Winter Wedding at a Castle
Getting married outside the traditional wedding season
Six Places to Say “I Do” in Winter
Some wedding venues only reveal their true charm when the days grow shorter. When a fire burns in the castle fireplace, the library becomes a wedding venue, and the banquet table is reflected in the dark windows of the orangery. That is when winter earns its own rightful place in your wedding planning. And perhaps one of these six venues might indeed find a place on your wish list.
Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron: One Library, a Thousand Stories, and Your “I Do”
The romance of this location has long been a part of movie history, not least thanks to the lakeside scenes from “The Sound of Music” that made this setting famous around the world. Anyone getting married at Schloss Leopoldskron in winter will find their own perfect stage indoors, surrounded by the Rococo elegance of this palatial Salzburg landmark.
Getting Married in the Max Reinhardt Library
The centerpiece of a winter wedding is the Max Reinhardt Library. Modeled on the Abbey Library of St. Gallen, it welcomes the happy couple and their guests with precious books and warm woods. The people nearest and dearest to you take their seats. A glance, a smile, then the words “I do” – surrounded by countless stories as your own begins a new chapter.
For your wedding dinner, you will be seated in the Marble Hall beneath its historic ceiling painting. Mozart is reputed to have performed here once. Today, glasses are raised in your honor, and dinner is transformed into a banquet that lasts well into the night.
Perhaps you envision this day within an intimate circle of loved ones. Or maybe you would prefer to have the entire Schloss to yourselves and your guests. Both are possible. And after the last dance, your bed is just a short walk away: accommodations are available in the suites at the Schloss or at the neighboring Meierhof.
Hotel Elizabeth: Getting Married Amid Turn-of-the-Century Elegance
A medieval castle high above the town, with a Jugendstil hotel right at its feet. Hotel Elizabeth in Trenčín, Slovakia, has been making hotel history since 1902. As the evening sets in early during the winter months, attention shifts from the exterior backdrop of the castle to the details inside the hotel: crystal chandeliers, artistic stained glass, and the festively set tables of Café Sissi.
A Winter “I Do” Below Trenčín Castle
Your guests gather in the foyer for the civil wedding ceremony. One last glance at each other, then the words “I do” and the first embraces. If you wish to have a religious wedding you will find two churches within walking distance. Back at the hotel, the grand staircase belongs to the two of you for a special moment – a wedding photograph that also captures the building's architecture.
Afterwards, glasses are raised in your honor at Café Sissi. Smaller wedding parties can gather in the salons, while larger groups celebrate in the banquet hall. The hotel team will accompany you through every stage of the process, from choosing the rooms and menu to hosting the big day. Romance is part of the hotel's character, something also extoled by the World Luxury Hotel Awards: in 2021, Hotel Elizabeth received an award in the category “Luxury Romantic Hotel”.
And how lovely that no one has far to go afterwards. The wedding suite awaits you personally, while your guests can also stay in rooms at the hotel. Over breakfast the following morning, everyone gets to relive the most beautiful moments. And then, perhaps the two of you will finally have time for a stroll together through Trenčín.
Schloss Hellbrunn: A Pleasure Palace for Your Winter Wedding
A walk through the wintry palace grounds, hand in hand, with the façade of Schloss Hellbrunn – located on the southern outskirts of Salzburg City – just in front of you. As daylight fades early, it's time to head indoors: to exchange vows in historic rooms, enjoy a festive dinner, and spend a long evening with the people closest to you. Markus Sittikus had this palace built long ago as an oasis of pleasure and celebration. Four centuries on, your own wedding adds a very personal chapter to its history.
From the Palace Chapel to the Wedding Banquet
For a civil or nonreligious wedding ceremony, you can choose from several venues, including the Makart Room and the daylight-bathed Orangery. Those wishing to have a church wedding can exchange their vows in the small chapel in the courtyard. The first congratulations, a shared toast – followed by the reception right there on the same grounds.
The palace restaurant welcomes your guests in the Trabantensaal, in the vaulted hall, or the smaller Atelier. Candelabras and a festively laid table set the scene for the evening to perfection. The menu also reflects the season, with autumn and winter suggestions that can be tailored to your wishes. Between courses, glasses are raised, speeches are made, and laughter is shared.
