Lenno · Lake Como
Indian wedding makeup at Villa del Balbianello
Terraced gardens on a wooded point, water on three sides and a loggia that has appeared in films. Villa del Balbianello is Lake Como’s most famous ceremony setting for Indian couples.
Please read first
Based in Pune, travelling to Villa del Balbianello for your wedding.
Please note that Tejaswini is based in Pune, India and flies to Villa del Balbianello with her own artists. Every destination booking is planned months before anyone boards a plane.
Travel, Schengen visa and stay costs for every team member are the client’s responsibility, always shown separately.
- Based inPune, Maharashtra
- TravelsWorldwide
- Flights & visasBilled at cost
- Stay & transfersCouple arranges
A little history
A cardinal’s retreat, an explorer’s home, a national treasure.
Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini built the villa in 1787 on the tip of the Lavedo promontory, on the site of an old Franciscan monastery. Its last private owner, the explorer Guido Monzino, left it to FAI, the Italian National Trust, which has opened it to visitors since 1988.
Film fans know its loggia and terraced gardens from Star Wars and Casino Royale. Indian families know it from November 2018, when Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh married here in Konkani and Sindhi ceremonies.
Because it is a protected heritage site, events here are planned around the villa’s rules: arrival by boat or on foot, limits on numbers and set-up, and a ceremony that is usually followed by a reception elsewhere. That shapes where and when the bride gets ready.
The venue at a glance
What Villa del Balbianello means for the wedding plan.
A planning summary from public information about the property. Your planner confirms spaces, capacities and permissions for each function.
- Location
- The Lavedo point near Lenno, in the Tremezzina
- Built
- 1787, for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini
- Owned by
- FAI, the Italian National Trust, since 1988
- Access
- By boat, or on foot along a path of about 1 km
- Known for
- Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s wedding in November 2018
- Events
- Ceremonies and events by arrangement, with limits on numbers and set-up
The wedding day
A typical Villa del Balbianello wedding day.
- 08:00
Team sets up in the bride’s suite in a nearby hotel
We ask for a room with good window light and a second room close by for family makeup, so the bride’s room stays calm.
- 09:30
Mothers and family first
Family looks run in parallel with the bridal skin prep, timed so nobody waits in the corridor.
- 11:30
Bride’s skin prep and base
Hydration, primer and a base built for open sky and water on three sides.
- 13:15
Hair, eyes, jewellery and draping
Maang tikka, nath and dupatta set with the outfit on, checked from every angle the photographer will use.
- 15:00
Portraits on the loggia and terraced gardens
First photographs while the makeup is at its freshest, before the busiest part of the day.
- 16:30
Baraat and pheras at the Balbianello terraces
Most arrivals are by boat. One artist travels with the bride and another waits at the villa with a touch-up kit.
- 20:00
Change for the reception
New lip, refreshed eyes and a second hairstyle if planned; allow 60–75 minutes.
Function by function
Matching each look to a Villa del Balbianello setting.
Mehendi in a lakefront hotel garden nearby
Soft daylight bouncing off the lake. Fresh, dewy skin with SPF, a sheer flush and hair pinned up and off the shoulders for the mehendi artists.
Sangeet in a villa or hotel salon in the Tremezzina
Warm evening light, mirrors and dancing. Deeper eyes, a base set to survive a full dance floor and hair secured for movement.
Pheras at the Balbianello terraces
Afternoon sun on water and pale stone. A satin finish that holds detail without flashing white, waterproof eyes and a dupatta pinned for the lake breeze.
Reception in a nearby hotel or villa
Candlelight and chandeliers with a photographer at every table. Lower shine on the T-zone, defined lashes and a richer lip.
Tejaswini
Your artist at Villa del Balbianello
Tejaswini has styled more than a thousand Indian brides since 2012, and she plans heritage-site weddings around their rules rather than against them. For Balbianello that means a full look at the hotel, a wind-proof hairstyle for the boat, a touch-up on the jetty and a second, richer look for the reception elsewhere.
Watch
The look for the pheras.
Classic bridal red
Specific to this venue
Villa del Balbianello details we plan around.
Worth doing
- Get ready at a nearby hotel with good light, then travel by boat
- Plan a touch-up stop on arrival at the villa
- Check with the planner what FAI allows for décor, fire and music
- Schedule portraits on the loggia while the light is soft
Worth avoiding
- Very long, heavy trains on the steep garden paths
- Open, loose hair for a boat arrival
- Assuming the reception can stay at the villa late into the night
- A heavy, matte base that looks flat against the bright sky
Villa del Balbianello questions
Bridal makeup at Villa del Balbianello.
Do you provide Indian bridal makeup at Villa del Balbianello?
Yes. Tejaswini’s team flies from India for weddings at Villa del Balbianello and covers each function for the bride, family and bridal party. The team’s flights, Schengen visas and rooms are paid by the family.
Where does the bride get ready for a Villa del Balbianello wedding?
Usually at a nearby hotel such as Grand Hotel Tremezzo or a villa in Lenno, then by boat to the ceremony.
Can we hold an Indian ceremony at Villa del Balbianello?
Ceremonies are possible by arrangement with FAI, with conditions on numbers, set-up and timings. Your planner handles the application.
How does the boat arrival affect the makeup?
We set the hair and dupatta for wind, avoid loose face-framing pieces and send an artist ahead for a final check on arrival.
Where is the reception usually held?
At a nearby hotel or villa in the Tremezzina, which means a second look for the evening in a different light.
How do we get a quote for a Villa del Balbianello wedding?
Message us with the dates, functions and the number of people who need hair and makeup. The quote lists the artist fee and the travel costs on separate lines.
Her work
A few of Tejaswini’s brides.
Real brides styled by Tejaswini in India. The same hands and kit travel to Lake Como.
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Villa del Balbianello bookings
Planning your wedding at Villa del Balbianello?
Share the dates and the list of functions, and tell us which spaces you are considering. We will send availability, a suggested team size and an itemised quote, with the team’s travel shown on its own line.
