CHRISTOPH SCHULTE

A wedding at Alois Lageder,
Paradeis

At Alois Lageder, at the Paradeis in the heart of Margreid on the South Tyrolean Wine Road, a wedding turns into a whole weekend. I have photographed here, from the wine tasting the day before to the last song, and this page shows what such a weekend can look like. It is an incredible place, and for the guests a wedding like this turns into an experience they keep talking about.

The couple leaning in together to blow out the candles on their long cake

At a glance

Venue

Paradeis by Alois Lageder, in the centre of Margreid, South Tyrolean Wine Road

Ceremony

outdoor, in a small park, ideally from 3 pm

Getting ready

in the old stone rooms on site

The day

a new room for every part of it

Wine and food

wines from the estate itself, kitchen and service by the Paradeis

Where to stay

hotels for every budget nearby

The church tower of Margreid rising above the vines, mountains behind

Who is Alois Lageder?

Alois Lageder is a winery in Margreid on the South Tyrolean Wine Road, founded in 1823 and run today by the sixth generation of the family. Its home is the Tòr Löwengang manor in the village centre. The Paradeis, the estate's vineria and osteria, sits in the Casòn Hirschprunn manor, a few steps away.

Löwengang is also the name of the estate's best known wine. The Löwengang Chardonnay has been made since 1984 and is the flagship of Alois Lageder.

The vineyards are farmed biodynamically. Since 2024 all of them, including those of the 60 partner growers, are organic or biodynamic. Oxen roam the vines, and the estate's own vegetable garden supplies the osteria.

Weddings are hosted through Paradeis Events, alongside company celebrations, birthdays and photo shoots.

The bride on dark steps in front of an old wooden door in Margreid, veil and train flowing down

What a wedding at Alois Lageder looks like

A wedding at Alois Lageder keeps moving. For every part of the day you walk into a new room: getting ready inside the old stone walls, the ceremony in a small park in the afternoon, then drinks, dinner and dancing, each in its own place. Nobody spends the whole day at one table.

This is what a wedding weekend at Alois Lageder can look like, based on a wedding I photographed there:

1. The day before. Most guests arrive. A tour through the Alois Lageder vineyards with a tasting is a good start, and in the evening everyone sits at one long table in the courtyard.

2. Get-together in the morning. Everyone is there, and the day starts without a rush.

3. Getting ready in the old stone rooms. A setting nobody had to design, and beautiful light.

The bride wrapped in a family hug, a man with sunglasses in his hair closing his eyes
Seen through a window from above, the bride in her veil talking with a bridesmaid in coral
The bride walking down stone steps with her bouquet, bridesmaids lifting her veil behind her

4. Meeting in the market square. Guests gather, then walk round the side into the small park. They still haven't seen the venue.

5. Ceremony in the park, from 3 pm. Tucked away, small and very personal.

6. Prosecco and couple portraits. Guests raise a glass in the Paradeis courtyard while we wander across the venue or through the centre of Margreid right next to it.

The groom wiping away tears with a tissue while the bride speaks her vows into the microphone
The groom seated in his cream suit, holding the bride's hand during the garden ceremony in Margreid
The groom laughing hard at the dinner table while the bride leans on his shoulder from behind

7. Dinner in the old rooms, with wines from the estate.

8. First dance and cake in the frescoed hall.

9. Party into the night.

For me as a photographer that is a gift. Every room brings new light and a new background, and I never have to put anyone anywhere. You walk, I walk with you, and the pictures change by themselves.

The groom spinning the bride across the floor of the hall in Margreid, guests watching from the walls
The couple dancing cheek to cheek at the party, friends dancing around them
The couple close together against a white wall covered in leaf shadows in Margreid

Paradeis as a wedding venue: what to know

The Paradeis by Alois Lageder sits right in the centre of Margreid. The rooms are beautiful enough to carry a whole wedding weekend. The ceremony takes place in a small park a little off to the side, and you change rooms with every part of the day. If you want one hall for everything, this isn't it.

At a vineyard wedding in South Tyrol, what ends up on the table matters too. The wine comes from the estate itself, and it is incredibly good. The food is excellent, the service is first class, and the whole place makes you want to stay. Guests happily stay at the table longer.

