The Wedding Atlas · Switzerland · St. Moritz & Engadin
Getting Married in St. Moritz & Engadin
An Alpine resort on a high Engadin plateau, in summer and in winter. 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.
Part of the St. Moritz & Engadin destination guide.
- Best months
- July, August, September, December, January, February
Where to marry
Where to Get Married in 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.
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St. Moritz & Engadin on the map
St. Moritz & Engadin
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A Wedding in St. Moritz & Engadin
An Alpine resort on a high Engadin plateau, in summer and in winter
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.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in St. Moritz & Engadin
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.
The season
When to get married
July and August are the best summer months, at about 19°C by day, and January to March brings reliable snow. April and November fall between the seasons, so they are the months to avoid for an outdoor celebration.
The word shows how well the weather suits a wedding. The dots show estimated visitor busyness on St. Moritz & Engadin, based on tourism data rather than wedding bookings.
St. Moritz stands at about 1,800 m, and the afternoon high is 19°C in July and August, with nights near 5°C (MeteoSwiss, Samedan, 1991 to 2020). From January to March the high is between minus 1 and 4°C and a typical morning has 40 to 46 cm of snow on the ground (MeteoSwiss), which suits a winter wedding planned around a heated indoor ceremony. April and November are the in-between months, with highs of 4 to 8°C and little settled snow, and November hotel stays fall to about an eighth of the peak (Swiss Federal Statistical Office).
Getting there
How guests arrive
St. Moritz is reached from Zurich Airport by train. Samedan Airport, close to the village, handles private and charter aviation.
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.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
The hotel stock is the most concentrated of any Swiss mountain resort, and gives most wedding group sizes a complete solution.
Grand hotel above the lake
The original grand hotel, with its tower above the lake, has lake wing rooms that are the most requested.
Historic lakeside hotel
Johannes Badrutt's original property, more traditional in character and slightly lower in price, and good for overflow.
Spa-focused grand hotel
On the lakeside, with a large indoor pool and a comprehensive wellness programme.
Grand hotel in Sils Maria
A nineteenth-century hillside hotel with a literary character, for couples who want the Engadin without the social density of St. Moritz.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in St. Moritz & Engadin
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.
Good to know
Before you book
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.
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.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
What is White Turf, and can it join a wedding weekend?
White Turf is horse racing on the frozen lake, held every February since 1907, with skikjöring, horses pulling skiers, as a secondary discipline. The main grandstand has private boxes that can be reserved.
Should guests take the Glacier Express?
For guests with flexibility, yes. The route from Zermatt crosses 291 bridges and 91 tunnels and reaches 2,033 metres at the Oberalp Pass.
What is the Engadin light?
At 1,800 metres there is less atmospheric diffusion, so the light is sharper and the sky a deeper blue. For photography that means cleaner exposures and richer colour, and the photographer should know how to use it.
Which season suits a St. Moritz wedding better?
Both seasons work and they differ. Summer brings lakes, meadows and the Engadin's famous 315 days of sunshine. Winter brings snow, carriages and White Turf. The choice depends on the guest profile and programme.
How do guests reach St. Moritz for a wedding?
The village is reached from Zurich Airport by train. Zurich is 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 the village on a UNESCO World Heritage line.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in St. Moritz & Engadin
Tell Aura the setting, the season and the size of your day. She shortlists the venues and professionals that fit, and explains why.
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This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.