Welcome to the Switzerland Civil Marriage Ceremony Guide

A civil marriage ceremony in Switzerland is a simple affair. A few formalities need to be completed before the ceremony: "Ehevorbereitung" or marriage preparation and the "I do" (Eheversprechen) of the couple in the presence of two witnesses and the officiant. Not even a signature would legally be required (although it is always done). An event which takes just a few minutes.

Why more importance is attached to a civil ceremony is described in this website. You'll find information about the ceremony, answers to frequently-asked questions, where you can get married, criteria to choose the locale, the order of a civil and a church wedding, the formalities and links to official websites.

Pictures of ceremony locales will be published continually.

For official or legal questions please contact the local civil registrar office directly. If you have specific questions to this website or would like to offer suggestions or tips, please comment directly in each article or use the email address indicated at the bottom of this page.

Ceremony Locale: Arlesheim Wedding Registry Office

The centrally located Weding Register Office on the Dorfplatz in Arlesheim makes a neat, classically elegant impression. The ceremony room is on the first floor, where also large wedding parties can be accomodated. Ventilation takes care of a fresh supply of oxygen, despite the somewhat tight seating. A small HiFi is available for music and half an hour are budgeted per wedding. The locale is not unpopular and so you will probably meet other wedding parties in the high season. A reception with apero is possible on the beautiful town square, which also features a water-fountain. There are other possibilities as well nearby. Several private parking houses as well as public parking (even some white fields which are free) are available in the near vicinity.

Ceremony Locale: Baden, Tagsatzungssaal

The town hall of Baden houses the Tagsatzungssal, originally built in 1497. In Canton Argovia it is a popular location and hence booked out quickly on special wedding dates. The room is large and is big enough to accomodate big wedding parties with seats. The interior is traditional with a dark-wood mood created by the walls, ceiling and floor all covered with wood. The nearest parking is Theaterplatz, 5 minutes by foot. A reception can be held on the same floor or in one of the restaurants nearby (for example the "Roter Turm", where you can toast and celebrate right on the street if the weather is good). More Info: Tagssatzungssaal Baden

Ceremony Locale: Bülach Wedding Registry Office

The ceremony room is in the old town hall in the historic old town of Bülach. The long room offers a lot of space. Website: Bülach civil marriage registry office

Ceremony Locale: C.F. Meyer House, Kilchberg

The former house of writer C.F. Meyer is now a museum, and is also available for civil ceremoies. More Info: C.F.Meyer-Haus, Kilchberg. The room where the ceremony takes place is on the ground floor. The door at left is the entrance, on the right is the exit to the garden - which first leads to a covered verandah, where it is possible to have a toast in case of rain. The room is large enough for bigger wedding parties.

Ceremony Locale: Gemeindehaussaal, Thalwil

The new Gemeindehaus (town hall) on the Alte Landstrasse in Thalwil is prim and modern. The same can be said of the ceremony room on the second floor. The room itself is not very big, but sufficiently roomy for the typical wedding party which consists of close relatives and friends. The adjacent car-park is convenient. The only unflattering aspect are the yellow walls, which give every photo a color cast. More Info: Thalwil Marriage Registry Office

Ceremony Locale: Landvogtstube, Schloss Greifensee, Greifensee

The attributes "castle" and "lake" of Schloss Greifensee do tickle the fantasy a bit, and both are true. Although not quite in the suggested opulence. The castle is nice although somewhat unexciting. Nevertheless, it is quite popular for ceremonies, which does call for a busy but unhurried schedule in the summer. The Landvogtstube, the ceremony room, is in the first floor. It's size is modest, being suited for smaller to medium weddings. A reception can be held in the small castle garden - weather permitting - which must be reserved ahead of time. The garden is encircled with walls which provide privacy. On the ground floor and in some of the rooms of the upper floor there are additional possibilities for a catered event. Public parking is available just minutes by foot away. More Info: Schloss Greifensee