And as the celebration draws to a close, the sister hotel Schlosswirt zu Anif. is just a few minutes away by car. You and your guests can spend the night there and round off your wedding celebrations with breakfast together the following morning.
Schlosswirt zu Anif: A Winter Wedding in Biedermeier Style
At Schlosswirt zu Anif, you can spend your entire wedding day in one place – from exchanging vows to your wedding night. Hospitality has been a tradition here for over 400 years. In winter, warm wood tones and chandeliers provide the backdrop for your celebration. In the Biedermeier rooms, the tables are set, the first guests are arriving, and a whole evening lies ahead of you.
Getting Married amid the Charm of Bygone Days
For an intimate nonreligious ceremony, the Anif Room provides an ideal setting, while the Salettl can also accommodate a ceremony. For a church wedding, the Gothic parish church in Anif is about a five-minute walk away. A short stroll through the winter air, then back to the Schlosswirt where, in the foyer, your guests raise their aperitif glasses in your honor.
The celebrations continue in the Biedermeiersaal, with dining, festivities, and dancing. Right next door is the Jagdstube, a place for those pleasant conversations that unfold away from the dance floor. Austrian cuisine accompanies your big day with a menu tailored to your personal preferences, while the team there can also help you find a florist, musicians, a wedding cake, and even a wedding celebrant. Step by step, a day takes shape that perfectly reflects who you are as a couple.
Thirty individually designed rooms provide accommodations for the couple, their families, and guests. And how could we forget the hotel's own Rolls-Royce: for the journey to the celebration, the drive afterwards, or that one special moment right outside your front door before the day really gets underway.
Villa Soleil: A Winter Wedding in a Glass-Enclosed Garden
Outside, the old trees of the park; inside, your wedding guests gathered around a festive table. At Villa Soleil in the Canavese region of Piedmont, the two seem to merge seamlessly: the heated orangery, made of wrought iron and glass, brings the wintry garden right to your table. And as the light fades outside, your celebration truly begins indoors.
A Historic Villa for You Alone
Even the civil wedding ceremony can take place in one of the villa's halls. If you wish, a wedding planner can help you design every detail of your ceremony. Light streams through the Veranda d'Andrade, with views extending out into the park. In the salon “Una partita a scacchi,” a painted wooden ceiling dating from the 15th century and a stone fireplace tell the story of the house.
As the aperitivo, finger foods and the first drinks are served, followed by your individually tailored wedding menu. A wedding cake or dessert buffet provides a sweet finale before music and cocktails accompany you through the remainder of the evening.
The villa hosts only one event per day and can be booked exclusively. Those wishing to stay after the last dance have 16 rooms to choose from. The next morning, everyone gathers again for breakfast or a brunch arranged in advance. The celebration may be over, but your time together is far from it.
Schloss Mittersill: Winter Wedding High Above the Salzach Valley
High above the Salzach Valley stands Schloss Mittersill, overlooking the Hohe Tauern mountains and the Kitzbühel Alps. When snow blankets the peaks, the mountain panorama becomes the backdrop for your winter wedding. Inside, a fire crackles in the hearth of the fireplace room. Here, your guests gather – and anticipation gives way to the moment when you say “I do.”
Between Crackling Fires, Lighted Torches, and Honeymoon Bliss
A civil wedding ceremony can be held in the fireplace room. Couples choosing the Gothic Room exchange vows in front of a large Gothic window with a recessed window seat. For an intimate church ceremony, the castle's own chapel awaits. And perhaps the celebrations might even begin the evening before – in the wine cellar, the castle lounge, or the tower.
As darkness falls early over the mountains, a torchlit walk around the castle is a wonderful option. One more chance to step out into the crisp winter air, with flames flickering upon the ancient walls, before returning to the banquet table. The castle kitchen combines regional and seasonal ingredients to create your personal wedding menu. For a sweet highlight, their in-house pastry chef can also conjure up a custom-designed wedding cake.
And after the celebration? Simply stay a while. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands once spent her honeymoon here. Today, the wedding suite bears her name – a lovely place to while away your first days as a married couple together, surrounded by the castle and winter mountains.
Winter outside, a celebration inside. An “I do” surrounded by book-lined walls, a candlelit table, a view from a warm room out into the snow-covered park. Perhaps your ideal wedding date actually lies precisely where you haven't thought to look before: right in the middle of winter.
