The Dolomites Elopement Guide 2024
I am personally delighted that adventurous elopements are on the rise among engaged couples. When they ask me which European destination is best to get married in, for a wild setting with a picturesque, natural backdrop, I always recommend the Italian Dolomites.
I have been exploring them since before they became the hottest location for wild and adventurous elopements in Europe. Spending free time in this mesmerising mountain range and exploring new paths had already become my passion. For many years, during many personal hikes, I discovered secret places and learned how they look at different times of the year. In addition to my work as a photographer, I love that I can show couples the best, hidden gems – places I wouldn’t know about if I hadn’t spent so many hours scouting in the past.
If you want to plan the best day of your life in this cathedral of mountains, here is a list of my best insights, based on my own experience.
Presenting my guide on how to plan your elopement in the Italian Dolomites.
I have put together all the tips which will help you make this dream come true, from the perspective of a local, expert photographer and Dolomites adventurer.
The Dolomites are a very large area and you can feel lost without a good guide. I also do not recommend going there without good preparation and consultation with a person who knows the locations well. I hope that my insights will help you to plan a successful wedding in the Dolomites.
WHERE
The Dolomites are situated in northeast Italy in the South Tyrol geographic region which stretches between the provinces of Belluno, Trentino and Bolzano - Alto Adige / Südtirol with Veneto. In 2009, this entire mountain group was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Italian Dolomites belong to the same large Alps massif as the ranges of France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, which are located close abroad.
In the Dolomites, people speak two main languages: German as their first language and Italian as their second, but also the personal language of the Ladin minority. The closer you get to Veneto, the more often you hear Italian, and the food offered will transition to being more Italian and less German/Austrian.
HOW TO GET TO ITALIAN DOLOMITES
If you are coming from overseas, or from as far as Asia, America or Australia, the closest intercontinental airports are Venice and Milan in Italy, Munich in Germany, Zurich in Switzerland or Innsbruck in Austria. Most of the couples I work with choose airports in Milan or Venice, because it lets them combine a trip to the mountains with a visit to the romantic cities of Venice and Verona (the city of Romeo & Juliet) or Milan (the Italian capital of fashion and art). You can rent a car (Milan, Verona, Venice) or take a train to the mountain region (Bolzano). Public transport is not very well developed in the mountains: although buses go there, they are infrequent and you have to change many times. This also means that you are not flexible as to the hours when you want to move around the region. Therefore, I recommend renting your own car, to give yourselves real freedom. Some of my couples don’t drive, or are afraid to drive on the other side of the road. In this case, we can always find a solution, because I am an experienced European driver and can take them from Venice or Bolzano to the heart of the mountains.
The ride there is quite easy and incredibly beautiful! You will drive through mountain cities and little towns along the main toll road (highway toll roads are quite expensive but they are the fastest and direct way to reach the Dolomites).
The Dolomites are known all over the world for their mountain passes, like the famous Passo di Sella, Passo Pordoi, Passo Campolongo and Passo Gardena (jaw-dropping views).
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO THE DOLOMITES
The Dolomites have a clear division in their seasons, and every season has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on where you want to go and how you want to spend your time. It may become the key decision in planning your wedding day.
If you are a fan of snow and white scenery and are not afraid of cold and freezing temperatures, or maybe you also love skiing and snowboarding, plan your wedding between mid-December and mid-April.
Take into account that in winter, due to snowy conditions, many locations that are accessible in the summer on foot or car are closed and the lakes are frozen (Lake di Braies / Pragser Wildsee). They can still be magic, but they are pure white on the surface, so you cannot see their typical turquoise and green waters, or the reflections of trees and mountains.
Pro-tip: Remember to ask in the car rental about special winter tires and chains, because apart from the mountain regions, not all Italians use them, and they won't let you know about them in the rental office unless you ask. When temperatures drop below 32’F / 0o’C in the mountains, it gets slippery and driving on summer tires can put you in real troubles, and not just with the police.
