Stairs and columns at the entrance, a wooden hall, and just a two-minute walk to the countryside. The schedule here is tight, but the atmosphere is still personal. Here’s how to plan your wedding ceremony on Mandlstraße
For many couples, the registry office on Mandlstraße is the top choice among Munich’s wedding venues, and you can tell just by looking at the scene outside the door. Appointments are sometimes scheduled every quarter of an hour, several groups are waiting on the sidewalk outside, and there’s no place to park.
As a civil ceremony photographer, I find myself on Mandlstraße quite often. With a good knowledge of the area, it’s easy to make a wedding ceremony here truly special. In this post, I combine information from the City of Munich with my own experiences as a wedding photographer—from the first look to the newlywed photo shoot after the civil ceremony.
Here you will find a brief summary of the main contents of the article:
- The Mandlstraße Registry Office is located at Mandlstraße 14 in the heart of Schwabing. There is a single wedding ceremony hall right next to the English Garden. The ceremony hall can accommodate up to 30 people, including the bride and groom and the witnesses. There is seating for about 12 to 15 people.
- You must register your marriage at least six months before the date, always at the registry office in your place of residence. Even if you don’t live in Munich, you can get married here.
- Weddings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. In addition, some Saturdays are available through the city’s scheduling system.
- The registry office does not have its own parking lot. It’s best to get there by subway, bus, or taxi.
- Your photographer will be with you throughout the ceremony. You’ll discuss your ideas with the registrar and your photographer on the wedding day, shortly before the ceremony.
- You may host your own champagne reception in the English Garden or in the bistro area of the registry office.
- Key Information About the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- Building and Wedding Hall at the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- Who can get married here and how to register
- Wedding Dates and Fees at the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- Here's how your wedding ceremony at the Mandlstrasse Registry Office will go
- Champagne reception in the English Garden or in the bistro area
- Taking Photos in the Wedding Chapel
- Wedding photos taken around the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- Group photos and a photo shoot with the bride and groom after the wedding ceremony
- I will officiate your wedding ceremony at the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Ceremonies at the Mandlstraße Registry Office
- More articles about civil marriages and weddings
The Mandlstraße Registry Office (also known as the Schwabing Registry Office) is located at Mandlstraße 14 in Munich, on the edge of the English Garden. This registry office is housed in a neoclassical villa with a columned portico. Weddings have been held here since 1953. A few steps lead up to the entrance. Inside, there is a single wedding hall, paneled in wood and featuring a full wall of windows.
It can get crowded here quickly if you come by car, since the registry office doesn’t have its own parking spaces. The City of Munich therefore recommends traveling by train, bus, or taxi. The easiest way to get to the registry office is by taking the U3 or U6 subway lines to the Giselastraße station or by taking buses 54, 58, 68, or 154 to Thiemestraße.
It’s best to include travel instructions right in the invitation so that no one in the family ends up driving around in circles while you’re already waiting in the foyer. For the bride, taking a taxi is convenient because the taxi can also take her directly to the first look.
You can also get married on Mandlstraße even if you live outside of Munich. However, you must always register your marriage with the registry office in your place of residence, no earlier than six months before your desired date. If at least one of you lives in Munich, you should register directly with the Munich Registry Office. The Pasing Registry Office is responsible only for city districts 21 (Pasing–Obermenzing), 22 (Aubing–Lochhausen–Langwied–Freiham), and 23 (Allach–Untermenzing).
It’s best to come to the registration together as a couple. If that’s not possible, one of you can handle the registration with a power of attorney. In that case, your partner must still appear in person at the registry office before the wedding ceremony and sign the marriage registration record. You’ll need to bring your IDs and birth certificates or certified copies from the birth registry. If you have children together, you’ll also need their birth certificates. If either of you has been married before, you’ll also need the marriage certificate with a note of dissolution. You can find the complete list of required documents on the City of Munich’s website. If one of you has ties to another country, different regulations apply.
Weddings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays on Mandlstraße. In addition, weddings are held on Saturdays, which are scheduled exclusively through the City of Munich’s booking system. When you register, you’ll pay between €60 and about €350, depending on your preferences and the day of the week. The city charges €60 for use of the wedding hall on weekdays and €200 on Saturdays. The wedding times are:
- Monday and Wednesday: 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Friday: 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Wedding Saturdays: 9:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
You cannot make a non-binding reservation for your desired date. You will not receive your date until all the required documents have been submitted in full. After signing up, you’ll usually have to wait two weeks for an available date—and even longer in the summer and toward the end of the year. If you want to get married on a Saturday, make sure to plan ahead and book your photographer as soon as your date is confirmed.
