Johanna and Gerwin’s 3 day wedding festivities started out at the historic Leonstain Schloss Hotel in Pörtschach which is 15 minutes from the Klagenfurt Austrian airport. Pörtschach is a lovely resort town that is located on Lake Wörthersee; a 3 hour drive from Vienna, Austria and in the heart of the Carinthia. The happy couple celebrated with 80 of their closest friends and family members who had flown in from all over the world. The Leonstain Schloss is a charming boutique hotel that was originally a castle built in 1492 and one of the oldest landmarks on Lake Wörthersee. Reportedly this is where the famous composer Johannes Brahms took refuge and wrote his Violin Concerto and 2nd Symphony.

After a long 10 hour flight from New York City, my team and I landed late Thursday morning into the wet but very lush Carinthian countryside of Austria. The weather forecasted a lot of rain with a slim chance of sun so we spent much of the day acclimating ourselves to the 6 hour time change. Johanna and Gerwin booked the gorgeous Johannes Brahms suite for our stay at the Leonstain Schloss which was a lovely surprise. When Friday rolled around, it was still very wet and rainy. Many of the couples’ friends and family were slowly trickling into town. We decided to head into town to scout for a few unique locations for the bridal and engagement photos. Later that afternoon, we met with Johanna and Gerwin for engagement photos on the hotel grounds, the Leonstain beach club, and around Pörtschach.

That evening, the couple had their rehearsal/welcome dinner which was a laid back Carinthian-style barbeque. We feasted on delicious and traditional Austrian fare which included sausages, baked chicken, potatoes, Carinthian dumplings which were lovely doughy pillows of heaven filled with curd cheese and fresh herbs and a very unique dessert bread with an exquisite vanilla sauce.

Hotel Schloss Leonstain Wedding Pictures

That was the end of Day 1….. On to Day 2

A Hotel Schloss Leonstain Destination Wedding: Klagenfurt, Vienna Austria by Josh Wong Photography

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

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Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
DAY 2

After a long and stormy night, the skies cleared and the couple awoke to a gorgeous sunny wedding day. In fact, because the weather cleared up so nicely, Johanna and Gerwin were able to have the outdoor wedding they had dreamed of in one of the intimate courtyards on the hotel grounds. Johanna wore a gorgeous Alençon lace and tulle Vera Wang gown which she paired with glittery silver ballet flats. Gerwin wore a beautiful navy suit with an elegant silver tie and black patent leather shoes. The groom’s parents and sister were even dressed in the traditional Austrian wedding attire. (See below.) Following the wedding, we snuck the couple out for a few post-wedding photos while their guests enjoyed the cocktail hour in the main courtyard of the hotel. Johanna and Gerwin celebrated their marriage with a beautiful Austrian banquet at the Restaurant Leon which is known for their gourmet fare made from organic, locally sourced produce and meats. As night fell, the it started raining to top come down again but that did not stop Johanna and Gerwin from dancing the night away with their friends and family in the Leonstain nightclub and bar.  We also managed to do a little photo shoot in the rain (last image) which happened to be sooo worth it. They ended the night with a very traditional Viennese Sacher wedding cake and a mouthwatering goulash soup.

Continue to Day 3 –>

Continue to Day 3 –>

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

The post Destination Wedding: Klagenfurt, Vienna Austria – Josh Wong Photography – Day 2 appeared first on New York City Wedding Photographer - Josh Wong Photography.