A Warm Welcome to the Wedding Weekend of

Roxie & Richard

11-13th April 2025 | Lago Maggiore | Italy
Fly Away With Us
Just off the border of Switzerland, in the charming Italian village of Colmegna, nestled between majestic mountains and calm waters, sits the historic building of Relais Villa Porta - our wedding venue. Formerly a private residence, Villa Porta boasts a prime location right on the shoreline of beautiful Lago Maggiore, Italy's second largest lake. Maggiore is often considered the most peaceful of northern Italy’s great bodies of water, with its shores a little less crowded and its hinterland intriguingly wilder. We discovered this gem of a place on a road trip our trio did together back in April 2023, and we instantly felt that it would be the most special place for us to become Mr & Mrs Nilsson-Bowker. The excitement to share our wedding weekend with you all - our closest families and friends - is beyond. Lots of love, Roxie, Richard (and best boy Cooper)
Events
Friday 11th April 2025
19:30 - 23:00
THE EVENING BEFORE
Welcome! Fill up with drinks, pizza and new friends.
attire: Festive Casual
Saturday 12th April 2025
15:45 - 01:15
THE BIG DAY
Wedding! Dress to the elevens and let love loose.
attire: Bold Black Tie
Sunday 13th April 2025
10:00 - 11:00
THE DAY AFTER
Brunch! Recharge with goodies before we say ciao.
attire: Comfy Chic
Attire
Festive Casual
For when: The evening before. Like smart casual, but more fun. A balance between casual and formal wear. Show off your personal style with a combination of relaxed and refined pieces. Note: avoid wearing white, ivory and champagne colours. Inspiration: https://www.brides.com/festive-wedding-guest-attire-6361569
Bold Black Tie
For when: The big day. One of the most glamorous and formal dress codes. Dress to the elevens with floor-length luxurious gowns for the ladies and tuxedos (colours other than black are also encouraged) with bow ties and dress shirts for the gents. Note: avoid white, ivory and champagne colours. Inspiration: https://www.brides.com/story/black-tie-wedding-guest-dress-code-long-gowns
Comfy Chic
For when: The day after. Stroll into brunch feeling relaxed and stylish. Chose a comfortable outfit, it is the morning after the big wedding festivities after all. Note: perhaps wear your travel outfit for ease, as many of you will probably be ready to head directly to the airport straight after brunch. Inspiration: https://haydenhill.co/blogs/journal/comfortable-chic
Gifts
The most important wedding gift for us is having you there to share our special moment. However, if you absolutely insist, the next greatest gift would be a few pennies to put in our pot, for our honeymoon trip after tying the knot.
Honeymoon Pot
Stay
RELAIS VILLA PORTA: OUR EXCLUSIVE WEDDING HOTEL At Villa Porta, all rooms and suites are located in its historic private residence. Each one is unique and special, but the lake view and the care in furnishings are common elements of all. 249-359 €/night per room including breakfast. VILLA PORTA RESIDENCE: SELF-CATERING VILLAGE APARTMENTS A wide choice of Villa Porta apartments are available either with lake views or with view of of the historic centre of Colmegna - from studios to two-room apartments, and larger luxury homes. 169-229 €/night per apartment including breakfast. AIRBNB: LOCAL VILLAGE ACCOMODATION For those of you who would like to explore other accomodation options, there are several on AirBnB - located either in the village of Colmegna or its surrounding villages. HOW TO BOOK VILLA PORTA Arrange and pay for your stay directly with our venue, Villa Porta by: 1. Check out the spreadsheet with accommodation options and discounted prices here: https://t.ly/vXo4Q 2. Send an email to sales@villaporta.style quoting 'Nilsson-Bowker Wedding April 2025', your dates and choice of accomodation 3. You will receive a link from Villa Porta to confirm your stay
Hotel Villa PortaAirBnB AccommodationApartments Villa Porta
Questions & Answers
A list of common questions to make your planning easy.
How big is the wedding?
This is a very precious moment for us, one we believe to be best shared with our closest family and friends. Therefore, this will be a perfectly sized occasion around 45-50 guests.
How should I dress?
Check out the ‘attire’ section above for dress code information and inspiration. For the wedding, please avoid wearing white, ivory, and champagne coloured attire. Other than that, we encourage you to have fun with it and play around with colours and textures if you feel like it. There’s no such thing as too glamorous on our big day!
What's the location like?
Lago Maggiore and Villa Porta is a magical place surrounded by majestic mountains, glistening water and lush greenery. It’s very much old school Italian class. An intimate setting to soak it all up, have fun and be in the now.
How do I get there?
There are many good flight options to Milan from Sweden, the UK, New Zealand, and Singapore. Villa Porta is 1h by car from Milano Malpensa Airport, 1,5h from Milano Linate Airport, and 2h from Milano Bergamo Airport. Transfer booking details to come closer to the wedding.
When should I arrive and depart?
We recommend you to arrive either Thursday evening or Friday morning, so that you have time to get settled in before the 'evening before festivities'. Departure from Sunday afternoon onwards. Or maybe stay for a few days and explore the gorgeous area?
Where can I stay?
Villa Porta have both exquisite hotel rooms and self-catered apartments so the choice is yours. To book, email sales@villaporta.style quoting 'Nilsson-Bowker Wedding April 2025'.
Are kids welcome?
Please note that this will be an adults-only wedding. In a pickle with no one to look after your little ones? Chat with us for potential solutions.
Will Cooper be there?
Absolutely yes! As our best boy, Cooper will be on site - tail wagging and ready to mingle.
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