Ceremony from 3 pm. By then the park gives enough shade, and you have plenty of options for the ceremony.

Keep the route a secret. Guests meet in the market square and walk round the side into the park. If they don't know the venue, it stays a surprise.

Get ready on site. The old stone rooms give you light and a setting without anyone having to build anything.

Plan a morning get-together. Most guests arrive the evening before anyway. That way everyone knows each other before the ceremony starts.

Book a wine tour. Alois Lageder offers tours with tastings through its own vineyards. You can feel how much the winemakers care about their work and the wine they make. The day before the wedding it is a good start with all your guests.

Guests walking through the Alois Lageder vineyards in Margreid beneath steep limestone cliffs
The groom laughing in his light suit, hands in pockets, friends gathered around before the ceremony
A guest laughing with the bride over a glass of prosecco in a courtyard in Margreid
The couple walking through a quiet side street in Margreid, shutters and an old lantern above
A guest bursting into laughter at the dinner table, wine glasses in front of her
First dance beneath the stucco ceiling in Margreid, the long cake waiting in the foreground
A long table at night in a courtyard in Margreid, guests talking under a single lantern
The bride laughing with her bridesmaids in pink against an old stone wall in Margreid
The bride turning so her dress and veil swing out, the groom watching on the cobblestones in Margreid
Women in summer dresses cheering and clapping together in the Paradeis courtyard
Guests toasting with spritz glasses on the dark dance floor, arms raised behind them
A friend tying the groom's tie from behind while the cream jacket still hangs over his arm
A bridesmaid kneeling on the cobblestones to spread out the veil, an old carriage beside them
Bride and groom holding hands before an ivy wall, a church spire and rock face behind
Set round tables in a stone-walled room at Alois Lageder, light falling through a window

  • “We are overwhelmed and think the pictures turned out extremely well.”

    – The couple, wedding at the Paradeis

Questions about getting married at Alois Lageder

What couples ask me about the Paradeis, answered briefly.

Can you get married at Alois Lageder?
Yes. The estate hosts weddings through Paradeis Events, where you ask about dates and rooms. The Paradeis in Margreid can carry a whole wedding weekend, with getting ready in the old stone rooms, an outdoor ceremony in a small park and dinner with wines from the estate.
Where does the ceremony take place?
At Alois Lageder, outdoor ceremonies can take place in the small park a little away from the Paradeis. For a church wedding there are options too, for example the parish church of St. Gertraud. At a wedding I photographed there, guests met in the market square and walked round the side into the park, so the venue stayed a surprise.
What is the best time for the ceremony?
In the afternoon, from about 3 pm. By then the park at Alois Lageder gives enough shade, and you have plenty of options for the ceremony. That leaves the morning for a get-together with your guests and getting ready without a rush.
Where is the Paradeis by Alois Lageder?
The Paradeis belongs to the Alois Lageder winery and sits in the centre of Margreid on the South Tyrolean Wine Road in northern Italy. Venue, market square and park are close together, and for couple portraits you can wander across the venue or through the village centre right next to it.
Where do guests stay?
There are hotels for every budget near Margreid, so your guests have plenty of options. Most of them arrive the evening before, which leaves time for a get-together on the morning of the wedding. It works well for a whole wedding weekend.
Where can we get ready?
Right there at Alois Lageder, in the old stone rooms of the Paradeis. The light for getting ready is lovely, and the rooms are setting enough. You don't need to decorate anything or drive anywhere before the day properly starts.
Do you travel from Germany to Alois Lageder?
Yes. I arrive in good time and I'm happy to join you and your guests for the get-together. I'm there anyway and have nothing else planned. The day takes as long as it takes. Travel costs are always included, and you get the price in a personal offer after you get in touch.
When do we get our photos?
Two days after your wedding at Alois Lageder you get a preview of 30 photos. The full gallery follows six weeks later, digital plus the analogue pictures from 35mm film. To see other weddings, have a look at my portfolio.

Getting married somewhere else in Italy?

My portfolio has more weddings from Italy and across Europe.

See the portfolio

Let's talk about your day

Write me a few lines about you, your date and your location.
I reply within 48 hours, usually faster.

Name

What are you interested in?

More than one possible

Your details are sent to me by email and are not stored anywhere else. I only use them to reply to you. privacy policy.