The short version

Allow three hours from the moment you start getting ready to the moment you sit down for lunch. The ceremony is about ten minutes of that.

2 hours before: getting ready

If you have booked preparation coverage, this is where I arrive. Hotel rooms with a big window are ideal. Keep the room tidy – a suitcase explosion is in every photo. Have the dress, rings, shoes and flowers in one place so I can photograph them while you finish.

20 minutes before: arrival

We meet outside City Hall. This is when we photograph the arrival, the building and a few quiet frames of the two of you, before nerves and guests arrive.

The ceremony: about 10 minutes

Short and warm. The official speaks, you exchange rings, you kiss, you sign. I work quietly from the side without flash. Remember that guest numbers are limited and the photographer counts as a guest – add me when you register.

Right after: congratulations

Ten to fifteen minutes on the stairs or in the garden: hugs, confetti if it is allowed, group photos. Tell your guests in advance that there will be group photos, so nobody wanders off.

45–60 minutes: the portrait walk

This is where your favourite photographs come from. From City Hall we can reach the old streets, the Royal Library Garden, Nyhavn or the canals on foot. Two or three spots is plenty – walking slowly beats rushing between five places.

Then: lunch, and the rest of the day

Book a table somewhere close, and do not schedule it too tightly after the ceremony. If you want photographs of the meal or a first dance later, that is a full-day booking.

Practical notes

Copenhagen City Hall can provide witnesses if you do not bring your own.
Ceremony slots in high season are taken months ahead – check the city's official page Get married at Copenhagen City Hall for current times.
Coming from abroad? Start with my guide Getting married in Denmark as a foreigner.
Rain is not a problem. The halls inside, the covered passages and the old streets all work, and grey light is soft and flattering.