Finding a Wedding Venue in Austria
With everything from sophisticated and historic city hotels to mountain resorts available for weddings, as well as some more unusual locations, Austria really offers prospective marrying couples a lot of choice when it comes to wedding venues.
One thing to be aware of is that many hotels in the mountains close during the 'shoulder' seasons - May- mid-June and October/November.
In the winter these areas are snow covered winter wonderlands, in summer they are verdantly green with lush pastures filled with wild flowers and wonderful walking, in between those times they are little visited, hence the closures.
Grüner Resort Hotel, Bad Gastein
The Grüner Baum Resort Hotel was originally built as a hunting lodge for the Archduke Johann and has been run by the same family since 1913. Nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains with fantastic skiing in Winter and walking in Summer, it is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Organising your wedding here is easy, with an excellent in-house wedding planning service to organise everything from hairdressing and flowers to music and a horse drawn sleigh or vintage Rolls Royce to transport you to the ceremony. Accommodation is luxurious, food world renowned - not for nothing has this place been a favourite hideaway of celebrities for decades.
Hotel Sacher, Salzburg
Built as a hotel in 1863, the grand and impressive Sacher is right in the heart of the Salzburg Old Town. The bedrooms are wonderful, large and traditionally furnished, many with canopied or four poster beds. The Conservatory with its view of the rooves and spires of old Salzburg is a perfect venue for medium sized wedding parties and there are a number of elegant rooms that can accommodate smaller groups.
The Sacher is also very close to Mirabell Castle and its Gardens, where the baroque marble hall is the most beautiful venue for civil weddings in Austria and maybe in Europe. There are also many nearby churches. The hotel has an in-house event planner and are extremely helpful in making arrangements.
Hotel Kobenzl, Salzburg
This friendly and luxurious family-run hotel is high on a hill overlooking the city with fabulous views if the mountains beyond. Your reception can take place in the aptly named and highly rated Panorama Restaurant, where the cooking is inspired and the service impeccable.
Weddings can take place in the hotel, in a nearby chapel or at the wonderful Mirabell Castle and the hotel has a very experienced wedding planning service in-house to take care of all the details.
The Schlossberg, Graz
A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the 5 star Schlossberg is located in a typical Tyrolean style building in the atmospheric Old City area of Graz, on the banks of the River Mur. The interior is very graciously decorated and the service is exceptional.
The old world setting of the Schlossberg, with its beamed roof and magnificent views, makes a great setting for a small wedding of up to 40 people. The hotel staff are very helpful with arrangements and with English spoken by all key staff there is no problem making arrangements from overseas.
Hotel Imperial, Vienna
Originally the palace of the prince of Württemberg, the only word to describe this place is sumptuous. The bedrooms have to be seen to be believed, each individually furnished and the ultimate in luxury. Service is impeccable, with a personal butler assigned to the wedding party to ensure that their every need is taken care of.
For a larger wedding the Hallensalon (pictured) is surely the most decadently luxurious venue anywhere, though the smaller rooms here are just as beautiful. None of this comes cheap, but if your budget is generous you will certainly impress even the most discerning guest with a wedding here.
Alternatives to Hotels
Butterfly House, Vienna
This is certainly something different! The historic domed glass Palm House, in the gardens of Vienna's Imperial Palace, is full of lush vegetation with bridges, ponds and an indoor waterfall and is home to hundreds of butterflies - and it's available to hire for wedding receptions.
They can accommodate up to 50 people and the imperial gardens just outside are a wonderful place for wedding photos. It's all in the heart of Vienna, with many churches nearby.
Giant Ferris Wheel, Vienna
An iconic feature of the Vienna skyline, the Giant Ferris Wheel was built in 1897 to mark the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I. Smaller wedding parties (up to 12) can hold a pre-dinner champagne reception, or even have dinner, in one of the luxuriously decorated cabins, while a panorama of Vienna unfolds outside the window .
Groups of up to 50 can be accommodated in the restaurant overlooking the wheel, where an excellent choice of menus is available.