The wedding ceremony on Mandlstraße lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. You and your guests should arrive at the waiting area ten minutes early and check in at the reception desk. After that, you’ll proceed to the wood-paneled wedding hall, which seats a total of 30 people. There are about 12 to 15 chairs set up there; the remaining guests can stand behind them.
After the registrar welcomes you, there will be a short speech, followed by your vows. Then the marriage certificate will be read aloud, you’ll sign it, and exchange rings. You’ll usually receive your marriage certificates right there in the ceremony hall.
As a photographer, I always arrive 30 to 45 minutes before your appointment and meet you at the registry office. I’d love to start very close by, on Königinstraße, with the first look or the first couple photos. Together, we’ll then head to Mandlstraße, where your guests will gradually begin to arrive. There, I’ll capture their arrivals and the first hugs. About 10 to 15 minutes before the ceremony, we’ll go into the foyer.
If you’ve requested music, it will be played live on a digital piano in the wedding hall: as you enter, while signing the register, during the exchange of rings, and as you leave. You can choose three pieces from the registry office’s selection or bring your own playlist. The musical accompaniment costs €25 and must be ordered at the time of registration.
After the wedding ceremony, your guests will go outside first and form a guard of honor in front of the registry office, and then you’ll come out the door. There’s usually a lot going on in front of the building because the next group is already waiting. I’m very familiar with this situation and will make sure everything runs smoothly.
When the weather is nice, wedding couples like to gather in the English Garden for a champagne reception. The English Garden begins right behind the registry office; it’s a two-minute walk away. The Gunezrainer Bridge over the Schwabinger Bach is a great spot for the reception because you can set your champagne glasses down there. You’ll need to organize the reception in the English Garden on your own.
Especially in bad weather, the bistro area at the Schwabing Registry Office is a good alternative. Self-organized champagne receptions are allowed there, but catering or consuming larger amounts of food you’ve brought yourself is not permitted. You’ll often run into other wedding parties there; outside, you’ll have much more peace and quiet.
Throwing rice, confetti, or flowers is not allowed. Out of consideration for the neighbors, please avoid honking your horn as much as possible when leaving by car. You are not allowed to decorate the wedding hall yourselves, but it will be decorated with flowers.
The Schwabing Registry Office on Mandlstraße does not have its own photographer, so you’ll need to bring your own. On your wedding day, we’ll briefly discuss your photography preferences with the registrar right before the ceremony. Often, the registrar calls me into the wedding hall first to discuss the photography. If the registrar doesn’t want to be in the photos, they’ll be visible at most from behind, at the shoulder level. However, in my experience, there’s nothing standing in the way of your photography coverage.
During the ceremony, I work quietly and unobtrusively. Plenty of natural light streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the bride and groom. Many couples are very nervous and serious at the registry office. My tip for the fairly short wedding ceremony: Hold hands, take a moment to look at each other, and smile at each other now and then. Sign the documents slowly while smiling, then briefly look up—feel free to glance at the camera—and enjoy the moment as you say “I do.” Also, take your time during the ring exchange and the kiss. That makes it easy for me to capture the most beautiful moments for you in photos.
On Königinstraße stands a stately white villa in the Neo-Renaissance style. The area in front of its beautiful entrance is relatively quiet, making it a great spot for the first look and the couple’s first photos. The groom is waiting, and the bride steps out of the taxi about ten minutes later. If you’ve already seen each other at home, we’ll simply take the first couple photos here.
The Munich Re building on Königinstraße is also a beautiful backdrop for couple photos. As long as it’s not undergoing renovations, we’re happy to take photos there as well.
In front of the Schwabing Registry Office, there’s usually little time for couple photos after the reception line, because the next groups are already waiting there. That’s why we usually head to the English Garden for the newlyweds’ photo shoot.
I often take group photos in the English Garden while your wedding guests are gathered together enjoying some champagne. It’s best to discuss with me beforehand which groupings you’d like—for example, parents, siblings, witnesses, friends, and a photo with everyone. I’ll then gather them one group at a time, and the rest of the guests can continue to toast.
After that, in the best-case scenario, you’ll have half an hour or a little more all to yourselves. We’ll take a stroll through the English Garden, and I’ll give you a few tips and suggestions so we can take beautiful, relaxed, and candid photos of you as a couple.
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