Top Reasons for Saying Yes in Switzerland

1) Breathtaking Views

One reason, for sure, is the breathtaking backgrounds and views. Setting is key when it comes to having amazing and spectacular shots of your wedding. Imagine going through your wedding photo album and seeing yourselves posing with majestic mountains, a romantic lake, a picturesque Swiss town in the background or snow-covered landscapes!

Whichever season you choose for your Switzerland wedding, the scenery is amazing. In winter it's simply magical; picture a snow-covered landscape, candles, and a peaceful atmosphere, how romantic is that? In summer, the blue and serene lakes, the green mountains and the beautiful Swiss chalets and surroundings provide the best backdrop for picture perfect wedding images. 

Take time to get the best pictures of your life: Whether it is a pre-wedding photo shoot, your wedding reception or your honeymoon, Switzerland will give you incredible memories that you and your spouse will cherish forever. 

2) Extraordinary Venues

Switzerland offers extraordinary venues and locations; from rustic mountain huts to luxury private villas, castles, and hotels... to your own island close to the borders with Italy, Switzerland offers a red-carpet treatment at every corner. 

If you are getting married in Switzerland, here are some venues and locations that show the diversity that Switzerland offers you:

Luxurious Hotels: Needles to say, Switzerland boasts many luxury hotels fit for royal weddings. Beau-Rivage Palace located on Lake Geneva's shoreline in Lausanne enjoys a reputation for excellence. Its exquisite historic ballroom (Sandoz) is the perfect venue for a grand and extravagant wedding celebration. For a proper dream wedding, you need to choose a fairytale venue. But on the most romantic day of your life, a magical setting is nothing without superior service. Beau-Rivage Palace provides the best of everything, ensuring your big day is perfect. Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, also situated on the shores of Lake Geneva and overlooking the Alps is another luxury wedding venue to consider.

Mountain Hotels: Higher up in the Alps mountains is Gstaad, a famous ski resort that offers many possibilities for unforgettable weddings from 5-star hotels to cozier venues. Gstaad Le Grand Bellvue and Gstaad Palace are 2 properties that offer rich wedding packages for a memorable wedding celebration. You can rent the entire hotel on select dates to personalize your wedding experience and enjoy complete privacy. Gstaad hotels are also well known for their marvelous spas and treatments. Read.

Magical Gardens: Another beautiful venue is the unique garden of Fairmont Montreux Palace, which offers a more Mediterranean feel with a stunning view over Lake Geneva. Over the years, the Montreux Palace has developed a fine sense of what a truly grand wedding requires. 

Mountain Huts: Here is a mountain hut with a unique location in the middle of the breathtaking mountain in Gstaad. At 1,920 meters above sea level, Wasserngrat offers a unique wedding venue with stunning views of the Bernese Oberland and far-reaching views across the Saanen District. Wasserngrat is a good option in summer and winter, however, summer allows you to celebrate outdoors with a stunning view. In winter you could still have a ceremony outdoors in the snow and move inside for the rest of the celebration. 

Birassago Island: What about a private island with a botanical garden, surrounded by palm trees? Brissago Island offers many different venues, including a pool area (which was an old Roman bath), several parks, and a villa with 10 rooms. 

Private Villas and vineyards: In the heart of the Château de Vullierens estate, located between Lausanne and Geneva, Portes des Iris is an exceptional venue. The building contains 6 rooms which can host up to 700 guests in a banquet setup. The 2 terraces, which can accommodate up to 1600 guests offer direct access to one of the most spectacular gardens in Switzerland.

Kursaal Interlaken: This is a historic conference center with many banquet rooms that can be perfectly used for weddings, located in Interlaken which is nestled between two lakes and surrounded by a unique mountain backdrop. The venue can accommodate weddings and special events from 100 and up to 920 persons.  

3) Central Location

Switzerland is an ideal place for destination weddings because of its central location within Europe and ease of accessibility from the Middle East.

It is locatetd in the heart of Europe bordering France, Germany, Italy and Austria, and boasts several international airports, including Geneva and Zurich, which make getting to Switzerland very practical. Neddless to say, its public transport system, from trains to metros, offers an extremely reliable and high quality service that stands up to the Swiss prominence and reputation in punctuality.  

Switzerland is not a big country, distances within the country and to neighbouring countries are short. So for your guests, it's an ideal starting point or a hub to visit other destinations around Switzerland. 

Switzerland offers 3 cultural regions; The French, the German and the Italian parts of Switzerland which are quite different from each other. It’s not just the language, it’s the food, the vegetation, the weather and much more offering a great diversity to any travel program which your wedding guests will thank you for. 

4) Pre & Post Wedding Programs

Your wedding guests will have the time of their life. You can rest assured that your wedding guests will have plenty to do and see if they decided to extend their stay in Switzerland either before or after the wedding.

Switzerland Tourism can help you put together an unforgettable program for your wedding guests. If required there are endless options for guests and everyone can find the right thing to do.

For the adventurous friends, there are paragliding and mountain excursion activities. For your guests looking for a more relaxing and pampering experience, there are plenty of luxurious experiences such as spa retreats in the middle of the beautiful nature. For gourmet lovers, Switzerland offers wine tasting and chocolate-making workshops in various destinations. There are many more activities to indulge in including horse carriage rides, watchmaking workshops and many other authentic experiences. 

5) Easy Civil Marriage Regulations

Regulations for civil marriages for foreign citizens are very clear, easy and straightforward. Swiss Law makes it easy for international couples to obtain a legal civil marriage license, recognized as binding in their home country. 

Formal preparations can begin 6 months prior to the desired wedding date, however; the documents will require a minimum of 3 months to be processed. 

Switzerland Tourism's contact with the local government allows them to inquire and reserve an available date, venue and time for your legal marriage ceremony in Switzerland. So send an email if you wish to enquire about regulations for having a Switzerland wedding or for booking a date for your marriage ceremony.