Schloss Oberhofen & Restaurant Schloss Oberhofen

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Schloss Schadau & Schadau-Park

Brunch

Welcome to our wedding website! We're hoping it will provide you will all the information about our wedding and the destination you need. At the moment, things are still being planned but the site will be periodically updated so please feel free to check things out occasionally. In the meantime, we have included some information about the venue and the story of how we met if you would like to have a short read. We can't wait to see you on the big day!

Our Wedding

Back in the summer of 2018, a romance began the right way – with a right swipe. After a year of their respective professional schools and now working at their summer jobs, Jielin and Braden decided to take some time for themselves and look for someone else to spend their days with. They both signed up on the dating app Bumble. Their dating profiles highlighting their best attributes – Jielin a budding doctor, and Braden had a Netflix account. One warm summer night and a right swipe later, a match was found and a spark ignited. Jielin sent the first message: “I feel like there’s a ‘doctor and a lawyer walk into a bar’ joke in here somewhere.” Always keen for cheesy joke, Braden endeavored to find the punchline and asked Jielin to meet him Monday at the local Che Restobar. A few days and one schedule check later, Jielin and Braden had their first date at Pub Milos. Jielin was so engrossed by Braden’s recitation of the most interesting law cases he’d learned about that she had trouble eating her salad (though Braden proved on a later date that he’s the messier eater when he managed to spill taco contents everywhere). Meanwhile, Braden managed to pretend to be an adventurous eater and tried octopus for the first time. In all seriousness, they talked for hours. They both knew there was something special here. The second date started with watching a cute movie about a boy finding acceptance with the help of a dead friend (Coco). It’s a happy tale with some tear-jerking moments which led to a moderately teary-eyed (aka “waterfall”) Jielin to request something lighter. Springing to the rescue, Braden suggested a comedy to help the mood – one particular comedy Braden had yet to convince anyone to watch with him. It was about a boy finding acceptance with the help of a dead friend (Swiss Army Man) and a few fart jokes and lots of laughter later, Jielin and Braden knew they were meant to be. They shared their first kiss shortly after in a nearby park(ing lot) under the lamplight. After that, they fell in love and became each other’s best friends. That love grew with forced time together (an escape room on the third date), Braden being living abroad (and taking the best food suggestions from Jielin), and a global pandemic where they kept each other entertained and well fed with more and more elaborate meals. Their love for each other was a constant through an uncertain time in the world.They appreciate each other and enjoy sharing their love of cooking, deep conversations, their two pets, Braden’s wonderful sense of humour, and Jielin’s miraculous patience. To celebrate their love, Jielin and Braden are inviting their family and friends who have been there throughout their time together (that’s you!) to come and celebrate their future on June 8, 2025!&nbsp;

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

We have blocked off 3 double rooms in this hotel from Friday June 6 to Monday June 9. The rooms are 185CHF to 205CHF per night. This includes breakfast and parking. This hotel is about a 20min walk, 10min bus ride or 3min drive to our wedding venue and has a wonderful lake view. Please either let Jielin or Braden know if you would like to book one of these rooms so we can keep track of available rooms. Both hotels we have blocked off include a PanoramaCard which allows free travel on most buses in the Lake Thun area, as well as discounts on other things.

Hotel Restaurant Schönbühl

If you would like to stay at Parkhotel Gunten, please let Jielin or Braden know as we are keeping track of the room allocation for this hotel and will be sending the hotel a list. We have blocked off 19 double rooms in Parkhotel Gunten. The hotel has a beautiful garden overlooking the lake, and is right next to a small beach. The rooms range from 270CHF to 325CHF per night. However, if over 10 of the rooms are booked, there will be a 5% discount. The price includes breakfast, parking, and a row boat rental. Unfortunately, Parkhotel Gunten is about a 50min walk to the wedding venue. We are looking into arranging a shuttle service to and from the venue on the wedding day. Alternatively, it is an 11min bus ride or a 5min drive. Both hotels we have blocked off include a PanoramaCard which allows free travel on most buses in the Lake Thun area, as well as discounts on other things.

