Civil wedding in Vienna: which photographs, and when?

How does a civil wedding in Vienna work?

The ceremony takes place in one of the Standesamt Wien’s ceremony rooms, Monday to Friday, in the morning or the afternoon. There are no ceremonies on public holidays, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. You reserve your date online or in person, at the earliest six months and at the latest 29 days ahead. It is only fixed once you have registered with the required documents.

These pages do not say how long the ceremony lasts. Ask the registry office before you plan the rest of the day. I then set my times accordingly.

How many guests can attend, and does the photographer count?

The maximum depends on the number of seats in the room. Depending on the registry office and room, the City of Vienna lists between 30 and 85 guests: 30 in the small ceremony room at Standesamt Alsergrund, 85 at Standesamt Ottakring. Photographers count as guests. So I need a place on your list, which matters in a small room.

At the Alsergrund and Ottakring locations, weddings can be live-streamed. That helps guests who cannot attend. Access is protected by a one-time password.

Can photographs be taken during the ceremony?

On filming, the City of Vienna says: filming is allowed as long as it does not disturb the ceremony. Recordings showing the registrar may only be published online with their consent. I find no separate rule on photography on the city’s pages. So please check with the registry office beforehand whether I may take photographs during the ceremony and what to observe.

If photography in the room is not allowed, there is still your arrival and the congratulations outside the room, and the portraits follow afterwards.

Which photographs happen when?

Before the ceremony I photograph your arrival and, if you like, the rings and flowers. During the ceremony I capture what the room allows. Straight afterwards come the congratulations and a group photograph with your guests, before we move on to the couple portraits. Tell me in advance which people you definitely want together in one picture.

How do you plan couple portraits in the city after the ceremony?

You do not need a famous location. A park, a side street or the courtyard by the restaurant will do if the light is right. I suggest places that suit the time of day and the weather, and I guide you on posture, movement and light. You do not need experience in front of a camera.

Allow time between the ceremony and the celebration or meal, and count the travel between places. How long the portraits take depends on your day, not on a fixed number of minutes. The photographs here are from Marco and Laura’s wedding at Palais Coburg.

Is that possible outside the registry office too?

The City of Vienna offers Traumhochzeiten (“dream weddings”) at other venues, for example wineries, hotels or museums. The venue must be open to the public, and you reserve the registry office date first and the venue second. Ceremonies take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 pm and 6 pm, and on Saturday at 10 am, 12 noon and 2 pm. The same advice applies to photographs there: ask beforehand what is possible during the ceremony.

Which package suits a civil ceremony?

Pure is meant for this: coverage of up to 4 hours, 200 edited images and 20 retouched highlights, from €1,999. We plan together how to divide the hours. If you also want the meal or the celebration after the ceremony, we discuss whether you need more time.