Getting married at the Standesamt in Munich
By Inna, wedding photographer in Munich. Updated in 2026.
A guide for couples planning a civil wedding in Munich, especially if you come from abroad. Here is how the Standesamt works, which wedding rooms you can choose and where to take portraits after the ceremony.
You can choose your Standesamt
You register your marriage at the Standesamt of the town where you live. The ceremony itself can take place at another Standesamt, so many couples simply choose the one with a free date or a room they like. Registration opens six months before the wedding at the earliest.
If you both live outside Munich, you can still marry here. You start at the Standesamt of your own town and tell them where you want to marry, and they send your documents there.
Below are four Standesämter where I have photographed weddings.
Standesamt Mandlstraße, Schwabing
The Standesamt at Mandlstraße 14 is in a building from the 1920s in Schwabing, right next to the English Garden. The wedding room takes up to 30 people, including the two of you and your witnesses.
For portraits it is very easy: after the ceremony you cross the street and you are in the English Garden.
Getting there: U3 or U6 to Giselastraße. Saturday ceremonies are possible only on a few dates a year and cost extra.
Standesamt Ruppertstraße
Ruppertstraße 11 is the main Standesamt of Munich, in the Kreisverwaltungsreferat building. It has two modern wedding rooms, each for up to 30 people, including the two of you and your witnesses.
There is an underground car park with a lift that takes you straight up to the wedding rooms, which is easy for older guests. In good weather you can go out to the wedding terrace after the ceremony for a toast and group photos.
Standesamt Pasing
The Standesamt Pasing is in the Pasing town hall on Landsberger Straße, about 300 metres from Pasing station.
There are two rooms. The wedding room in the newer part of the building takes up to 20 people. The historic council hall on the first floor of the old town hall takes up to 60. It is bright, with stained-glass windows and a large tapestry showing scenes from Bavarian history, and it is a protected monument. Ceremonies in the historic hall happen only on a few dates a year.
In good weather you can step out into the wedding garden after the ceremony.
Standesamt Grünwald
Grünwald is a small town just south of Munich, in the Isar valley. Ceremonies take place in the wedding room of the town hall.
This is my favourite Standesamt so far. The room is bright and clean, with great daylight, and the people who work there lead the ceremony in such a warm way that it is a pleasure to watch and listen.
Here is a civil wedding I photographed at Standesamt Grünwald.
On the day
Come a little early. The ceremony itself is short, about 15 minutes, and in Munich one ceremony follows another every 15 minutes.
If one of you does not speak German, you need a sworn interpreter, both at the registration and at the ceremony.
You can exchange rings during the ceremony. At Ruppertstraße and Mandlstraße you can also ask for live piano music when you register.
The registrar may limit filming and sound recording, so it is good to speak with them about photos and video just before the ceremony.
A bigger ceremony in Munich
For more guests, the city opens the small council hall of the New Town Hall on Marienplatz on a few Fridays a year, for up to 90 people. These dates are given out by lottery, so the city suggests booking a regular date at Ruppertstraße or Mandlstraße as well.
Where to take portraits after the ceremony
Usually we choose a place the couple loves, or somewhere close to the Standesamt. We always decide it together.
Portraits can also happen on another day. Maybe you already had your wedding and did not like your photos, or you had no photographer that day. Then we simply plan your portraits for a day that suits you.
In Munich
Munich has a classic charm that makes a beautiful background. We decide together if you want a more fashion, editorial look or something relaxed and closer to nature. If you marry at Mandlstraße, the English Garden is right next door. Here is a couple session in Munich.
Eibsee
Eibsee is Bavaria’s third-largest lake, with crystal-clear water and the mountains right above it, about an hour and a half from Munich. In summer and at weekends it gets busy, so we come early in the morning or closer to sunset, when the light is softer and most people are gone. Here is a couple session at Eibsee.
Tegernsee
Tegernsee is one of my favourite places in the Bavarian Alps close to Munich, about an hour away. The water reflects the peaks around it, and it is beautiful in any weather, foggy, sunny or snowy. Here is a couple session at Tegernsee.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
In Garmisch-Partenkirchen the mountains become the background of every photo. Here is a wedding I photographed there.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein is stunning, but it can be busy, windy or rainy. We meet in Füssen or Hohenschwangau and choose a route with classic castle views and a few quieter moments. Here is how a photo session at Neuschwanstein looks.
A photographer for your civil wedding
I photograph civil weddings in Munich and around it, in English, German and Russian. You can see the two ways I work and what is included on my civil wedding photographer page.
Sources: City of Munich, Standesamtliche Trauung, Fragen und Antworten zur Eheschließung and Heiraten im Standesamt Pasing.