Weddings in Switzerland

Getting married in your home country can be daunting enough, but when you have to figure everything out in a new country as an expat, it can turn a truly happy event into quite a stressful one. If you are heading down the aisle soon or are just dreaming of your perfect day, here’s everything you need to know about weddings in Switzerland.

Prepare for getting married

Whether you are a resident of Switzerland or heading to the alpine nation for a destination wedding, there are various criteria that you must fulfil before being allowed to tie the knot. 

If you fulfil the conditions, you can notify your local civil register office of your intention to get married, and they will ask you to fill in a marriage application form and tell you what other documents you need to provide. 

You can read more about the steps towards getting married on our marriages in Switzerland page. 

Planning your wedding in Switzerland

Once you have received a marriage licence from the civil register office, you can start planning your wedding ceremony. Note however that your marriage licence is only valid for three months. 

In Switzerland, most marriages consist of an official ceremony and some sort of celebration after. Some people choose to just have a civil marriage signed into law, with minimal fuss and expense and no large ceremony, since it can be more convenient and affordable. 

Ultimately, weddings come down to personal choice. In Switzerland, there are plenty of wedding planners, venues and caterers that can accommodate people in all stages of life, from all sorts of different backgrounds, with various needs and preferences. 

The civil ceremony

To get officially “married”, you’ll need to attend a ceremony at a civil register office. This can be the one local to you, or at a civil register office of your choice. You must also arrange for two witnesses to attend the civil ceremony to confirm the marriage. Occasionally, it may be possible to have your civil ceremony outside the register office venue - check with your local authorities if this is possible. 

Wedding ceremonies in forests, castles and at lakeside locations have become increasingly popular in recent years, with couples choosing to hire a freelance marriage registrar to conduct their ceremony anywhere. However, regardless of location, couples must always go to the registry office first to get their paperwork in order before getting married. 

The religious ceremony 

You can then choose, if you wish, to have a religious, humanist or symbolic ceremony after the civil ceremony. Many couples still choose to get married in churches, even if they are not particularly religious or regular church attendees. Some couples also choose to have religious ceremonies at different venues, but often it is difficult to find clergymen who are willing to marry couples outside their own parish. 

Even when getting married in a church, couples still have to visit the registry office first to get a marriage confirmed. Other religious ceremonies in Switzerland are less common than church weddings, but they are available, especially for couples from major religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. 

If you are interested in having a spiritual ceremony, speak to your local religious leader and they will be more than happy to get the ball rolling on arrangements. 

The wedding celebration

The wedding celebration - if you want one - can be as grand or as simple as you like. Traditionally, couples in Switzerland get officially married at the civil register office in the early afternoon, then head for an apéritif with friends and family, followed by a meal at a restaurant nearby. However, given the country’s stunning natural landscape of mountains, lakes, rivers and castles, it is unsurprising that many couples choose to wed elsewhere.

How much do Swiss weddings cost?

On average, the costs of a wedding depends on where you first registered and the amount of information you had to provide. Average costs for civil wedding ceremonies range from 300 to 400 Swiss francs. If you have special requests, such as getting married on the weekend or a public holiday, costs may be higher. 

If you are hiring a restaurant or venue for a wedding celebration, costs will vary significantly depending on the venue, the number of guests, and the kind of celebration you want to hold. 

Wedding planners

If you are struggling with all of the logistics of planning a wedding in Switzerland, you could engage the services of a professional. Wedding planners are able to make sure you follow the correct procedures and timelines for submitting documentation, as well as offering other services like venue selection, catering, decoration, photography, transportation, and more. 

What to expect on your wedding day in Switzerland

The process of marriage at the registrar’s office is different depending on the character of the registrar and your wishes on the day. A general schedule for a marriage ceremony in Switzerland goes as follows:

• Arrive at the registrar office at least 10 minutes before your allotted time.
• You will be invited in to sit and wait in the foyer of the office before being invited in by the registrar.
• The registrar will welcome all the attendees and typically recite a story or poem.
• You will then be invited to say any prepared words such as vows or commitments that you choose.
• The registrar will then invite you to co-sign the marriage certificate, which is notified by the two witnesses.
• You will then be given an official family record document and will be free to exchange rings, attend religious or spiritual services, or retire to a party or event.

Swiss wedding traditions

As you probably already know, Switzerland is a country that has many great traditions. Weddings are no exception to this! Here are some Swiss wedding traditions that you might want to incorporate into your special day: 

Bachelor and bachelorette parties in Switzerland

Much like in other countries, parties and events for the bachelor and bachelorette in the lead-up to the wedding are common in Switzerland. In many cases, the respective parties head away for a weekend to party in other cities or even other countries. For some, a smaller, more low-key event is preferred: think a spa weekend, a fancy meal out, or even a day of paintballing!

Wedding rings in Switzerland

As is the case in many countries, wedding rings are still an extremely popular tradition in Switzerland. The round shape of the ring is said to symbolise never-ending love and eternity, and many couples engrave the inside of their ring with words of affection or the names of friends and family.  

Wedding rings are worn on the left hand in Switzerland and many still believe that the ring finger of the left hand allows the ring to access the heart, keeping the marriage strong. The ring is usually also made from gold, symbolising the financial sacrifice that the groom or bride has made.

Traditional Swiss wedding games 

There are several traditional games that take place at Swiss weddings, such as “kidnapping" the bride so that the groom has to find her, making the groom chop wood while the bride knits a scarf, or asking the couple to cut through a log together with a blunt saw.

According to some in the wedding industry, these traditions are becoming less well-observed since many people in Switzerland are choosing to get married at a later age, but there is one tradition that is still alive and kicking: Spalierstehen, or faire la Haie.

Spalierstehen or faire la Haie essentially involves the couple walking through a line of cheering colleagues, teammates or members of other groups to which they belong, with their friends wearing matching uniforms.