Koldinghus Castle Wedding Photography — Julie & Alex, Kolding, Denmark
When a couple tells you they swapped a London pub for a 750-year-old Danish royal castle — and paid about the same — it’s hard not to feel like they’ve absolutely cracked it.
Julie grew up near Kolding, and the decision to bring their wedding back to her hometown turned out to be one of the best they ever made. Koldinghus Castle isn’t just a beautiful backdrop — it’s a working museum, a place with deep roots in Danish history, and one of the most genuinely extraordinary ceremony spaces we’ve ever had the privilege of photographing in.
This is a post about their day, but it’s also about why Denmark — and Koldinghus specifically — deserves to be on the radar of any couple considering a European destination wedding.
Koldinghus Castle — Denmark Wedding Venue Guide
After a fire in 1808 reduced much of the castle to a shell, Koldinghus sat for over a century before being sensitively restored rather than rebuilt from scratch. That decision preserved something remarkable — the raw, honest bones of a medieval castle. Exposed brickwork. Ancient wooden beams. The patina of real history, without the sanitised feel of a full renovation.
The ceremony room in particular is something else. The 750-year-old walls rise around you, warm lights glow from the vaulted ceiling, and the windows flood the space with the kind of natural light that makes a photographer’s job feel almost unfairly easy. There are artefacts tucked into alcoves, details that reward a second look, and an atmosphere that’s unlike anywhere else we’ve shot.
The castle also gives you an extraordinary range of settings within a single venue: the ceremony hall, a pristine white-walled dining room with natural light pouring through tall windows, a massive open courtyard, and an almost Renaissance-style upper room with white pillars and a gallery walkway above. It’s rare to have that much visual variety in one place.
(If Koldinghus is giving you inspiration but you’re based in the UK, the Mount Without in Bristol and The Asylum Chapel in London offer a similar feel — tall ceilings, large windows, beautifully restored historic buildings.)
Julie & Alex — A Boho Chic Danish Castle Wedding
Julie and Alex came to us after making the decision to go all-in on the kind of wedding that a London pub simply couldn’t deliver.
“After getting engaged in May, we were originally thinking of having a low key wedding in a London pub. But after doing some research and realising that we could essentially book a beautiful, rustic former royal castle in Julie’s Danish hometown for the price of a London pub, we decided to go all in on a romantic, rustic castle wedding!”
Once the venue was set, the styling seemed to find its own shape. Julie’s gown from Rembo Styling struck that perfect balance — relaxed and boho, with just enough classical structure to feel right in a castle. Her colourful flower crown tied the whole look together and became one of the defining details of the day. Alex wore a deep blue suit from Moss Bros — sharp and well-fitted, grounded by a bold tie that picked up the pops of colour woven throughout.
The dining room was another highlight. White walls, soaring natural light, historic beams overhead — and just enough floral colour and rustic detail (twine, delicate test-tube stem holders dotted around the walls) to bring warmth without overdoing it. It’s the kind of styling that looks effortless but takes real thought.
Our Favourite Danish Wedding Tradition (That Every Wedding Should Steal)
We always look forward to photographing weddings in Scandinavia partly because of this: the post-ceremony cake moment.
In Denmark, rather than serving canapés after the ceremony, couples often bring out cake and a glass of fizz — or tea and coffee — while everyone is still gathered and the emotion of what just happened is still in the air. It’s brilliant. The cake gets the attention it deserves, people actually eat it, and the whole thing happens at exactly the right moment in the day.
We recommend this to every couple we work with, regardless of where they’re getting married.
The Kissing Tradition and the Sock-Cutting Ceremony
Danish wedding traditions have a wonderful streak of controlled chaos running through them, and Julie and Alex’s evening delivered both in full.
The kissing game is a favourite: whenever either the bride or groom leaves the room during the wedding dinner, the guests immediately swarm the remaining one with kisses — ideally freshly applied lipstick. The result is part hilarious, part chaotic, and entirely wonderful to photograph. The guests absolutely embrace it.
Then came the sock-cutting. At some point during the dancing, Alex’s socks were unceremoniously removed with a pair of scissors. We still aren’t entirely sure of the origin of this tradition, but the enthusiasm with which it was carried out suggested it doesn’t require one.
Getting to Kolding — Practical Information for Destination Couples
Kolding sits in the south of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula, and it’s more accessible than most couples expect. Billund Airport is the closest option — around 30 minutes from the city — and serves direct flights from several UK airports. Copenhagen Airport is the larger hub, with more flight options, though it’s roughly a 2.5-hour drive or train journey west to Kolding. For UK couples, the travel is genuinely manageable and comparable to many popular European destinations.
Koldinghus itself sits right in the centre of Kolding, within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, and the old town. It’s a straightforward venue to navigate logistically, and the town itself has a warmth and pace to it that suits a wedding weekend well.
Koldinghus Wedding Suppliers
- Photography: Bowl of Corks
- Dress: Rembo Styling
- Suit: Moss Bros
- Band: Live Deluxe Band
- Venue: Koldinghus Castle, Kolding, Denmark
Thinking About a Destination Wedding in Denmark?
We’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re planning something at Koldinghus or somewhere else in Scandinavia, we’re always open to conversations about destination work.
You might also enjoy reading about our Tuscany destination wedding, our Jamaica wedding at Pattoo Castle, or our guide to destination wedding photography.
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