The first things I think of when I think of Austria are The Sound of Music, which I am sure all Austrians are sick of, lager by the ‘doppelmass’, Jägermeister and the most amazing scenery.

Weddings in Austria are my kind of affair. The legally binding ceremony is done in an official building and you are then free to celebrate your union as you wish. A twist in the tale here is that Religious marriages are not legally recognized, only civil marriages are legal in Austria. The civil marriage, however, can of course be followed by religious ceremonies if you so wish...or you can stand atop a stunning mountain surrounded by family and friends and declare your love amongst some of the most stunning scenery the World has to offer! It is entirely up to you.

The fun loving Austrians are seen by most as beer swilling, thigh slapping, wiener-schnitzel eating outdoorsy types. Living in a country where it is either warm, green and lush in the summers or icy with a dusting of magical fresh powder on the slopes in winter, outside is certainly the best place to be. Hiking, climbing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, ski-jumping, you name it, the Austrians are on it if it involves being outside.

The country is also known for producing some of the world’s most famous Classical music composers, including Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, J. Strauss, Mahler, and Beethoven hung out there a LOT. It is also the birth place of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigmund Freud. Austrians are very, very cool! They also invented the VW and the Porsche...I see a pattern of extremes emerging here! Robocop versus the father of psychoanalysis, VW versus Porsche...Mozart versus Maria Von Trappe???

There aren't many words suited to the astounding beauty of Austria, it is just impossible to describe. The air is so fresh and clean that it burns in your lungs like pure energy. In summer the grass is such a mind-altering green and of perfect length everywhere, like a blanket of dreamy green broken only by a spattering of pretty Friesian cows. In winter it is equally, if not more so magical. Pristine white snow glistens in the afternoon sunshine, icicles drip musically and the entire place looks like a scene out of a Christmas themed snow globe.

The majestic Alps cover 62% of Austria's total land area and only 32% of the country is below 500 meters (1,640 ft), which may help to explain that mystifying pleasant dizziness one experiences when there. Standing atop one of its peeks, soaking up the jagged land below you and then slicing through the snow to a bar filled with rosy faced laughing Austrians has to be an all-time high. Round it off with an internal warm up via a shot of the local Schnapps and you have made it, you are in Alpine heaven!

How do I legally get married in Austria?

St Johann. The hills are alive with the sound of... Wedding Bells

We tried to stay close to local traditions with the wedding in Austria and held the ceremony in the very first church to be built in Sankt Johann. It was on the top of a huge hill and was overlooked by beautiful mountains. The ceremony itself was told in story form and resonated deeply with our travels and our relationship. We wore traditional costume, lederhosen and a beautifully made red and green

Our Austrian Wedding Ceremony

Austria Wedding Video

We would love to feature more weddings in Austria right here!