Ceremony Locale: Museum Lindengut Winterthur

More Information: Website Lindengut As the only large official ceremony locale in the city of Winterthur (the other being the small Superblock), the ceremony room in Museum Lindengut on Römerstrasse 8 is well booked; also in Winter there can be a lot of ceremonies taking place. Even though the room on the first floor is quite large, it only has a handful of chairs. The rest of the maximum of 20 allowed guests must stand. The beautiful and elegant room is decorated with old wall paintings of scenic locations of Canton Zurich. There is a waiting room on the ground floor for the guests till they are called for their turn. Behind the villa is a beautiful park which can be used after the ceremony and if the weather is appropriate for a toast or for photos. You are not allowed to throw rice outside the villa. Adlerstrasse running to the left of the villa can be used by the bridal couple to disembark and embark by car. There are some parking spots reserved for the couple, although they are not guaranteed to be free. Just few minutes by foot there is the public garage of Winterthur Versicherung.

Ceremony Locale: Ortsmuseum Thalwil, Thalwilerstube

The ceremony room is located on the first floor of the Ortsmuseum (local museum) of Thalwil. The room is of medium size, although chairs are scarce, so most of the guests will need to stand. In front of the building is an open space where a recption or toast can be held. Just next door is the Thailwiler Trotte, which is an alternative in case of bad weather. More Info: Ortsmuseum Thalwil

Ceremony Locale: Portraitsaal, Lucerne

The huge Portraitsaal (portrait hall) in the town hall of Lucerne is probably one of the most impressive if not beautiful wedding-ceremony halls in Switzerland, and also one of the largest. Even the largest wedding parties should fit into the room. The locale is open to weddings on only one day each week and costs a surcharge over a wedding held at the regular locale in Lucerne. Due to it's popularity and limited availability, the ceremony duration is short - unless you book the last ceremony slot before lunch. The entrance to the ceremony room is on the rear (tower-side) of the building and access is by a wide spiral staircase. Website: Lucerne Marriage Registry Office

Ceremony Locale Schloss Andelfingen

More information: Zivilstandsamt Andelfingen The small pavilion in the park of the castle of Andelfingen was built in 1854 by Baron Sulzer-Wart and is available in the high-season months from May to September for civil ceremonies. There is enough room for a small guest list, but definitely not for a large one. This is reflected by the small number of parking available which is shared by the visitors to the garden and the cemetery. The somewhat romantic pavilion is not unpopular, but enough time is provided between ceremonies so the marriage parties do not collide. In the remaining months the ceremonies are held in the Schlossstube, since the pavilion does not have heating. Be aware that video-recordings of the ceremony are not allowed.

Ceremony Locale: Segantini Museum, St. Moritz (Kuppelsaal)

In the presence of 50 guests, Boris Becker and Lilly Kerssenberg tied the knot in the Segantini-Museum in St. Moritz on 12. June 2009. The museum is available since 2009 for civil ceremonies. Reservations are to be made over the Marriage Registry Office of St. Moritz and the cost is 1000 CHF as of 2009. The ceremonies take place in the Kuppelsaal (dome hall). More Infos: Website of the Segantini Museum [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="Segantini Museum - Panorama picture of the Kuppelsaal"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Street view of the museum"][/caption] (Pictures with kind permission of the Segantini Museum)

Ceremony Locale: Stadthaus Zurich

More info: Civil Registry Office Zurich The ceremony room in the renovated City Hall (Stadthaus) is the main official ceremony locale of Zurich and somehow does look nice. The old triangular table has been retained, which provides one edge each for the marriage couple, the witnesses and the officiant. There are ten red couches for the guests, there is enough space for more to stand. The entrance and exit of the room and separate, so two wedding parties need not collide. The small office room through which you first pass through when entering is where the couple and witnesses must identify themselves. The wedding party then enters a comfortable waiting room, which keeps the outside hallway free for the exiting wedding party. As soon as the officiant is ready, the party is let into the room. Public parking is scarce in the vicinity, but if you do get one you'll be able to squeeze in the ceremony and a quick reception into the maximum parking duration of two hours. If you don't want to be rushed you can use the Urania parking, which is about five minutes away by foot. There are ample opportunities for a reception in the vicinity. The only problem is the unusually short ceremony duration. You feel you've just about settled into your seat when the all-important question will be sprung by the officiant. For couples who will have another ceremony either in a church or elsewhere, this won't be too much of a deal, for the others it might just be the deal killer.

