This is why having a boat driver who understands photography, listens to directions, and knows how to position the boat safely can make such a difference.
Bride and groom on a Riva boat looking into the distance
Read our related article about the wedding of Matt & Corbin on Lake Como: https://www.relliniartstudio.it/gay-wedding-at-lake-como-corbin-matt
9. What If the Sun Has Already Set? Time for Some Flash Photography
Not every boat photoshoot happens in perfect golden-hour light.
Sometimes the ceremony runs a little late. Sometimes the schedule simply doesn't allow for a sunset session. And sometimes the mountains have already swallowed the last rays of sunlight.
Does that mean you've missed your opportunity?
Absolutely not.
This is when we love taking a flash out of the camera bag and changing the mood completely.
Instead of trying to recreate romantic sunset photographs without the sunset, we embrace a different aesthetic: bold, glamorous, slightly paparazzi-inspired editorial portraits.
Think direct flash, beautiful evening outfits, reflections on the polished wood, dark blue water, and the last traces of light in the sky.
These photographs can feel wonderfully cinematic, almost like a scene from a classic Italian movie.
It's a completely different interpretation of Lake Como's elegance, and one we genuinely love.
The secret is knowing when to change your approach rather than fighting the available light.
10. Our Final Advice: Make It Iconic, But Keep It Effortless
A boat photoshoot on Lake Como should be one of the most enjoyable little adventures of your wedding day.
Not a complicated production. Not an hour of uncomfortable posing. And certainly not something that forces you to miss the best part of your cocktail hour.
Choose a beautiful boat. Work with photographers who understand both documentary and editorial photography. Plan the light, coordinate the logistics, and make sure you're getting both spectacular aerial views and intimate portraits.
Then enjoy the ride.
Because the best photographs are often created when everything has been carefully planned, but nothing feels forced.
Twenty-five minutes. One iconic boat. Two photographers. A little Italian magic.
