Venues · Portrait walk
Nyhavn’s colourful 17th-century harbour is the most loved photo stop for newlyweds in Copenhagen, a short walk or bike ride from City Hall.
Portrait walk
Painted townhouses, old wooden ships and cobbles along the canal make Nyhavn the picture most people imagine when they think of Copenhagen. It is busy in summer afternoons, so our photographers like the early morning or the evening light.
Most couples come here straight after the ceremony. Add a canal boat, a cargo-bike ride or a toast at one of the harbour cafés, and continue to the Little Mermaid or the quiet streets of the old town.
Good to know
Nyhavn was dug in the 1670s as a new harbour that brought ships right into the city. Sailors, merchants and artists lived in its houses, and Hans Christian Andersen wrote some of his first fairy tales while living at numbers 20, 67 and 18. Today the old wooden ships moored along the quay are part of the scenery.
We usually start at the Kongens Nytorv end, where the whole row of coloured facades lines up behind you. From there the walk follows the quay and the bridge across the canal, and ends at the harbour front with views across to the Opera House.
Nyhavn is one of the busiest places in Copenhagen on sunny afternoons. Early morning gives you the quay almost to yourselves and the softest light, while the blue hour after sunset brings warm lamps and reflections on the water.
Board a canal boat for a slow tour past the Royal Library and Christiansborg Palace, share a bottle of bubbles at a harbour café, or hop on a cargo bike to the Little Mermaid. In winter, the small Christmas market along the canal adds lights and mulled wine.
The cobbles are uneven, so pack flat shoes for walking between spots and change for the photos. A small bag for your partner or a guest to carry keeps lipstick, tissues and the certificate safe while you pose.
Leave City Hall after the ceremony, by bike, taxi or on foot.
First portraits at the Kongens Nytorv end of the canal.
Walk along the quay and over the bridge with your photographer.
Toast at a harbour café or step on a canal boat.
Continue to the Little Mermaid, the royal palace or lunch.
Nyhavn · Q&A
Nyhavn is used for portraits rather than ceremonies. Most couples marry at Copenhagen City Hall and come to Nyhavn straight afterwards for photos and a toast.
No permit is needed for a couple and a photographer on the public quay. We keep the group small and avoid blocking café terraces or the walkway.
Early morning for quiet streets and soft light, or the blue hour after sunset for glowing windows and reflections. Midday in summer is the busiest time.
It is about 20 minutes on foot through the old town, or 10 minutes by taxi or bike. Many couples walk, because the route along Strøget gives lovely photos on the way.
Plan about an hour for the quay, the bridge and the harbour front. Add more time if you would like a toast at a café or a canal boat tour afterwards.
Yes. Canal tours leave from Nyhavn throughout the day, and a private boat can be booked for just the two of you and your guests. It is a relaxed way to celebrate and see Copenhagen from the water.
Yes. The coloured houses glow in crisp winter light, and in December a small Christmas market with lights lines the canal. Days are short, so we plan the walk around the daylight.
Of course. Guests can walk with you, wait at a harbour café or join for a group photo by the canal. We keep the group compact so you can move easily along the busy quay.
Ceremonies & portraits
Kronborg Castle, the setting of Hamlet, stands by the sea in Helsingør, a short train ride north of Copenhagen.
Known as a wedding island, Ærø has colourful cottages, cobbled lanes and quiet beaches in the south Funen archipelago.
The historic wedding hall at Rådhuspladsen, where most civil ceremonies in Copenhagen take place.
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