Daniel and Charelle held their destination wedding in Thun, Switzerland at a beautiful medieval castle, Castle Oberhofen. World travelers who met abroad, it was only fitting they would host a destination wedding!
The couple’s wedding photographer, Marina Koslow, shared with us their story. “Daniel and Charelle are native Australians whose jobs regularly take them to remote destinations around the world. It was on one of these trips to Africa that they met each other and fell in love. Daniel still remembers a cute fact when Charelle mentioned that sleeping in a bed with mosquito nets around (a sure necessity in that country) reminded her of childhood dreams of being a princess. Thus Charelle’s nickname was born – he calls her Princessa.”
“And the wedding they planned would surely suit a princess. None of the family and friends traveling from Australia knew the exact details of the location – precisely that the wedding ceremony was to be held at a gorgeous medieval Castle Oberhofen on the lake of Thun followed by a fun reception at a restaurant nearby. The couple kept all their plans in secret until all the guests were transported from their hotel to the gorgeous venue.”
“The ceremony was very simple and tasteful and it took place in one of the castle greater halls. A cocktail hour was offered afterwards and everyone had a bit of time to freshen up before the reception at restaurant Landte complete with a live band and a wedding cake made out of blocks of cheese.”
“Having the expertise of the wedding planners was priceless: while you can legally marry in Switzerland, one has to keep in mind that the country requires a legal ceremony to take place at a courthouse. Thus a symbolic ceremony can be performed anywhere however your marriage will not be legal unless the first had commenced. The wedding planners helped immensely with navigating the system as well as translating during the civil marriage event and helping communicate with the venue the day of the wedding.”
For the intimate wedding reception, a black, white and red palette was used. Touches of damask popped off the tables and guests danced the night away to live music!
“Switzerland is overall a very friendly country to visit: a great infrastructure offers ease of transportation and logistics, however you can find yourself in a real bind if your hotel hosts do not speak English! My advice would definitely be to do some internet research before heading out to get familiar with the area and what it offers. For example, we were able to stay at a lovely remote village at the foot of the Alps right before the wedding – a welcome rest after a long flight and before my busy days of shooting and all because my husband took the time to get familiar with the area.”
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Destination Wedding Photographer: Marina Koslow Photography
Wedding Vendors: Ceremony Location: Castle Oberhofen, Thun, Switzerland, Reception Location: Restaurant Landte, Wedding Planners: Switzerland Wedding
