REAL WEDDINGS
A Lake Geneva Wedding at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace
Three days on Lake Geneva: a Riva at golden hour, a lakeside ceremony that ended in daytime fireworks, and a palace ballroom with trees growing from the tables.
Switzerland has its own Riviera, and Sisi and Lubo spent three days on it.
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, built in 1906, is known as the Pearl of the Swiss Riviera and stands on the shores of Lake Geneva facing the Alps. Snow-capped peaks and palm trees share the same view here. For Sisi and Lubo, that setting was not just a backdrop to photograph. It was the itinerary. Their Fairmont Le Montreux Palace wedding unfolded over three days on the shores of Lake Geneva, framed by the Swiss mountains at every turn. It began with a Riva boat on the water and a welcome dinner in Vevey, and ended with a lakeside brunch in Montreux.
In between came an emotional ceremony by the lake, a burst of daytime fireworks, a reception with trees growing from the tables and a late-night editorial shoot in the palace corridors. The design answered the palace’s grandeur with softness and a wink: pastel florals in pink, purple and white, a pink neon sign bearing the couple’s names, and bespoke sneakers waiting for the dance floor. It is the kind of setting WedLuxe partner Switzerland Tourism champions for weddings on Lake Geneva and beyond.
Thomas Audiffren photographed the weekend, from blue water and pastel florals to a black-tie dance floor. Personal touches carried throughout, from Lubo’s love of sport to the bespoke sneakers the couple wore for their second looks.
A Riva on Lake Geneva
The day before the wedding, Sisi and Lubo set out on a relaxing Riva boat trip across the lake. The varnished wooden boat cut through teal water with the Swiss mountains rising behind them, Sisi in a white midi dress and Lubo in a pale summer suit. It was the kind of image Lake Geneva produces without any help.
From there, the couple joined a few guests aboard one of the lake’s steamships, cruising along the shore to the welcome dinner at Ma Cocotte in Vevey. Lake Geneva is known for its fleet of Belle Époque paddle steamers. The rest of the guests soon joined them for a fun party as the sun went down over the water.
Getting Ready at the Palace
On the wedding day, the celebration moved to Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, its yellow facade and striped awnings set back from the lake behind clipped topiary. The details were soft and personal: pastel vow books lettered Her and His, the rings, bridal heels with bows and a pair of lace-embroidered sneakers saved for later in the night.
Sisi wanted a relaxing start to her morning before she was joined by her crew: four bridesmaids and a bridesman. They raised a glass on the balcony above the lake before Sisi stepped into her lace ball gown and long veil.
Lubo is a great soccer and football fan, so his getting ready mixed tradition with good wine and sport, with a best-of reel of NFL games playing on the TV. He wore a white dinner jacket, and his groomsmen matched him in black tie.
A Fairmont Le Montreux Palace Wedding Ceremony by the Lake
The ceremony took place on a lawn above the lake, where curved rows of clear chairs faced a floral altar with the mountains beyond. The florals by Andrada Muller Floral Design spanned shades of pink, purple and white, spilling along the aisle, and baskets of paper fans waited for guests.
It was a deeply emotional ceremony, led by an officiant who is a very good friend of the couple. As Sisi and Lubo were pronounced married, daytime fireworks burst above the lawn in plumes of pink, green and white, a Swiss mountain setting answered with the most celebratory kind of sky.
Parasols and Palace Portraits
Afterwards, the bridesmaids in shades of pink opened white parasols on the lawn, and the wedding party gathered beside the altar. Sisi and Lubo then stepped away for portraits by the water and on the palace lawn, where her lace train spread across the grass.
Trees in the Ballroom
The weather played its part, offering beautiful light for cocktail hour on the lawn as the sun sank toward the lake. Inside, the dinner space was designed with abundant flowers, and some tables literally included a tree growing from the centre, bringing the landscape indoors.
Sisi and Lubo had their own corner of the room, where elegant draping surrounded their sweetheart table beneath a pink neon sign bearing their names. Hydrangeas, garden roses and candlelight carried the same pastel palette from the ceremony indoors.
The newlyweds made their entrance into the ballroom and shared their first dance beneath its arched windows, with Lubo lifting Sisi off the floor. Dinner followed by candlelight, while outside, the sky over the lake turned shades of orange, blue and purple.
Second Looks and Sneakers
Before joining the dance floor, Sisi and Lubo changed into their second looks and slipped away for an editorial shoot in the corridors of the palace. Both chose bespoke sneakers, ready for a night of dancing, and the party carried on late into the evening. Against the palace’s Belle Époque corridors, the sneakers were the personal wink the whole weekend had been building toward.
A Lakeside Brunch at La Villa
The weekend ended with a relaxing brunch by the lake at La Villa in Montreux, a beautiful venue with a mix of Greek and Italian influences in both its decor and its food. Blue-and-white striped umbrellas shaded the terrace as guests gathered one last time.
From a Riva on the water to a palace ballroom filled with trees, Sisi and Lubo’s Fairmont Le Montreux Palace wedding was a celebration of Lake Geneva at its most beautiful, and of two people who made every moment their own.
WedLuxe Glitterati Members
Destination Weddings
Switzerland Tourism
The Team
Every professional who shaped this story, listed by role.
Wedding Planning and Design
Destination Partner
Photography
Second Photographer
Videography
Floral Design
Hair and Makeup
DJ
Rentals
Fireworks
Riva Boat
Welcome Dinner
Day-After Brunch