The snow melts around mid-April, and green begins to show everywhere. This is considered as a low season (also shoulder season) lasting until the middle of June. For Venice in June, you would already have summer vibes and could even wear a bathing suit. Between mid-April and mid-June, the mountain huts and famous cable cars (for example, the Seceda cable car) or the ski lifts which take you high up into the mountains may be closed and reopen only in high season (Summer and Winter).
April Elopement
Here you can see example of June elopement I photographed in the Dolomites.
Summer lasts from mid-June until the end of September in the Dolomites, while cable cars and huts get closed around mid-October.
From the perspective of shooting a wedding or elopement, my favourite season of the year in the Dolomites is Autumn. The fall colours make it enchanting, and the temperatures are much cooler (in the range of 40 - 60’F and 4 -15’C).
In Autumn, you have a better chance of clouds and the effect of swimming above them in the upper mountains. The light is less harsh, softer and warmer, and the clouds help to achieve natural diffusion and reduce strong shadows on faces.
For hiking elopements, especially multi-day hikes, I recommend the period between mid-June and mid- October, when the huts are open and you can add sleeping in an authentic mountain hut to the whole wedding plan - there are many of them in the remote parts of mountains on the trails - and you can plan the ceremony for dawn or sunset around the hut, where crowds of summer tourists cannot easily reach.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE DOLOMITES
The Dolomites give you a wide range of different accommodations. You have a large number of luxury spa resorts and hotels, more traditional B&B apartments, and agritourism organic farms and guesthouses (named garni). The other sort of place where you can stop for a night are Rifugios (mountain huts high up in the Dolomites). There are over 140 mountain huts and new ones are always popping up! The conditions there are simple and rustic as they serve as base camps for multi-day hikes, climbs and treks. In some of them you may expect a large number of beds, and some of them are not much more intimate with maybe 20 rooms of which most are dormitories. It is not easy to find a single or double bedroom. These typical mountain huts are the best choice for a hiking or simple mountain elopement and they serve as shelter for any unexpected, turbulent weather. I choose them with my couples for their breathtaking surroundings and because they let us remain in the upper mountains for sunset and sunrise shoots (golden hour, the best time for photographers).
Here is my list of favourite B&B and farms in the Dolomites area:
HIKING ELOPEMENT,
ACCESS BY CAR or even
helicopter
One of the first decisions in planning an elopement is whether you want to include the hike in your day, or choose locations accessible by car or a short walk. Another “wow” mode to get high in the mountains easily and fast is HELICOPTER ELOPEMENT. It allows you to avoid crowds, you don’t loose time in car moving between locations and above all it adds to your day unforgettable memories.
Some of Instagram’s well-known locations, such as Lago di Braies or the main mountain passes and trail heads as Seceda or Alpi di Susi, may be accessible by car or cable car, but this is synonymous with being more crowded with tourists and it will be hard to keep your ceremony intimate.
The further away the location is, if it requires some effort to get there, sometimes two to four hours or more, the greater the chance that you will not have onlookers during the ceremony.
That is why the hiking elopement category was created: an amazing solution, adventure, source of memories and contact with truly remote nature. For such an elopement, you should consider spending the night in a mountain hut.
If a hiking elopement is not the wedding you are dreaming of, or maybe you may want to invite family members who cannot hike, then you can select among places with easier access.
In such cases, please consider the period when there are fewer tourists there: sunrise or sunset in famous places can be much less crowded, e.g. in the morning at Lago di Braies you can exclusively rent a cottage on the lake, because during the day crowds of tourists are there all year round. You also have a chance for better light then.
You may also have fewer tourists outside the peak season – for example, in early October. Another option is to rent a helicopter and fly with it to some totally remote hidden gems where even hiking might be a big challenge. Specialised helicopter tour operators take you to the best spots!
Check my Helicopter Elopement I photographed lately.
ELOPING AT TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO
Another iconic place of the Dolomites is Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The views are dazzling, but there may also be hundreds of tourists and cars in the summer season.
