This was the first time I’ve photographed at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof and wow what a stunning hotel it is. I have photographed 5 weddings in Zermatt and a Zermatterhof wedding has been on my list of venues to photograph for a long time.
I started shooting the day before the wedding on Friday for Coray & Marc’s pre-wedding party at the Mont Cervin. This was a great way for me to meet the family & guests before the wedding in a less formal scenario. (I will blog about this in another post)
Coray & Marc’s wedding at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhoff was stunning from start to finish. The highlights for me were photographing in the St.Mauritius Church which is absolutely beautiful inside then walking out after the ceremony to be greeted by huge snowflakes falling from the sky. Oh, and how could I forget one of the flower girls taking the brides veil off mid-ceremony instead of adjusting it. lol
Here Coray & Marc’s explain their experiences from their gorgeous Zermatterhof wedding.
Living in American you have some amazing ski resorts, why did you choose Zermatt for your wedding?
We chose Zermatt for five reasons:
The Church: St. Mauritius is absolutely beautiful. Father Roth, the priest who married us, was such a pleasure to work with. I attended a mass over the summer visiting Zermatt with my mother and heard the choir and the organist (Elmar Rittiner) and was completely blown away. The people of the church are very sincere and incredibly talented.
The View: The Matterhorn is a mountain like no other. The view and town scenery from Zermatterhof is really just jaw-dropping.
The Intimacy: We wanted a small wedding. We agreed early in our engagement that we would have a wedding of just our closest friends and immediate family members. It felt very special to be in a place so remote and detached from our daily lives to celebrate.
The Hotel: Zermatterhof is exceptional. The grand ballroom is stunning and the staff at the hotel is so helpful. They made planning the wedding quite easy. Mont Cervin, where we hosted or wedding eve dinner, is also a very beautiful hotel. Kerstin, who manages the events team, really goes above and beyond to make sure events surpass expectations.
The Skiing: We have great ski resorts in the US, but I personally think Zermatt is the best. There are not many mountains in the world that enable you to ski in two countries in one day (Switzerland and Italy). For our guests traveling such a long way, this was a really cool experience.
Was it hard planning a destination wedding in Zermatt from America?
My team at Zermatterhof was unparalleled. We used the events planner at Zermatterhof, Julia, as our wedding planner for the event. She was thorough, timely and accessible at all hours. We worked with Lifestyle Zermatt for our floral arrangements, and Gisela and her husband had such creative ideas. They inspired our ideas for snow umbrellas, gifts at the dinner table, and wood with mountain names for table numbering. Giovanni, the Zermatterhof musician, was our DJ and jazz pianist for the reception. Working directly with members of the hotel made the planning much easier. The time difference was the only struggle.
Why did you choose a winter wedding in Zermatt?
Everyone does summer weddings, spring, and fall. My fiancé and I really wanted to do something different and memorable. We also wanted to share an experience with our families and closest friends. We both love to ski. We spent the majority of the week on the slopes.
Why did you choose Paul Keppel Photography as your Zermatt wedding photographer?
I loved his work from previous weddings. I admire that he captured photos that were not entirely staged. Those are the photos that stand out the most to me when flipping through friend’s wedding albums. I felt confident in his ability to capture the beauty of Zermatt because he is so well-traveled in the area. Trust was also a huge deciding factor for me. I could trust what was written on the forums about my photographer, but what truly instilled my confidence in him was our conversations and skype sessions before the wedding. I could tell by his persistent contact that he really wanted to do a good job for us.
Zermatterhof wedding in Zermatt
Zermatt has some amazing hotels, why did you choose the Zermatterhof to host your wedding?
Zermatterhof is the greatest hotel I have ever stayed at. Period.
Bride: What advice would you give to future brides planning their wedding in Zermatt?
Make a timeline for yourself and stick to it. If you do not have a day planner, buy one. Maintain an excel file to check things off your list. It’s an awesome feeling! Do one big trip to the venue/village (if it is a destination) and give yourself about 4 days to meet with every single person. Collect emails and get their schedules/timelines. This will allow you to remain in contact with them without having to do multiple visits.
Groom: What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding in Zermatt?
Think long and hard about who should be your best man – mine acted as a real hero and I can’t thank him enough!
What’s the best thing about getting married in Zermatt?
The memories we have of skiing with family and being married in a beautiful church. Not to mention, convincing my new husband that we should go back every year for our anniversary!
Any top tips for a winter wedding in Zermatt?
Bring boots so you do not ruin your expensive wedding shoes like I did and ship your ski gear in advance!
Did you source anything from the village for your wedding?
Everything. Florist, DJ, Chef (Hotel Zermatterhof and Mont Cervin), Planner (Julie at Zermatterhof), Priest (Father Roth at St. Mauritius)
What would you have changed if you could do it again?
Only personal things. In short, only the people who love you and want to make the day better should be there on your day. It is about you and your husband to be. No one else.
What’s the best thing about being married?
Feeling like I have a true life companion and partner. It’s just me and him…for now :)
If you planning to have a wedding and havn’t booked a Zermatt wedding photographer then please do not hesitate to Contract me for a quote or click here to view another winter wedding in Zermatt.
Suppliers: Bridal Preparation: Grand Hotel Zermatterhof | Wedding Ceremony: St.Mauritius Church | Wedding Reception: Lifestyle Zermatt | Wedding Planner: Julie at Zermatterhof | Dress: Pronovias | Make up: | Hair: Coiffure Boutique La Tanya | Bridesmaid dress: | Grooms suit: Saks Fifth Avenue | Flowers: Lifestyle Zermatt | Wedding Transport: Horse & carriage by Hotel Zermatterhof |Entertainment: Giovanni, the Zermatterhof musician, DJ and jazz pianist
Well done Paul, you can just tell from the photos how much of a good time everyone had.
Really brilliant photography!
Wow, Amazing photos Paul you truly capture the spirit of the day – and the bride’s dress is to die for.
Paul, sweet stuff as always mate. Really good shots! <3
Thanks mate
Love having the dress ironed!
I love the randomness at weddings
This is what you want when you photograph a wedding, an ecstatic bride smiling all day! awesome :)
They were both amazing to photograph, such a please.
This is possibly one of the best winter wedding sceneries I have ever seen! Wonderful photos Paul! x
Thanks Aga :-)
Fantastic set Paul, some great moments and compositions. Particularly love the one of the boy being held back at the top of the aisle!
Beautiful bride. great photos
What a stunning set of shots in a fairytale setting Paul! The snow, the carriage…love the whole set!
What a stunning set of images dude!
Many smiles, many colors… like it much!
There are no words for her dress! Ok, amazing! Thats the word I think of when I see these. You captured the day so well! Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing more of your work!
What a stunning touch of images with quality!