Pre-wedding photo shooting in Hallstatt
I’ve been excited to tell you about this pre-wedding photo shooting in Hallstatt. From the moment I stepped out of my car and saw the village for the first time. Well, it was dark and I saw nothing, so let’s do this again. I was still excited, but I had to wait until the morning for that to peek out the hotel window. And yes, there it was – Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is quite simply the most incredible village I’ve ever seen. Of course, apart from those tiny French and Italian villages, like Tour Tour, I miss during this time of the pandemic. But anyway, no one cares about traveling or me missing the Pyrenees. Well, this will change. Soon. I hope.
When I woke up, Hallstatt’s weather was perfect, as it always is. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and clear, the clouds were white and fluffy, and the birds were singing – love songs, of course, because everyone knows about Hallstatt’s reputation as a lover’s nest.
Pre-wedding photoshoot during Covid-19, just right before lockdown
Long story short, I was booked by Sherry and Pete from Hong Kong for a pre-wedding photo shooting in Hallstatt, Austria, and Neuschwanstein (yes, spelling checked) castle in Germany. It was just 3 weeks ago when we could freely cross borders three times a day. Today it seems an unimaginable and stupid thing to do. But I don’t regret any of this as I ended up with those incredibly beautiful pre-wedding photos.
Right after I came back they closed the airport in Vienna and most of the airports in Europe. I did my 14 days in self-isolation, and hey, now I get to this again as everyone is sitting home nowadays.
Few facts about Hallstatt
We were lucky to manage to do our pre-wedding photo shooting in Hallstatt. It’s a picturesque lakeside alpine village in Austria. The village is more than 7000 years old. It used to be a salt mine, today it’s one of the most visited places in Austria. It has also been named a UNESCO world heritage site.
As we were lacking time due to the upcoming lockdown, we missed some great tourist attractions like a boat ride and yodeling classes. But honestly, I was pleased the place was empty. Good for photos.
Travel tips to Hallstatt
We arrived at Hallstatt from Germany in a rental car. It’s not allowed to enter the village by car. So you have to park it outside and either has the hotel shuttle take you to the village or just walk. There’s nothing like that sound of 6 roller cases in the middle of the night rolling through the narrow streets. Locals must love it.
But yes, no cars in the village, that’s a blessing for every photographer, as most of the cars usually mess up pictures. Because of the virus, there were no tourists, as we did the shoot early in the morning. There were no locals as well, so it felt like we had the village for ourselves. Well, apart from a few fairy-tale-like swans. Fun fact – these swans were brought over to Hallstatt by the Austrian Empress Sisi in the 1860s.
Hallstatt pre-wedding photoshoot locations
Hallstatt is a very small place. You can walk from one end to the other in just 20 minutes. I imagine how it is during the peak season in the time of no viruses. The place must be crowded like crazy. The only thing I can suggest is if you want to take photos like mine, wake up early and be the first out there. That’s when the light is at its best. I absolutely adore the morning light.
So we strolled around the beautiful Hallstatt Lake and village streets for a few hours. We enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of the lake, mountains and the village. I highly suggest doing pre-wedding shooting in Hallstatt.
The following are some of the famous pre-wedding and wedding photography locations from the Art Nouveau Art Deco and Hapsburg period in Hallstatt, Austria:
– Historic city center of Hallstatt
– Chapel Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge over the lake with stunning views. In the summertime, you can hire gondolas to row under it and take photos from inside the boat as well!
– The Church of St Michael on top of one of Hallstatt’s mountains – Staffler Aussicht 1718m above sea level is a fantastic vantage point offering 360-degree panoramic views all around this UNESCO World Heritage site where photo opportunities are endless. You’ll love taking wedding pictures here in any season for its amazing backdrop overlooking Lake Hallstatt and surrounding mountain scenery that continuously changes throughout the seasons. This is truly an enchanted place both day and night time shoots work here.
– Altaussee – This small town on the edge of Gesaeuse National Park, about an hour’s drive from Hallstatt, has all kinds of photogenic alpine photography backdrops including tranquil forests; cascading waterfalls; mysterious caves, and rock formations that will leave you speechless. Just like Hallstatt this village abounds with picture-perfect postcard-style views of mountains and meadows which make beautiful backgrounds for any kind of photoshoot whether indoors or outdoors depending upon what season visit in Austria during your stay.
– The town hall in Altaussee is one of the most beautiful historic buildings that you should check out for your wedding shoot. Hallstatt itself has some great photo opportunities with old-world charm and modern flair combined in a versatile, stunningly scenic backdrop for all kinds of pre-wedding shoots whether they are indoors or outdoors depending upon what season visit to Austria during your stay
After the photoshoot, I went to Vienna to meet my sister. I hadn’t seen her for a year and I have no idea when we will see each other again. Actually, I know – when this is over. Please stay safe, we’re in this together. And stay tuned for my next blog post as now I have so much time to write them.
Please check the rest of the photos below for this stunning pre-wedding photoshoot. And also read the tips I included for the Drone Photography in Austria.
Pre-wedding drone photographs in Austria
We also did some drone photos with Mavic MINI. IF you want to do some too, you should know that there IS NOT ALLOWED to fly a drone in Hallstatt. That is why we only made them by the Plansee. There is no village so I decided that a couple of drone photos of my couple in a remote place like this won’t harm anyone. If you want to see my review and other photos I did with Mavic MINI please check the link below.
Also, it is very important to know that there are general rules for flying a drone in Austria. In most cases, you need permission from Austro Control. The cost of a permit for one year in Austria is 330 Euros. As my Mavic MINI weighs 249 grams only I didn’t have to have one. Because a permit is not required to fly a drone if it doesn’t exceed the weight of 250 grams. That is why I personally love using this drone.
Mavic MINI for a wedding photographer
Where to stay in Hallstatt?
Upon arrival in Hallstatt, you’ll see that it’s quite a small village, with nearly every hotel in Hallstatt within a five to ten-minute walk. So, where you stay in Hallstatt is less dependent on location and more dependent on budget, as there are very few budget-friendly hotels.
Mid-range Hotels in Hallstatt
Family Friendly Hotels in Hallstatt
Affordable Luxury Hotels in Hallstatt
Hallstatt Pre-wedding photographer in Austria
And if you are looking for a Hallstatt pre-wedding photographer in Austria or anywhere else around the world, please contact me at [email protected] or call +44 7979974527.
I have written an article on planning an Engagement photoshoot in London that you can explore here:
Engagement Photoshoot Guide in London
Or if you’d like to see more of my pre-wedding photoshoots in Europe, you can browse here:
Pro tips for Pre-wedding photo shooting in Hallstatt, Austria
Fantastic Portofino pre-wedding photoshoot
Pre-wedding photoshoot in Venice, Burano, and Dolomites, Italy
Pre-wedding photoshoot in Paris
Creating an Unforgettable Pre-wedding photoshoot in Paris
Pre-wedding photoshoot inside the Paris opera house
Top 5 Reasons Why Santorini Is A Leading Destination For Your Pre-Wedding Photoshoot
