WHY VIENNA? 5 Reasons That Make This Austrian Wonder A Perfect Wedding Spot!

by  Kanika Mehta Weddings | July 3, 2017 | Feature

Europe Weddings Vienna Convention Bureau Vienna Weddings

Another raging destination when it comes to the big budgeted Indian weddings, Vienna has an old world charm that is unmatched. It remains exquisite and colonial with its artistic history. Although known around the world for that rich history and its imperial palaces, a primary factor that makes Vienna a very interesting destination for international weddings, are the amazing hotels and the great flight connectivity to the world.

Vienna is centrally located in Europe and easily accessible. Air India offers a thrice-a-week direct flight from Delhi to Vienna and back. For those embarking from Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, leading Airlines Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Turkish offer connections with just a small stop en route. Located in the heart of Europe, Vienna has the right mix of culture, diversity, and modernity. Guests will find excellent infrastructure and suppliers and it is a safe haven for travelers. Vienna was named the world’s most livable city for the seventh consecutive year by global consulting firm Mercer in 2016. Thanks to its compact structure, Vienna is particularly pedestrian friendly and you can walk to the major sights. It's beautiful parks, such as those lining the Ringstrasse Boulevard, are ideal for whiling away the hours surrounded by greenery. The city is very easy to get around, arcade lined especially with public transportation. And Vienna is enchantingly romantic-the narrow cobbles to arcade lined courtyards and time-honoured palaces enable a brush with the past.

We spoke to top professionals from the Indian wedding industry, the Vienna Convention Bureau and popular venues in Vienna to conclude why the destination makes for such a hot spot for Indian weddings!

THE DESTINATION'S DISTINCTIVE CHARM!

Well-known Delhi-based photographer, Ronicka Kandhari has recently shot some very high-profile private celebrations in Vienna. She exclaims, "Vienna is Austrian beauty at its best. Famous for its art and music, I feel Vienna owes much of its charm and rich history to its splendid location on the banks of the beautiful Danube River. I loved the distinctive charm and flair, an effect accentuated by its fine old architecture, its famous horse cabs (Fiaker), as well as its splendid street-side cafés with Viennese coffees and treats."

EXEMPLARY LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Verena Jandak-Hollenthoner, Marketing Manager, Vienna Convention Bureau explains, “Indian weddings are a very specific kind of event, this is why we recommend being directly in touch with local partners, who are specialized in this field. The Austrian agency  Inspiria already has a great track record with Indian weddings. In 2016, they organized the magnificent Jindal wedding in cooperation with the partners from India. A couple of years ago, they also took care of all local arrangements of another high-profile Indian wedding in the province of Salzburg. This is the kind of expertise the Convention Bureau would look to pass on to the client, so they can have the best experience the city/country can offer." 

Don't miss your chance to hear Verena Jandak-Hollenthoner speak at the Working in Collaboration with Destination Partners: Vienna CVB + Hilton, Vienna session at the Experiential Planner EXPO 2017 on July 8. Get your Delegate All Access Pass NOW!

Speaking of the destination, Vandana Mohan, Director, WDC explains “Vienna is a city bound by rules. Everyone has to follow all regulations very, very diligently and so did all our vendors. However, the local authorities were very cooperative and made the process of planning much easier and hassle free. It was a learning experience and made us realize how precise we had to be in our communication. They delivered a 100% and I’m happy to say we made some new friends!”

EXPERT SUPPLIERS

Talking about his experience of working on the recent Jindal-Jasani wedding in Vienna, Stefan Heissel, Managing Director, Inspiria Event Service, a pioneering DMC in Vienna said, “It was one of the most exciting projects we have ever executed. Working together with such a huge team and people from all over the world was extremely satisfying; however, bringing them all together and executing the big fat Indian wedding, while being obliged to the laws of Austria, was probably the biggest of all challenges.”

“Most importantly, I want to mention that as a DMC we are the quickest to react when there are last minute requests. With more than 15 years of experience, we know our local partners very well, and can easily find quick  solutions. ” he added

Vienna-based Concept Solutions is a technical and decor production company also worked on the aforementioned wedding.

