Clair & Dom's Wedding

Information

We’ll be adding more information over the course of time but below you can find the most relevant information if you want to plan ahead.

General Information

Location

The entire wedding weekend will take place at the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm (the English website is limited in content, you can try the German website with Google Translate as an alternative).

The hotel is directly on the Baltic Sea in the little town of Heiligendamm, Bad Doberan. It has direct beach access, provides various ammenities such as pools and a spa, as well as access to a golf course. Please check the website for the full list.

Stay

We have a room block with the hotel that’s large enough to accomodate all guests and the majority of available rooms are 125€/night (for 1-2 people). When you RSVP to our invite you’ll be able to select that you’d like to have a room. We’ll handle the booking and provide more logistical information closer to the wedding. You’ll be paying directly at the hotel when you arrive. **Please Note: The prices on the hotel’s website are not accurate. Please don’t book through the hotel directly and instead mention when you RSVP to the invite that you’d like to have a room. **

If you’d like to stay longer than Friday to Sunday at the hotel please let us know when you RSVP.

Arrival / Travel

The town is relatively remote in the north east of Germany, so there is no nearby international airport.

Our recommendation is to fly into the Hamburg (HAM) airport as we’ll be working on arranging a shuttle service on Friday to drive from there to the venue. The exact times for the shuttle services are still being determined but you’ll have the ability to mention during your RSVP to the invite that you’d like to make use of the shuttle.

If you choose to plan your own arrival here’s an overview of your options:

The closest convenient airports will be:

The only international airports with direct US flights are:

Germany has a pretty broad train network that you can access via https://www.bahn.com/en, however, Heiligendamm is not directly connected to the train network so going to Bad Doberan or Rostock would be the closest station, at which point you’ll have to take a bus or taxi.

If you are unsure about your connection feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help sort it out.

The most predictable travel would be to fly to Hamburg (HAM) and rent a car from there for the weekend. Most international car rental providers have offerings at the Hamburg airport.

For travelers from the US: When planning your trip back make sure to take into consideration that when flying back to the US you’ll have to immigrate at the first airport in the US. This means if you for example fly via Chicago you’ll have to go through CBP there, pick up your luggage and resubmit it and possibly go through TSA again. Make sure you have enough time planned for a layover. When you arrive in Europe you’ll have to also immigrate (but not pick up your luggage). If you directly land from the US in Germany or most of Europe you’ll only have to immigrate once. If you are arriving in the UK, or Ireland you’ll have to immigrate both there as well as once you arrive in Germany as those countries are not part of the “Shengen Zone” that has open borders.

Schedule

This final schedule is still being worked out and more events and details will be added later. Here’s a rough first draft:

DayTime
Friday3:00pm - 6:00pmArrival / Check-in at Heiligendamm
6:00pm - 10:00pmWelcome Dinner - BBQ & “Polterabend”
Saturday7:30am - 11:30amBreakfast
4:00pm - 5:00pm⚭ The Wedding Ceremony ⚭
5:00pm - 6:00pmChampagne Reception
7:00pm - lateDinner & Party
Sunday7:30am - 11:30amBreakfast
11:00am - noonCheckout & Departure

All times and dates are in the local timezone of Germany.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “Polterabend”?

It’s a German wedding tradition that typically takes place the night before the wedding traditionally at the home of one of the parents. During this gathering there will be drinks and food alongside the tradition of smashing ceramics to wish luck to the couple as in Germany “Scherben bringen Glück” (shards bring luck).

Can we bring dogs?

Yes, the hotel allows dogs. However, they will charge a fee of 40€ per dog per day. They will provide a dog basket, blanket and bowls.

Can we bring kids?

Yes, feel free to bring your kids. There will be a fee per kid per night depending on age. Kids 5 years and younger can stay for free.

Is there child care?

The hotel provides child care. They speak basic English. The hotel also offered to connect us with a group that typically works with students that has more advanced English skills if required.

Do we have to stay in the hotel?

Most likely, yes. It’s not required, but the options for alternate local accommodations are limited. We’d love if you’d stay in the hotel to take part in the different parts of the program we have planned and for us to spend the most possible time with all of you. We appreciate the travel everyone is going to do for the wedding and want to make sure we can maximize the time spent with everyone. Because of this we are offering the majority of rooms at 125€/night.

Can we stay longer than those days or arrive earlier?

If you are only booking Friday-Sunday, check-in is earliest at 3pm. If you’d like to stay more days before or after please let us know so we can help you book them. The hotel rates during those nights will be different but generally you will be able to stay longer.

Can I bring a date?

Yes! When you are receiving your formal invitation please note that you are bringing a +1 in the invitation response.

I have special diatery restrictions. Will there be food for me?

Yes, we are trying to accomodate all dietary restrictions to the best of our ability. Please mention your dietary restrictions when RSVPing to our invitations.

When can I expect my formal invitation?

Formal invitations will be sent out between September and November 2022. Since they will be mailed please expect them to take a bit of time depending on your location as they might be shipped internationally.

Is there a wedding registry for gifts?

No, we do not have a wedding registry and would prefer no gifts. The biggest gift for us is to spend time to celebrate with all of our loved ones. If you are still feeling generous after paying for your travel and accomodation for the wedding, we’d love it if you’d donate in our name to one of the following non-profit organizations below: