A wedding at LAKESIDE Zwenkau: saying I do overlooking Lake Zwenkau

Lisa and Tim got married at LAKESIDE Zwenkau on Lake Zwenkau in July, with an outdoor ceremony in the garden and the lake behind them. It was a day full of big emotions: personal words, lots of tears and a ring bearer on four paws. And it was a day when someone was very close who could no longer be there.

For Lisa and Tim we worked as a team: I took the photos, and a wedding video was filmed at the same time. Here is the film:

The venue: LAKESIDE Zwenkau

LAKESIDE is a wedding venue at Kap Zwenkau, right on the shore of Lake Zwenkau, the largest lake in the Leipzig New Lakeland. It's only about 15 minutes by car from Leipzig city centre, and you can walk to the harbour. The house is a modern building from 2020 with a natural stone facade.

At its heart is the banquet hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, its own bar and room for about 120 to 150 guests at round tables. Right next to it is a club room with a built-in DJ booth, where the party happens later. Outside there's a two-level lake terrace, a north terrace with a water feature and, behind the house, a large garden with an outdoor bar and lawn. That's where the outdoor ceremonies take place, overlooking the lake.

Above the venue are five apartments. So the couple can get ready right on site, and after the party it's only a few steps to bed. LAKESIDE is only hired out as a whole, with in-house catering and service.

LAKESIDE Zwenkau at a glance

• Location: Kap Zwenkau, right on Lake Zwenkau, about 15 minutes from Leipzig
• Ceremony: celebrant-led or civil, in the garden, on the lake terrace or indoors
• Guests: about 120 to 150 indoors, more with tents outside; in peak season from 50 guests
• Celebrating: banquet hall with bar, club room with DJ booth, two terraces, garden
• Catering: in-house, external catering is not possible
• Staying over: five apartments right above the venue, more rooms in a neighbouring building

Getting ready with a view of the Kap

Lisa and Tim got ready in the apartments above the venue. In Lisa's, light streamed through the large windows, Kap Zwenkau lay outside, and Jane Beauty took care of make-up and hair. In another apartment, Tim buttoned up his sage green waistcoat and raised a glass with his friends.

Outdoor ceremony in the garden with a lake view

The ceremony took place in the garden behind the house, under parasols and a wide summer sky, with the hexagonal wooden arch at the front and the lake behind it. It was led by Ines Wirth.

The couple's personal words moved everyone. And then came the moment many had been waiting for: Lisa and Tim's dog brought the rings to the front, and the two of them knelt down in the grass to take them from him. There was a lovely ritual too: during the ceremony, every guest wrote their wishes for the couple on small cards. The cards went into a wooden box, which Lisa and Tim nailed shut together. It won't be opened until their first wedding anniversary, when the two of them will read all the wishes in peace.

After the kiss, they walked out through a shower of petals, and the drinks reception was waiting in the garden.

Couple shoot at Zwenkau harbour and on the lakeshore

We didn't have to go far for the couple shoot. At Zwenkau harbour, between the boats and the modern architecture of the Kap, Lisa's veil blew in the wind. Later, when the sun was already low, we went down to the lakeshore once more. The warm evening light over the water is one of the biggest strengths of this venue.

The celebration in the banquet hall and club room

After cutting the cake from Konditorei Tippner, everyone moved into the banquet hall. Things got very emotional again there: the speeches were so moving that Lisa wasn't the only one reaching for the tissues. Then the two of them opened the dance floor in the club room, and the party went on late into the night.

Tips for your wedding at LAKESIDE Zwenkau

• Plan the couple shoot at the harbour. Zwenkau harbour is within walking distance and, with boats, jetty and modern architecture, offers completely different backdrops from the garden.
• Use the evening light by the lake. Plan another 15 minutes on the lakeshore shortly before sunset. That's when the light over the water is most beautiful.
• Think about shade for the ceremony. There are large parasols in the garden. On hot days it's still worth providing water for your guests. More on that in my tips for an outdoor ceremony.
• Use the apartments for getting ready. Short distances, big window light and a view of the Kap, it hardly gets better.
• Keep an eye on guest numbers. LAKESIDE is only hired out as a whole, in peak season from 50 guests.

Vendors

• Venue: LAKESIDE Zwenkau
• Celebrant: Ines Wirth
• Make-up and hair: Jane Beauty, Zwenkau
• Wedding dress: Brautblüte
• Suit: Hochzeitsträume Plauen
• Cake: Konditorei Tippner
• Flowers: Blumenhaus Stopp

Planning your wedding on Lake Zwenkau or in the Leipzig New Lakeland? Find out more about my work as a wedding photographer in Leipzig, about wedding videos and my packages. More stories: the wedding at Herberts Hof and the wedding at Lehmhaus am Anger. For a castle wedding, take a look at the wedding at Schloss Schkopau.