Getting married in Dresden or the surrounding area

Ein verliebtes Brautpaar in der Kutsche vor der Frauenkirche. Foto: Lara-Sophie Radach (DML BY-NC)

Awedding is an occasion worthy of a very special setting. Magnificent castles, romantic churches, extraordinary locations – in Dresden and its environs, bridal couples are spoilt for choice.

The extensive programme of building undertaken by August the Strong and his obsession with collecting have left their mark in Dresden and made the city world famous. But the passion of the Prince Elector was not restricted to art and porcelain. He supplemented his lawfully wed wife with a dozen mistresses, whom he would then send into exile when the affair had run its course. He is said to have fathered 354 children, most of them inevitably illegitimate. So some pretty convincing arguments are necessary for this city to qualify as the ideal wedding location! But Dresden can indeed make a very strong case, not least because of August’s flair for baroque splendour. So yes, you can go ahead and book that ceremony, and not necessarily in the municipal registry offices. In the heart of the city are several historic buildings that are ideal for the purpose. What couple planning to tie the knot could say no the Frauenkirche, to Schloss Albrechtsberg or the Palace in the Grosser Garten Park? And what other venue could furnish a marriage certificate with more provenance than Dresden City Museum?

Dresden and its surroundings constitute a beautiful couple in their own right. In the castles of Rammenau and Weesenstein or in the Saxon state winery at Wackerbarth Castle, a festive ambience and a magnificent landscape come together in perfect harmony. And what could be more fitting for a bride dressed in white to make her vows in the rooms of the Albrechtsburg in Meissen (late Gothic style), where August first commissioned the production of ‘white gold’, i.e. porcelain?

Rings can also be exchanged in the Prince Elector’s country retreat at Moritzburg or at Pillnitz, where you have the choice of the romantic chapel “Maria am Wasser” at the Elbe river or the Weinbergkirche, which stands majestically among the vineyards. But if you are too impatient to plan a special journey to Pillnitz, Radebeul or Meissen, you can plight your troth on board a Saxon Steamship Company river cruiser. Incidentally, the Dresdeners themselves are getting married in increasing numbers, and the city has in recent years registered more births than any other in Germany.

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