Parkhotel Gunten

That depends on what your plans are! If you are flying directly to Switzerland, your flight will likely arrive in the Zurich airport. From there, there are regular trains to Thun (either directly or going through Bern), which is the nearest train station to our wedding venue and the hotels. Those trains take approximately 1hr 45min-2 hours. Alternatively, if you are planning to rent a car, the drive takes roughly the same amount of time (and parking is included in the hotels we have blocked off). Should you be coming from Bern, there are regular trains down to Thun which (depending on which station in Bern you are travelling from) would take half an hour to 40min. Once you arrive in Thun, there are many regular buses that go all around the area. The main bus terminal is right outside the Thun train station. The buses are fairly straightforward (and Google maps can help you figure out which to take as well), but if you have trouble, most people speak English fairly well and are friendly. There are also taxis and Ubers that can take you where you need to go. The two hotels we have blocked off are about a 45min walk from the train station - which is pretty and mostly flat, but may be a long way with bags. Finally, there are also ferries that go around Lake Thun, including directly to Schloss Oberhofen. We did have a bit of trouble figuring out the schedule when we were there, and they are a bit slower than the buses, but you do get a nice view. Fair warning: the Swiss generally live up to their stereotypes - buses and trains are generally extremely precise. They will leave at the exact time that they are scheduled.

How to get to our wedding location?

That depends! (And yes, the lawyer is writing this) BusesIn terms of the buses around the Thun area - if you are staying in one of the hotels we have blocked off, you will get a PanoramaCard: https://www.thunersee.ch/en/info-service/guest-cards/panoramacard-thunersee That card gives you free bus travel in the area (along with some other discounts). If you book at a different hotel, you will also most likely get the card. If you are staying at an Airbnb, it is unlikely you will get one. Without a card, bus fare is about $1-3. Kids under 16 with an adult ride for free. Trains/other transportIf you are planning on travelling around the area, or around Switzerland before or after the wedding, you may want to consider getting either a Swiss Travel Pass or (if you are sticking mainly to the region closer to Bern/Interlaken) the Bernese Oberland Pass. There are differences between the two (including which specific trains etc. they cover), but generally speaking, they allow for free train, bus and boat rides in the areas they cover for the duration of the pass. They are available for 3, 4, 6, 8, or (10 or 15 depending on the pass) days. Swiss Rail Pass: https://www.swissrailways.com/en/buy-swiss-travel-pass Bernese Oberland Pass: https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/ There are also other passes (such as the half fare pass) that you can look into. If you are travelling around Europe, you can also look into the Eurail pass, which covers trains throughout Europe (but not any other forms of public transit): https://www.eurail.com/en

How much are the trains and buses?

If you would like to book an Airbnb instead of a hotel room, please feel free! However, from a cursory glance, there are not a lot of Airbnbs in a walkable distance, though that may depend on the size/price you are looking at and whether you care about walking. Please note that staying on the opposite side of the lake (for example, in Spiez) would be about a 45min-1hour bus ride or half hour drive (or more depending on where and traffic) to our wedding venue.

Airbnbs?

Amstutz FrediThis is a tiny bakery across the street from Schloss Oberhofen. We went there a few times to grab some bread/snacks. It was very tasty. The woman does not speak much English though. Depending on when you go, there may also be a line Restaurants in Thun There are lots of restaurants and cafes along the Aare river that runs through Thun. Most of them also have outdoor seating so you can enjoy the pretty views. There is also a small island in the middle of the river. The main street Balliz, which runs through the island has a number of shops and restaurants. To the East of the river, the street Obere Hauptgasse up to and just passed city hall (Rathaus Stadt Thun) also has various shops and restaurants.

Food you would recommend?

Travel

For those who are interested, we are planning to organize a hike up the Niederhorn mountain on the morning of Saturday June 7. Niederhorn provides a wonderful view of the surrounding area - Lake Thun, Interlaken, and Jungrfrau (a very large nearby mountain). You can see Jielin admiring the view in the attached photo. When we visited we saw a number of cows (they wander freely on the mountainside), some ibexes, and lots of birds. For those of you worried about heights or strenuous exercise, we would be taking a cable car up most of the way. There is a nice chalet at the cable car station near the summit with many outdoor tables where you can have breakfast/brunch and admire the view. If you would like to come on the hike, it is relatively short and flat. It takes about 1.5 hours (4.5km) to the summit and back, with a 100m elevation gain. If you would like to come on the hike, or just up to the chalet, please let us know.

