If you are planning a wedding or you know of someone who is planning one in the Vaud area, here are a few tips and recommendations to make the special day go smoothly
Recommendations
If you are looking for hotel rooms for your guests: book 10 rooms or more at Base Nyon (the new apart-hotel in Nyon, see previous article here) and this hotel will offer the bride’s parents a free night on the night of the wedding – just a small help towards the rather large costs of this special event!
The hotel can also host a pre-wedding drinks for guests at their Base Balcony & Bar the night before the wedding (numbers limited to a max of 25). This stylish rooftop bar of the hotel is due to open shortly for the summer season and is a great place to view the lake and town from high above. Contact Base Nyon here to ask about this wedding offer.
Vom Fass, the oil and whisky shop in Nyon (see previous article here) can supply individual wedding favours, a choice of personalised bottles of spirits or oils to hand out to guests at the wedding. A nice local touch to the event.
Traditional wedding caterers can be very expensive so don’t hesitate to see if your favourite restaurant arranges catering. Falaque, the healthy takeaway food restaurant in Nyon also provides outside catering for large groups. See their choice here
Here are some other recommendations based on a reader’s experience plus a brief summary of the official procedure required.
ABC taxis in Nyon for friendly service, they can provide a bridal car, minibuses, coaches.
Caroline Miles, seamstress in Mies, does an excellent job.
Karin Oprach, personal concierge, for logistical running of the day, help with set up and organisation on the day. Discreet, with a calm head and very helpful.
Official procedure (please note, this is not an exhaustive list)
Firstly, phone the cantonal authorities to announce an impending marriage and they will send you all the forms to sign. If you have a date in mind for the civil ceremony, phone up exactly six months to the day at 08:00! This is important because it’s on a first come, first serve basis. You will then temporarily book your spot and it will be confirmed when all the paper work has been confirmed. Foreigners will have to provide papers from their embassies and verified birth certificates.
A meeting is required with authorities for non-Swiss residents and they ask the happy couple to attest the truth of their papers and their birthplace etc. They will ask the woman if she wants to change her name or not. In Switzerland, double-barreled names are no longer an option, so the bride to be either takes the husband’s name, or the husband takes the wife’s name, or they both keep their own. They also have to put down a name for their potential children, this can be either the husband’s or wife’s, again no double barreling. This can be changed within a certain time frame after the children are born.
English speaking churches in the Nyon region.
