Marrying in St. Moritz & Engadin
In 1864 the hotel proprietor Johannes Badrutt wagered British summer guests that they would enjoy the winter mountains as much as the summer, offering free accommodation if they did not. They stayed, and modern Alpine winter tourism is usually dated from that wager. St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948, and its guest books have carried the names of aristocratic families, film stars and industrial dynasties.
The Engadin valley sits at 1,800 metres on a high plateau between granite peaks, and the altitude gives a sharper, more luminous light. The Upper Engadin lakes form a chain of turquoise water below the village.
A grand hotel opened in 1896 remains the defining property of the village. Its tower is visible for kilometres across the plateau, and a wedding there links to 150 years of European hotel culture.
The seasons
- Best
- Shoulder
- Quieter
5 Star view Our reading of the wedding year, from the months below.
- Best months
- July, August, September, December, January, February
- Shoulder season
- June, September (summer); March (winter)
- Peak season
- December, January (winter), July, August (summer)
St. Moritz is a four-season destination. Summer, from June to September, and winter, from December to March, are fully operational, while April, May and November are transitional months when some facilities close. Summer brings the lake and wildflower meadows. Winter brings snow, the grand hotel's full programme and White Turf horse racing on the frozen lake in February.
Daylight and sunset
The bar runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. A ceremony is usually timed an hour or two before the sunset shown.
Calculated From the coordinates of St. Moritz & Engadin, local time, for 2027.
Ramadan and Eid
For couples and guests who observe them, the dates to plan a wedding around.
| Year | Ramadan | Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 Feb to 8 Mar | 9 Mar | 16 May |
| 2028 | 28 Jan to 25 Feb | 26 Feb | 5 May |
Calculated From the Umm al-Qura calendar. The observed dates follow the sighting of the moon and can fall a day either side.
The areas of St. Moritz & Engadin
St. Moritz village
The village occupies a hillside above the lake, with the grand hotel dominating the upper village. The Via Serlas has high-end boutiques and jewellers, and everything from the ceremony venue to the hairdresser lies within walking distance.
Silvaplana and the Upper Engadin lakes
The Silvaplana shore is more expansive and less dense than the village, and private event setups there have been commissioned for weddings.
Sils Maria and the upper valley
Friedrich Nietzsche spent seven consecutive summers here and wrote Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The village is quieter and more literary, and a grand nineteenth-century hotel hosts more intimate weddings.
Corviglia and mountain terrace
Reached by funicular, Corviglia has a sun terrace and event space at 2,486 metres. A pre-wedding dinner here at sunset is a frequent addition to the weekend.
What venues are like
Grand hotel reception
The defining format for a large wedding, built on the ballroom, great hall and lake-view terrace. A nightclub beneath the hotel extends the reception into the late evening.
Lakeside ceremony
The shore below the grand hotel is available for summer ceremony setups, with turquoise water behind and the hotel tower above.
Mountain summit dinner
Corviglia and Piz Nair at 3,057 metres, both reached by cable car, have facilities for private dinners looking down on the lakes.
Horse-drawn carriage arrival
Carriages still carry guests in the village in winter, giving a winter wedding a theatrical arrival through snow-covered streets.
Airports and transfers
- Zurich Airport (ZRH) The main gateway, with direct flights from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. A train runs to Chur, and the Rhaetian Railway continues to St. Moritz on a UNESCO World Heritage line.
- Samedan Airport (SMV) A small airport at 1,707 metres, one of the highest commercial airports in Europe, and the preferred arrival point for private aviation guests.
- Glacier Express connection The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz suits a combined weekend across the two destinations, and can be offered to guests as optional.
St. Moritz is reached from Zurich Airport by train. Samedan Airport, close to the village, handles private and charter aviation.
Marrying legally in Switzerland
A preparatory procedure at a Swiss civil registry office is mandatory before the civil ceremony. Both spouses appear in person, foreign nationals must show they are lawfully in Switzerland, and the original civil-status documents must not be older than six months.