Ceremony Locale: Town Hall, Sursee (Bürgersaal)

In the town hall of Sursee, which dates from the 16th century, are several rooms where civil ceremonies take place. The Bürgersaal is the largest, where even large wedding parties have enough seating place. Website: Sursee Marriage Registry Office

Ceremony Locale: Villette, Cham (von Planta-Saal)

The villa built between 1864 und 1866 by the Schulthess family right on Lake Zug in Cham is used as a restaurant, cultural center and ceremony locale for weddings. The Villette combines several desirable features of a ceremony location: the house is elegant, it lies at the lake in the middle of a beautiful park, it has a restaurant for toasts and receptions and Saturday ceremonies are possible! The ceremony room is well-equipped: There is a ring pillow and a music center to play any CD you would bring along. Each ceremony is budgeted for 30 minutes duration. This is why the Villette is a popular marriage destination, which results in the possibility of several wedding parties being on the villa premises at the same time. However, the entrance and exit of the ceremony room are separate, so you don't directly get to see the previous or next wedding parties. The trip by train is convinient since the Cham station is just a few minutes away by foot. You can use the car-parks 5-10 minutes walking distance away, since the Villette doesn't offer any parking itself. More Info: Restaurant Villette, Cham (The church tower does not belong to the Villette but is beyong the rail tracks which pass behind the Villette)

Ceremony Locale: Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich

Since quite a while already Zurich has several other ceremony locations available in addition to the official ceremony locale in the Stadthaus. One of those is the Zunfthaus zur Waag. Being in the old town of Zurich on the Münsterhof, this historic building offers all of three rooms for ceremonies. The Zunftsaal on the 3rd floor is the largest, followed by the Zunftstube (medium) and the rather intimate Waagstübli for the short guest list - which are both on the 2nd floor. Catering is possible in the house itself and in several locations in the vicinity. If you'd like to pass the traditional wood atmosphere of the Waag for a more classically elegant look then just across the square you'll find the fantastic rooms of the Zunfthaus zur Meisen. More Info: Zunfthaus zur Waag

Zunftsaal

Zunftstube

Waagstübli

Ceremony Locales around Kloten

More information: Zivilstandsamt Kloten The registry area of Kloten offers several locales with a good range of atmosphere. Among them is a room high above Zurich Airport!

Ceremony Room In The Old Control Tower Of Zurich Airport

This is surely the star attraction of the locales of the Kloten area and also one of the most unique locales in Switzerland. You can watch the continuous goings-on of the planes at the terminals far below you. Above the ceremony room is another large room in which a reception can be held. A limousine service and a special tour of the airport are available at extra cost. The couple is offered free parking for two hours in the airport parking lot. These pictures were taken on a winter day with a lot of snow, that's why everything is white outside.

Ceremony Room in the Schössli in Nürensdorf

If you are looking for a stylish antique atmosphere, you'll find it in Nürensdorf, since the ceremony locale has old furniture, an elegant stucco ceiling, a nice parquet floor, a chandelier and other accessories which complete the impression.

Ceremony Room in the Stadthaus of Kloten

The ceremony room in Kloten is on the ground floor and feels roomy, however the seats are best for a small guest-list. It is the only locale offering weddings on Saturdays in the registry area of Kloten. There is parking outside.

Ceremony Room in the Bücheler Haus, the Museum of Kloten

The Büchelerhaus was built in 1548 and is today the local museum of Kloten with numerous exhibits of yesteryear. In the old living room civil ceremonies are possible. A reception can be held outside near the old fountain in good weather or inside in the Festsaal in case of rain. A garage is available behind the house.

Ceremony Room in the Gemeindehaus of Rümlang

On the first floor of the Gemeindehauses you'll find the ceremony room of Rümland, which appears high-ceilinged, bright and airy. You can use the parking of the Gemeindehaus outside. Ceremony Room in the Stadthaus of Opfikon The ceremony room on the first floor has been renovated, having a large table and new seating. The parking area of the Stadthaus may be used.

