Lake Como Hotel Photoshoot: Engagement Photos at Your Hotel

A Lake Como hotel photoshoot works best when you treat your hotel as the starting point rather than the whole set: an hour on the terraces and lawns at quiet times, then the dock, a classic boat and the shoreline beyond the gates. If you are already staying at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Passalacqua or Mandarin Oriental, you can photograph an engagement session without spending half a day travelling to another location.

Konstantyn Zakhariy and Mariya Gritsak are a two photographer team based at Lake Como, and they have photographed engagement sessions at all three of these hotels. This article is only about that situation: you are guests of a five star lake hotel and you want your photographs to start where you are staying. It covers what each hotel's grounds offer, how a boat pick up from the hotel dock fits in, how to time the session around other guests, and the questions to put to the concierge before the day.

If you are still deciding whether a session at Lake Como makes sense at all, our Lake Como engagement session guide covers the general planning, and our overview of engagement session locations around the lake compares villages and villas. Here we stay inside the hotel gates and on the water right in front of them.

One thing to know before you start: as far as we can find, none of these hotels publishes a policy on outside photographers. That makes the concierge conversation the most important step, and we explain how to handle it in section four.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo. We photographed Jina and JinHo's engagement session at Grand Hotel Tremezzo on the western shore of the lake in Tremezzina. The hotel sits in a centuries old park that once formed part of the botanical gardens of neighbouring Villa Carlotta, and it faces the Grigne mountains across the water, near the point where the lake divides into its two southern branches. The building stands slightly above the lakeside road, with the lawns and Flower Pool on the hotel side and the private beach and floating pool, known as WOW, on the water side. For photographs that means two quite different looks within a few minutes: garden greenery and the historic hotel facade above, open water and the mountains below.

Passalacqua. We photographed Maria and Nick's engagement session at Passalacqua in Moltrasio, on the western shore of the Como branch. The hotel has only 24 rooms spread across the main villa, the Palazzo in the former stables and the Casa al Lago by the water, set in about seven acres of terraced gardens with olive trees, roses and magnolia that step down to the pool terrace and the shore. Because the property is small, the gardens feel private, and the terraces give you a different level and view every few metres. The hotel also runs its own boat team for guests, which matters for the next section.

Mandarin Oriental. Our third hotel session is the engagement session at Mandarin Oriental Lake Como, photographed for Jennifer and Jermaine. The resort is in Blevio, a short drive from Como on the eastern shore, built around the 18th century Villa Roccabruna, where Bellini wrote La Sonnambula and Norma. Nearly seven acres of landscaped park hold buildings spread through the trees, a classical amphitheatre, a glass greenhouse and a floating pool redesigned by Herzog and de Meuron to blend into the lake when seen from the water. Of the three, it offers the most variety without leaving the grounds.

Villa d'Este in Cernobbio belongs on any list of grand lake hotels, and we have photographed there too, though not an engagement session. Its gardens and lakefront follow the same planning logic described below.

The grounds. Within the hotel, the best photographs usually come from places guests pass through rather than places they sit: a garden staircase, a balustrade above the water, a lawn edge with the lake behind you. Pool decks, restaurant terraces and the beach are where other guests spend the day, so we use them only when they are empty, if at all. At Grand Hotel Tremezzo the floating pool and beach sit on the lake side of the road, so moving between garden and shore takes a few minutes and a road crossing, which we build into the plan.

The shoreline. Just outside the gates, the public lakefront often gives you more freedom than the hotel itself. From Tremezzo, the lakefront path towards Villa Carlotta and Cadenabbia is a natural extension, and Bellagio lies directly across the water from Cadenabbia. From Moltrasio and Blevio, the narrow lanes and small harbours of the Como branch are close by. Mixing twenty minutes of hotel grounds with twenty minutes of village streets gives your gallery range without a long transfer.

A Riva pick up from the hotel dock. This is the part couples remember. Several classic boat operators on the lake advertise private tours in Riva Tritone or Riva Aquarama boats with pick up at a dock you choose. One Como based operator lists pick ups from both public and private docks, with private tours starting at around 2,000 EUR per group, and another lists pick ups anywhere between Cernobbio and Menaggio, including Bellagio and Varenna, from about 2,500 EUR for three hours. Prices like these are typical ranges for a skippered classic boat, not quotes, and they change by season.

Whether an outside boat may moor at your hotel's dock is the hotel's decision, and we have not found any of these hotels publishing a rule on it. Passalacqua and Grand Hotel Tremezzo both run boats for their own guests, which can make the hotel's own boat the simpler option. Either way, ask before you book. For how we photograph on the water itself, see our guide to engagement photography on Lake Como.

Timing around other guests. Light and guests point to the same answer: early morning. In June the sun rises in Como at about 5:35 am and sets after 9 pm, and in mid September it rises at about 7 am and sets at about 7:35 pm. A session that starts soon after sunrise gives you soft light, empty terraces and still water, and you are back for breakfast before most guests come down. Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua both sit on the western shore facing east, so morning light reaches their gardens and shoreline directly, while the hillside behind them shades the grounds well before the official sunset time.

Evening sessions work too, especially if you want the boat at golden hour. In that case we usually start at the hotel while guests are dressing for dinner, then leave by boat before the terraces fill for aperitivo. Check your hotel's season as well: Michelin lists Grand Hotel Tremezzo as open from mid March to October.

What to confirm with the concierge. Because none of these hotels publishes an outside photographer policy that we can find, write to the concierge a few weeks ahead and ask five things. Can your photographer work on the grounds during your stay, and in which areas? Is there a fee or a time limit? Which hours are quietest on the terraces and the dock? May an outside boat collect you at the hotel dock, or should you use the hotel's own boat? And do they need your photographers' names in advance? Ask for the answer in writing, and forward it to us.

We photograph a limited number of sessions each year at Lake Como, and engagement sessions start from 1,800 EUR, with weddings from 7,000 EUR. If you send us your hotel, your dates and whether you would like a boat, check your session date with us and we will suggest a route and a start time that suit your hotel. Our breakdown of Lake Como engagement session cost explains what is included, and our notes on what to wear for an engagement session at Lake Como help you pack for garden and boat in one outfit plan.

Can we bring an outside photographer to our Lake Como hotel?

In our experience it is often possible for staying guests, but none of the hotels we work with publishes a written policy we could find, so confirm with the concierge before you arrive. Ask which areas you may use and at what times, and get the reply in writing.

Do hotels charge a fee for photoshoots on their grounds?

It depends on the hotel and on the type of shoot. Hotels set their own rules, and a private session for staying guests may be treated differently from a commercial shoot. Ask the concierge directly whether a fee or time limit applies to your session.

What time is best for a hotel photoshoot when other guests are around?

Shortly after sunrise. Terraces and docks are almost empty, the water is often calmer, and on the western shore the morning light falls straight onto the gardens. A second good window is the hour before dinner, when guests are in their rooms getting ready.

Can a boat pick us up from the hotel dock for photos on the lake?

Often yes. Several classic boat operators offer pick ups from private docks around the Como basin, and some hotels, including Passalacqua and Grand Hotel Tremezzo, run boats for their own guests. The hotel decides whether an outside boat may moor at its dock, so ask before you book either option.

Can we combine the hotel grounds with a nearby village like Bellagio?

Yes, and from Tremezzo it is natural, since Bellagio lies directly across the water from neighbouring Cadenabbia. A boat makes the link part of the session itself. From Moltrasio or Blevio, Bellagio is further, so a closer village on the Como branch usually gives you more time for photographs.