- 1About six months before, as a planning guide
Open the preparatory procedure
Apply at the civil registry office of the domicile of either spouse, or at the Swiss representation abroad if you live outside Switzerland. Both spouses must appear in person and declare that they meet the legal conditions, with proof of identity and original documents no older than six months; photocopies are not accepted. Foreign documents may need apostille or legalisation.
- 2When the procedure is closed
Receive the go-ahead
A non-Swiss spouse must be able to show lawful residence in Switzerland during the procedure (Civil Code art. 98). A spouse who needs a visa for the stay checks with the Swiss representation in their country.
- 3The day
The civil ceremony
Held at a civil registry office. A religious ceremony has no legal effect on its own.
- Preparatory procedure
- mandatory
- Appearance
- both spouses in person
- Documents
- originals, no older than 6 months
- Lawful stay
- non-Swiss spouses must show it
Already married at home?5 Star view
Only the civil ceremony has legal effect. Many couples marry in their own country and hold the celebration here. A ceremony with no legal effect needs none of the steps above: the venue and the planner arrange it.
Who needs a visa
Travelling from the United States
American citizens visit Switzerland without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under Schengen rules, which Switzerland applies. The European Union's ETIAS travel authorisation will be required of visa-exempt visitors, Americans included, once it is operating; it is not yet operating and no start date has been announced.
Travelling from the United Kingdom
British passport holders visit Switzerland without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area. The passport must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. The European Union's Entry/Exit System registers fingerprints and a photograph at the border on a first visit.
Other nationalities
EU and EEA nationals need no visa. Other nationalities check with the Swiss embassy or consulate in their country. A non-Swiss spouse planning to live in Switzerland after the wedding may need a visa and a residence permit.
Reference Swiss Civil Code art. 98 (as reproduced on droit-bilingue.ch), read 2026-10-21. Swiss Embassy in Washington (eda.admin.ch): marriage to be performed in Switzerland, read 2026-10-21. gov.uk: Switzerland entry requirements, read 2026-10-21. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu), read 2026-10-21. Checked 21 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the authority that will marry you before you book.
Accommodation
The hotel stock is the most concentrated of any Swiss mountain resort, and gives most wedding group sizes a complete solution.
At the table
The village has a deep restaurant scene for a mountain resort, with hotel dining, independent restaurants and traditional Engadin cooking.
Japanese-Peruvian group dinner
A Japanese-Peruvian restaurant opened in the grand hotel's basement in 2018 and is the most requested group dinner for wedding parties.
Bündner Nusstorte and Bündnerfleisch
Bündner Nusstorte is a pastry filled with caramelised walnuts, and Bündnerfleisch is air-dried beef produced in the Engadin since the Middle Ages. Both belong in a Graubünden wedding in some form.
Traditional Engadin Stuben
Wood-panelled stuben serve Bündner meat dishes, polenta and local wines. A group dinner in one shows guests a food culture older than the grand hotels.
The Engadin wine question
What planners tell couples
Costs and payment
St. Moritz is among the most expensive places in Switzerland. Prices are in Swiss francs, and all card payments are accepted.
Altitude
At 1,800 metres most guests feel no significant effect, though some notice mild breathlessness on the first day. Hydration and a slower pace help, and guests should arrive a day before strenuous activity.
Legal ceremony
Foreign nationals can marry legally through the Zivilstandsamt in Samedan, the regional administrative centre. Many couples complete the legal marriage at home.
Language
Graubünden is Switzerland's only officially trilingual canton, with German, Romansh and Italian. The village is German-speaking, and hospitality staff use English fluently.
The Rhaetian Railway UNESCO status
The Albula and Bernina lines are UNESCO World Heritage railways. Many guests choose the scenic train over a transfer vehicle.
Winter events calendar
White Turf in February, the Polo World Cup on Snow in January and February, and the Engadin Ski Marathon in March are the main events. Dates near them need earlier planning and carry peak pricing.
