Getting Married in Lofer
Picture postcard scenery in a winter and summer wonderland - the perfect backdrop for a perfect wedding

Weddings in Lofer, Austria


Austria is a beautiful country in which to exchange your vows, with its spectacular scenery your photographer will be hard pressed to find a boreing background to capture your magic moments. Along with that picture perfect backdrop there’s a rich tradition of folklore and superstition still embedded in Austrian weddings today. If a blind man; a pregnant woman or a monk are seen before the proposal it is seen as a bad omen for the marriage. Converesly if closely prior to the happy day members of the betrothed familes spot pigeons, goats or wolves then the prospects for the marriage are thought to be excellent!
The flower chosen by the groom for his buttonhole should be of the same color as the flower in the bride’s bouquet, this signifies his undying love for his bride.
When the bride leaves her house for the wedding venue her last look in the mirror is considered to bring good luck. However, if she happens to go back again to look in the mirror, it is considered to be a bad omen.
Running into a chimney sweep on the way is seen as good luck and, like the English, some Austrians even hire a chimney sweep to attend the wedding as a good luck charm. The weather can also cast fair or foul omens for marriage – cloudy weather meaning a stormy marriage, whilst snow would mean wealth and fertility.
Check out our "customs and folklore" tab for more insights into weird Austrian superstitions.



 
Congratulations to Becky and Simon - our first marriage party.

Thanks to Becky and Simon (that's them pictured above) the house, under our stewardship, has been blessed with its first marriage. They were married and had their reception in nearby Zell am See and completed their celebrations at the house with their friends and family.
Here's a note from the happy couple sharing their experience....
"Hello Ashley, well we are back, the house was amazing we all loved it. The men loved the games room and had many games of pool and darts comps, all went well for the wedding also. Peter the taxi man was amazing and so kind he stopped of at a bakery and bought us 2 stollens and gave me and Simon some chocolate and a bottle of bubbly for the wedding. We did ski for a couple of days and Gertie (the ski hire shop owner) was so lovely too. The whole family are planning to return in the next year or two.
Thank you for your great house and hopefully I should be able to send a photo of the wedding in the next week or so"

Becky and Simon
Getting married in Austria - a few pointers....

The picture above shows the famous pilgrimage church of Maria Kirchental, stuated a few minutes outside Lofer nestled on a plateau at 900m. It was consecrated in 1701.
There are no residency requirements to get married in Austria, however it takes approx 2 to 4 weeks to sort out the paperwork.The legal age for either sex is 18. Persons at least 16 years of age may also marry upon presentation of written, notarized consent from both parents and if the other spouse is at least 18 years old. The Bride and Groom may not be related.
Your marriage will only be valid if it is performed at a civil registry office (Standesamt) and it must be preformed by an official registrar in the presence of two witnesses. You must register first prior to getting married.
There is no legal waiting period between marriage registration and the marriage ceremony itself. You can register to have a civil marriage up to maximum of six months prior to the your wedding.
The starting point is always the registry of births, deaths and marriage [Standesamt] Prior to the wedding the civil status office determines the marriageability of the fiancés during an oral interview with the help of the presented documents. During this oral trial usually both partners have to appear in person. Then a certification of marriageability ["Aufgebot"] will be prepared.
When filing for your marriage application the civil registry office will at least require the following documents of bride and groom:
·      Copy of passport
·      Copy of driving licence
·      Birth certificate
·      Certificate of No Impediment
·      If you are divorced: a Decree Absolute and previous marriage certificates
Original documents must be submitted (except passport and driving licence). Depending where you come from, some documents may not be older than 4 to 6 months.Afterwards the civil registry office (Standesamt) will send you detailed informations by email, about all necessary documents for your wedding.
Fees
·      50 euro for the procedure to determine marriageability
·      130 euro for submitting foreign certificates
·      Additional fees: Federal administrative fee and possibly commission fees
Additional services such as music might incur additional costs.
If you were previously married or had a registered partnership: in addition
·      Marriage certificate(s) of the previous marriage or certificate of the previous registered partnership
·      Proof of nullification/annulment or divorce of previous marriages (Resolution or decree with valid confirmation of the outcome, including a stamp attesting validity!), decree of the nullification of previous registered partnerships
·      Death certificate of the late spouse
·      Death certificate of a late registered Partner
·      In case of a foreign judgment concerning the dissolution of marriage/partnership or marriage/partnership annulment: the final judicial decision of approval, unless the Brussels II a-Regulation applies
If you and your future spouse have one or several joint children: in addition
·      Birth certificate(s) of the child(ren)
·      Statement of paternity of the children (if the father is not recorded on the birth certificate(s))
·      Proof of nationality, if available
·      Proof of the children’s residence
Anyone who is not a legally independent adult (including those not of marriageable age) also needs:
·      For 16 to 18 year olds:
o  Declaration of marriageability issued by a court (with valid confirmation of validity, including a stamp attesting validity!)
o  Written approval by legal Guardians or equivalent judicial decision
·      If a trustee has been appointed, his or her written approval or a relevant court decision
Anyone not present when registering to get married also needs the form "Erklärung zur Ermittlung der Ehefähigkeit" (Statement of marriageability).
Please note: Any foreign language document must be presented as the original along with a certified German translation which may only be done by a translator sworn and certified in Austria. A list of such translators is available on the pages of the Federal Ministry of Justice.



 
The ceremony

Religious marriages are not legally recognized in Austria and so a religious ceremony, if desired, is held at a seperate venue after the Civil marriage has been performed. The photograph above is of the church in Lofer.      
In a traditional ceremony, whilst the groom and best man wait at the church, the families and guest will gather in a designated place and await the arrival of the bride. Once she has arrived, the wedding party processes to the church, often lead by a Master of Ceremonies. Like the Bulgarian best man, he carries a highly decorated pole and literally leads the festivities. The group arrive at the church as a happy, cheering crowd.
Most ceremonies follow a traditional exchange of vows and rings, with some singing and sermon or poetry reading, depending on the faith of the church.
At some point in the party, the couple will cut the wedding cake. The Austrian custom with the cake doesn’t include the tradition of some other cultures of sending cake out to those who missed the wedding – it’s literally a case of having to be there to get some because the cake is sliced to the precise number of guests – so lots of guests = lots of small slices or the fewer the guests, the bigger the portion you’ll be lucky enough to get!


 
The perfect base for your wedding party

Should you decide on a winter or summer wedding in Austria then we believe Hunters House will make a perfect base. The house sleeps 16 in its eight bedrooms and has an extensive basement area with 3 games rooms to keep everyone entertained. None of Lofer's 13 restaurants or 3 supermarkets are more than 10 minutes walk from the house. The closest restaurants and supermarket are within 3 minutes walk. The towns cable car for winter skiing or summer mountain pasture exploring is 8 minutes walk from the house. You can even book a summer or winter sleigh ride and be collected directly from the house. In short Lofer has all the ingredients for a perfect marriage and honeymoon, all that is missing is you!