Florian Weber, CEO, Concept Solutions, Vienna said, “Over the last few  years,  while executing Indian events in Europe like the recent Jindal &  Jasani  Wedding, we have realized the importance of the Indian market."

FABULOUS F&B OFFERINGS!

Vienna is the only major world capital with an extensive wine growing industry operating within the city limited. It even has its own culinary genre Viennese Cuisine. The irresistible coffee houses, heavens of Viennese coziness, are the perfect places to dream of imperial days of yore.

Over 800 dining establishments are concentrated in the city center alone, among them a large number of great Indian restaurants

Speaking of the F&B offerings at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, Sandra Spieweg , Senior Meeting & Special Events Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna elaborates, "Each of our restaurants can be booked for private experiences.Although we are equipped to dish out extraordinary culinary experiences and can even cater to clients with pure-vegetarian and vegan cuisine requirements, our kitchen can be rented exclusively if the client/group would like to bring their own catering service. "

JAWDROPPING VENUES!

HOFBURG PALACE

Hofburg Palace is an outstanding location in Vienna which has played host to many big fat Indian wedding celebrations. Located in the heart of Vienna, it offers space for 50 to 4900 persons!

A still from the Sonam Vaswani- Navin Fabiani wedding at Hofburg Palace,Vienna in June 2017

Explaining why the property is a perfect wedding venue, Magdalena Gurtner, Senior Manager- Sales & BD, Hofburg Palace said, "The festive state rooms of Hofburg Palace ensure that the most demanding requirements can be met. Our variety of venues, which are great choices for weddings, also present an optimized space plan."

GARDENPALAIS LIECHTENSTEIN

Gartenpalais Liechtenstein, another spectacular venue in Vienna and has also been host to some Indian wedding celebrations in the last few years. 

What makes the venue an ideal choice is perhaps the fact that the palace is very near to the most exclusive hotels in Vienna and the inner city with its impressive sights. Surrounded by a beautiful garden it offers an exclusive and private ambience for high-class events and weddings. 

A still from the Mehendi at Gartenpalais Liechtenstein during the Jindal-Jassani wedding in May 2016

Kathrin Siegert, Head of Event Management, Marketing & Graphic, Gartenpalais Liechtenstein explains, “We have first class contacts and are even happy to assist in finding suppliers. Nevertheless, we give planners and clients the freedom to choose and bring their own partner companies for their events. We also have the flexibility to make individual concepts and creative ideas come to life."

THE RITZ_CARLTON

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna is situated at Vienna’s most elegant boulevard, the Vienna Ringstrasse. The original construction of The RitzCarlton, Vienna consists out of four historic palaces. Tasteful, genuine colours and noble fabrics together with precious wood finishes underline the dignified ambience of the hotel with its exceptional comfort for the guest. In the beautiful guestrooms of the hotel you find traditional architecture perfectly combined with stylish interior design. Among the 43 suites, the Presidential Suite is particularly noteworthy. In the 190 meters square space, original decorative elements such as wall panels and ceiling frescoes has been obtained from the 19th century.

The property's luxurious Crystal ballroom with 2.5 tons of crystals used in its walls is most apt for an Indian wedding! Not to mention spectacular receptions that we can host on our Atmosphere Rooftop Bar with an absolutely breathtaking view of Vienna. The spacious and luxurious suites and rooms truly accentuate guest experiences.

HOTEL SACHER

Hotel Sacher is the only privately and family run 5-star luxury hotel in Vienna! The gorgeous property combines imposing but cozy, most recent but authentic facilities with an iconic Viennese history.

Kathrin Teigschl, Banquet Manager, Hotel Sacher, Vienna adds, "Guests not only enjoy professional yet familiar service but are pledged to take home enduring and unique wedding memories-– and of course the Original Sacher-Torte, the perfect sweet wedding delight since 1832!"

Glimpses of the 3-Day Birthday Bash At Ritz Carlton & Hotel Sacher, Vienna!