Ceremony Locales in Bremgarten AG

More info: Marriage Registry Office Bremgarten The historic, quaint and photogenic town of Bremgarten has four official ceremony locales for marriages, each of which have quite a different atmosphere. In the old Rathaus there are the intimate Gewölbekeller with just a few seats and the large Stadtratsaal. Just a few steps away from the Rathaus is an old fountain where a toast or small reception can be held, weather permitting. The marriage registry office can provide stand-up tables. A few minutes away by foot is the old Zeughaus which contains the largest ceremony hall in Bremgarten, capable of seating more than 100 people. The large square in front of the building can be used for a reception in good weather and the Trotte next door as a fallback in case of rain. Use the "Obertor" car park both for the Rathaus and the Zeughaus. On the other side of the Reuss river you'll find the rather high-ceilinged inner choir in the Kapuziner-Church (just next to the Moskito-Restaurant serving Mexican cuisine). Such rooms within a church are rare for civil ceremonies in Switzerland. In the enclosed cloister garden a reception is possible. Use the "Casino" parking next door. Saturday ceremonies are available.

Gewölbekeller in the Rathaus

Stadtratsaal in the Rathaus

Innerer Chor in the Kapuzinerkirche

The Kapuziner church, with the entrance to the ceremony room at right

Altes Zeughaus

Ceremony Locales in Wädenswil

More information: Civil Registry Office Wädenswil Wädenswil offers two historic ceremony locales: The regular ceremony room in the Stadthaus and the Gessnerzimmer in the Kirchgemeindehaus Rosenmatt for additional cost. Ceremonies are possible on some Saturdays.

Stadthaus Wädenswil

The ceremony room feels roomy and tidy and provides seating for around 10 guests. There is public parking around the Stadthaus, but due to being near the center of town they are often occupied. A parking garage is on the road leading to the Stadthaus.

Ceremony Room in the Kirchgemeindehaus Rosenmatt

Ceremonies can take place in the Gessner room in the villa built in 1899 and gifted to the church by the Gessner family in 1939. The high ceiling of the room is decorated and also has a nice parquet floor. A large curved window lets in ample light. In front of the villa is a nice park open to the public. Receptions with a large variation in the number of guests can be celebrated in a hall next to the ceremony room, which can be varied in size. In good weather you might want to shift the reception to the garden. There are several public parking possibilities around the villa. During a ceremony the seating arrangement will be modified compared to the pictures below and a flower arrangement placed on the table.

Ceremony Locales in Zollikon

More information: Zivilstandsamt Zollikon The civil registry office of Zollikon offers two ceremony locales. In both cases catering for a reception is possible. Parking can be found nearby.

Villa Meier-Severini

The beautiful Villa Meier-Severini with its elegant interior, park with trees and sculptures, stately driveway and covered veranda with a view onto lake Zurich is available for civil ceremonies, also on Saturdays. The ceremony room consists of three interconnected rooms which allows for a mid- to small-sized guest-list. For toasts or a reception the garden along with the pavilion can also be booked, which also makes for nice photos. In case of rain the rooms inside of the villa along with the veranda will be more convenient. The couple may use the driveway right up to the doorstep of the villa.

Ceremony Room in the Marriage Registry Office of Zollikon

For a small but nevertheless tasteful ceremony the regular ceremony locale of the registry office in is available.

Cermony Locale: Weinschenken Zurich

The Weinschenke is a wine cellar located in the historic Hotel Hirschen in the old town of Zurich (the Niederdorf), and is an official marriage location of Zurich. Parts of the house were built in the 13. century and a small well in the Weinschenke itself in 1340. Food and drinks are served by the kitchen and bar of the house and an apero can also be enjoyed on the wonderful open terrace on the roof of the building. Leave your car at the Urania parking nearby. More information: Weinschenke

More Pictures...

More pictures of civil ceremony locales with be continually published here. If you have any tips or suggestions, please contact me (see footer). If you are having a ritualistic wedding ceremony in addition to a civil marriage, check out the out-of-the-ordinary locations on my Switzerland Destination Wedding website. Handy tips, out-of-the-ordinary weddings and interviews with wedding vendors for a different wedding see dieHaube.ch, the leading magazine for different weddings in Switzerland. Just click on the picture.

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