More space than at Haus Solms
Haus Solms in the Weststadt had its charm, but little room for guests. It also got crowded outside quickly when several wedding parties arrived one after another. If you wanted a particular date, you had to be quick: slots were often gone almost as soon as they could be booked.
Friedrich Weinbrenner, whose buildings shaped neoclassical Karlsruhe, built the Markgräfliches Palais between 1803 and 1814 for the sons of Margrave Karl Friedrich. After the air raid of 1942 it was largely rebuilt. Today the city uses the Palais as a guest house for official occasions as well as for weddings and naturalisation ceremonies.
The building has a portico with steps at the entrance and a garden behind it. That kind of space was what I missed at Haus Solms when all the guests wanted to gather after the ceremony. Whether the ceremony rooms are bigger too, I will see at my first wedding there, and I very much hope so.
What makes a ceremony room good for photos
The room matters more for your pictures than many people think. The most beautiful light is daylight coming through large windows. It is soft, flatters skin and shows the colours the way you remember them.
Mixed light is where it gets difficult. Many registry offices are plain official rooms where fluorescent tubes, warm lamps and window light all shine at once. Each of these has a different colour: tubes often look greenish, bulbs orange, daylight cool. The camera can only be set for one of them, so skin looks yellowish in one place and pale in another. I can correct a lot in editing, but it rarely looks as good as with even light.
Size matters too. In a cramped room I can hardly move without getting in someone's way, and only a few angles are left. In a larger room I stand to the side, use a longer lens from a little distance and still stay unobtrusive. That way I can also capture your guests watching you.
And honestly: a beautiful room makes beautiful pictures easier. High ceilings, old doors or a window looking out onto greenery appear in the background of every photo, but so does a filing cabinet or a bare office wall. The Palais is a neoclassical building, and according to the house rules paintings and other works of art hang in its rooms. What the light is like in the ceremony rooms, I will see at my first wedding at the Palais, and I will add it to this post afterwards.
What the house rules say
Since 1 October 2026 the Palais has had its own house rules. How many people may enter the ceremony room depends on its size. The registry office tells you the number when you book, and on the day itself they count. Anyone over the limit has to wait outside. Your photographer usually counts too, so plan a place for them.
After the ceremony you may use the garden behind the Palais for a reception, for up to 45 minutes per wedding party. You bring your own drinks and glasses and take empties and rubbish away again. Standing tables, gazebos and other set-ups are not allowed.
Confetti, rice and petals may not be thrown inside or outside, and candles and other open flames are not allowed either. There is no music in front of the building, in the garden or in the corridors, and in the ceremony room only after agreeing it with the registrar. You may not eat or drink in the ceremony rooms, such as the Karl-Friedrich-Saal.
Photos during the ceremony
According to the house rules, photos and recordings during the ceremony are generally not permitted. With the registrar's consent, the vows and the exchange of rings may be captured, and you as a couple may be photographed. City staff and guests may not be deliberately photographed without their consent.
At Haus Solms I found photography much more relaxed and never had any problems. I now know some of the registrars, and during the ceremony I stay in the background and follow the rules on site.
Booking your date
You can reserve your date and venue online up to six months in advance. The reservation costs 30 euros, is not credited against the notice fees and is not refunded if you cancel. For special ceremony venues, contact the Karlsruhe-Stadt registry office directly, as online booking is not available there. All current details are on the City of Karlsruhe website.
For a summer wedding there is also the registry office in the botanical garden. From May to September the city holds ceremonies there on the balcony of the Torbogenhaus.
Couple portraits after the ceremony
You do not have to go far for your first photos as a married couple. The steps and portico in front of the Palais make a lovely frame for the photo with all your guests, and the garden has room for quieter moments. If you have time for couple portraits afterwards, the palace and palace garden are not far, and the botanical garden is right next to them. The places I love most in Karlsruhe are on my page as a wedding photographer in Karlsruhe.
Getting married at the Palais soon and want your ceremony captured, perhaps with a few couple portraits afterwards? Send me your date and we will work out together what suits your day.
What you want to know
about the Palais
Where has the Karlsruhe registry office held ceremonies since October 2026?
Since 10 October 2026, at the Markgräfliches Palais on Rondellplatz. Before that, ceremonies took place at Haus Solms in the Weststadt. From May to September the city also holds ceremonies on the balcony of the Torbogenhaus in the botanical garden.
Can you take photos during the ceremony at the Palais?
Photos and recordings during the ceremony are generally not permitted. The vows and the exchange of rings may be captured with the registrar's consent, and you as a couple may be photographed. It is best to agree on this when you book.
How long can we stay in the garden after the ceremony?
Up to 45 minutes per wedding party. For a drinks reception you bring your own drinks and glasses and take empties and rubbish away again. Standing tables, gazebos and other set-ups are not allowed.
Can we throw confetti or rice?
No. Rice, petals and confetti may not be thrown inside or outside. Candles and other open flames are not allowed either.
How many guests can come into the ceremony room?
That depends on the size of the room. The registry office tells you the number when you book, and on the day itself they count. Your photographer usually counts too.
How do we book a date?
Online, up to six months in advance. The reservation costs 30 euros and is not refunded if you cancel. For special ceremony venues, contact the Karlsruhe-Stadt registry office directly.
Do you also photograph just the civil ceremony?
Yes. Anything from a few hours to the whole day is possible, including just the ceremony at the Markgräfliches Palais with a few couple portraits afterwards. Half-day coverage starts at €1,200, and there is more in the price preview.
Keep planning
I plan every wedding day together with the couple. The examples on this website are ideas. We can change the order, leave parts out and add other moments.