Sunshine, summer rain and an unforgettable rainbow above the Bavarian Alps
There are wedding days that feel as though they contain an entire season — and this late-July celebration in Garmisch-Partenkirchen was one of them. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Bavarian Alps, the day brought brilliant sunshine, a clear blue sky, sudden summer showers and, finally, an extraordinarily beautiful rainbow stretching across the Wetterstein mountains.
It was a joyful, emotional and wonderfully personal celebration, taking the couple and their guests from a relaxed morning on the mountain to a church ceremony in the heart of Garmisch, a Bavarian cocktail hour in town and an unforgettable evening high above the valley at Kreuzjochhaus.
Wedding morning: Getting Ready at the Kreuzalm
The day began at Kreuzalm, just around the corner from Kreuzjochhaus. Bride and groom got ready separately, each surrounded by their own closest friends. These first hours set the tone for everything that followed: lively, affectionate and full of genuine friendship.
There was champagne, laughter and plenty of fun in front of the camera, but also those quiet moments that make getting-ready photographs so special. The bride’s lace wedding dress hanging by the window, with the mountains beyond it, was one of those beautifully calm images that seemed to hold the anticipation of the whole day.
If you have the right friends beside you, you can achieve almost anything — and both the bride and groom had exactly that kind of support around them.
Intimate church ceremony at St. Martin
From the mountain, the wedding party made its way by gondola and bus into Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the ceremony at the beautiful parish church of St. Martin. The priest had travelled especially from South America to officiate. As a personal friend of the couple, he gave the ceremony a warmth and meaning that could never have been replicated by someone who did not know their story.
The choir provided the most beautiful musical accompaniment. With its soaring voices, the impressive church interior and the deeply personal words spoken during the service, it was difficult to imagine a more emotional Catholic wedding ceremony.
St. Martin also holds a very special place in our own hearts: more than 30 years ago, we were married in this very church ourselves. Returning there as wedding planners for another couple’s celebration made this moment especially meaningful to us.
Alp horns and Bavarian tapas
After the ceremony, guests gathered at Wildschütz for a relaxed cocktail hour with a distinctly Bavarian character. Alp horns welcomed everyone, while Bavarian tapas offered the perfect introduction to the region and kept the atmosphere light and sociable.
The guests were then collected by bus and taken back towards the cable car. The newlyweds, meanwhile, climbed into a horse-drawn carriage with their closest friends. After a leisurely ride, there was time for another photo session in the Osterfelder meadows before everyone travelled up into the mountains again on the Kreuzeckbahn gondola.
Couple shooting and a warm welcome at Kreuzjochhaus
When the bride, groom and witnesses arrived at Kreuzjochhaus after the couple shooting, their guests were already waiting to welcome them. The groom tapped a barrel of beer — a wonderfully Bavarian start to the afternoon — and the celebration quickly found its rhythm.
A live caricature artist, Marion Stein, created individual keepsakes for the guests, while the wonderful mood, mountain views and easy conversations made the hours pass far too quickly. Before long, it was time to move inside for dinner.
The quickly changing weather had already rewarded everyone with an incredible rainbow above the Wetterstein mountains. It was the perfect reminder that mountain weddings cannot always be controlled — and that some of their most magical moments are created by exactly that unpredictability.
Dinner & dance the night away!
After the speeches and the cutting of the wedding cake, the couple opened the dance floor with their first dance. It took place in front of Kreuzjochhaus, framed by sparkling stage fountains. Just as the couple began to dance, heavy summer rain swept across the mountain. Yet instead of taking anything away from the moment, it made the scene even more romantic: lights glowing through the rain, the mountains disappearing into the clouds and two people completely absorbed in each other.
And they lived happily ever after
Late that night, we travelled back down into the valley by Jeep, with the illuminated town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen sparkling far below us. The newlyweds and their guests continued celebrating into the early hours before waking to breakfast at Kreuzjochhaus and beginning their journeys home.
It was an incredibly beautiful day with a truly wonderful couple. The bride’s radiant smile never left her face, no matter whether the sun was shining or the rain was falling. We are deeply grateful that they chose us as their destination wedding planner in Garmisch-Partenkirchen — and we are already looking forward to seeing them again!
Special Thanks to the whole team:
Florals Passiflori Penzberg
Weddingphotographers Die Bahrnausen
Wedding videographer Alpenwedding Marc Gilsdorf
Location: Kreuzalm, Kreuzjochhaus, Pfarrkirche St. Martin, Wildschütz Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Wedding cake & cupcakes Süße Augenblicke
Stylist hair & make-up Jerrianne Ritter Aesthetics
Skech artist Marion Stein
Wedding planning and day of coordinator 4 weddings & events by Uschi Glas#
And all the others like bus driver, taxi shuttles, horse and carriage, alp horns, church music and and and…
We could not have done it without all of you!