Hike up the Niederhorn

For those of you who are not too tired the morning after the wedding - and would like to see another castle, we invite you to come have brunch with us at the nearby Schloss Schadau. Schadau is another beautiful castle closer to the heart of Thun with a small park and views of the lake and mountains. There is no pressure to attend! We would love for you to join us, but we also understand that some of you may have travel plans. If you would like to attend, please let us know. The brunch would begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday June 9.

Castle Brunch

What else is there to do in the area? Great question! There are a number of things to see and do around our wedding location.&nbsp; Explore, eat, boat or swim in ThunThe nearest city to our wedding location! There are many cute buildings, great restaurants, shops and 5 different castles in the area. If you are arriving by train from Bern or Zurich, you will arrive in Thun. We would recommend wandering the town, checking out the locals diving off the bridges into the river (there is also a public river swimming location on the northern end with lockers and easier access if you want a refreshing dip but don't feel like jumping off a bridge. Alternatively, there is a beach on the north western side of Lake Thun that is very pretty without a current. Keep in mind they are both mountain runoff in early June - aka it will not be warm). The north-western side of the lake also has an area where you can rent paddleboards or sea kayaks (with a pedal operated rudder). There is also a ferry service with various stops around Lake Thun. Museum of clocks and music boxesA small museum (with some surprisingly large music boxes) just down the street from Schloss Oberhofen. We would recommend a guided tour if you want to make the most of the visit. It takes about an hour. JungfrauThe "Top of Europe" - a mountain over 3.5km high with amazing views and glacier. Would take a full day, and since it is located on the opposite side of Lake Thun, it is easier to access from Interlaken or Grindelwald. Interlaken&nbsp;A cute and famous resort town sitting right between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. About a half hour bus ride from Oberhofen. Grindelwald&nbsp;Another beautiful and famous village in the area which is closer to Jungfrau. It would be about a 45min drive or 2 hour public transit ride from Oberhofen. Check out some local castlesOur venue is a castle and a museum - but there are also 4 other castles in the area you can check out! https://www.interlaken.ch/en/experiences/culture-customs/castles-on-lake-thun Other things:If you are looking for something else, check out some suggestions on the Swiss tourism website, or the Interlaken tourism website:https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ca/destinations/thun-1/https://www.interlaken.ch/en/

Things to Do

Registry

Welcome to our beautiful venue! We are very excited to have our wedding at one of the most magical places we've ever seen: Schloss Oberhofen. Nestled on the shorelines of Lake Thun, Schloss Oberhofen has a wonderful view of the beautiful lake, the nearby mountains, and the local historic town. Built around 1200 CE, the castle now functions as a museum. While you may be unable to have a proper tour of the castle on our wedding day, please do feel free to check it out. The town of Oberhofen is approximately a half hour drive or 40 minute train ride from Bern, and roughly an hour and a half to two hours from Zurich. We are working on a travel page to provide you with instructions to get there from the airports (along with information about hotels). Our wedding ceremony will, weather permitting, be in the castle grounds. The reception will be at the connected Restaurant Schloss Oberhofen (if you look at the left side of the photograph above, you will see a building with very large windows - there is a wonderful view we hope everyone can enjoy). If you would like to learn more about the castle itself and the restaurant, please feel free to check out their website: <a href="https://www.schlossoberhofen.ch/en/home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.schlossoberhofen.ch/en/home</a> We are working on a page to provide everyone with a list of things to do around the area (as well as some group activities we hope to do together in the days surrounding the wedding). In the meantime, please also free free to check out this site with more information about Schloss Oberhofen and the four other castles in the area: <a href="https://www.thunerseeschloesser.ch/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.thunerseeschloesser.ch/en/</a> We look forward to seeing you all there!

Jielin & Braden

Jielin & Braden

Venue

Schloss Oberhofen & Restaurant Schloss Oberhofen