Access by car is very easy. First, you have to pass the toll. The cost to access varies between different vehicle sizes, but for a normal car it is €30 plus €15 per day if you plan on staying overnight. To avoid paying the steep parking/toll fees, you can hike up to Rifugio Auronzo from the free, pothole-ridden car park at Lago d’Antorno. This takes around 90 minutes and involves a considerable change in altitude (ca. 500 meters).
If you want to save money (and the environment), there’s a much cheaper bus which leaves regularly from Cortina, Lago Misurina and Lago D'Antorno. The bus starts to run in June, when the hiking season opens, and runs daily throughout the summer until late September. The return trip costs 8 Euros.
After passing tolls, the road runs in excellent and broad conditions through the woods, with endless views uphill to the Tre Cime mountains. The first two thirds of the trip are made up of really soft curves, followed by some serpentines uphill when you nearly have reached the parking lot. You drive up to the Auronzo shelter at 2,320 metres which is a nice Italian mountain hut with good food for affordable prices, and lots of great souvenirs. From there, you can set off on a hike that is not very demanding, and even those who are unfamiliar with trekking will manage (you still have to bring good shoes). You can even choose different length routes. If you plan an all-day hike or more, consider sleeping at one of rifugios: Rifugio Auronzo, Rifugio Lavaredo, Rifugio Locatelli. It's a good idea to have the ceremony around such a shelter, planning for dawn, before the tourists arrive.
You can also consider a less popular Instagram location. In that case, if you really want to bypass the presence of tourists, think about hiring a local photographer like me who knows the less popular trails, has their own secret places and will help you create itineraries and choose locations so that you have the greatest intimacy and beautiful photos, without the crowd in the background.
The top areas that you can add to your trip:
Alpe di Susi
Alta Badia
Parco Naturale Sciliar-Catinaccio
Parco naturale Tre Cime
Parco naturale di Fanes-Sennes-Braies
Parco naturale Puez Odle
Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino
Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi
Seceda
Val Gardena
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO IN THE DOLOMITES
In the Dolomites, planning is usually focused on admiring beautiful panoramas, visiting lakes, cable car rides, and outdoor hikes. Depending on where you go, and what season of the year you choose, here is a bunch of ideas for what to do before and after getting married:
hiking up a Rifugio for an overnight stay before you say your vows for sunset or sunrise
taking cable cars
hiking the trails of the Alta Via
visiting typical Dolomites chapels
climbing a Via Ferrata (a fixed iron rope climbing route)
cycling and mountain biking through the valleys or on designated mountain trails - lots of sun, beautiful landscapes and an extended network of cycle paths, discovering South Tyrol by bike is definitely a tempting experience. Those touring South Tyrol by public transport will find numerous bike rentals in and around our train stations.
mountain passes by motorcycle
horse treks in the mountains
skiing or snowboarding
snowshoe hiking
wine tasting in local vineyards
picnic
tours of the mountain lakes
local events like famous Krampus Run or The Gustav Mahler Music Weeks in Dobbiaco
balloon festival
boats at lake Braies
paragliding above the Dolomites
visiting llamas and alpacas
visits in local spas and farms
helicopter
visiting gourmet restaurants
CEREMONY
More and more couples decide to have a symbolic wedding in the mountains, and perform a legal wedding and its paperwork in their own country before or after they take a trip to Italy. It will save you a lot of trouble, translation expenses and the time it takes to send documents to the office in Italy and wait for approval. Of course, if you decide to get married legally in Italy, you can do it without being residents.
Why is this the most convenient way? Because it gives you freedom, freedom, freedom as to exactly when and where to have your ceremony, exchange rings and vows. The ceremony scenario can be just like you want it, not just the rather stiff and boring formulas that are typical of town halls giving legal licences. It can be a lot more personal and, most importantly, you can do ceremonies where the government officiant would never be able to make it. You can hire someone who locally conducts such ceremonies. If you like, you could also bring a friend or a family member to give their blessing. Your elopement could be the greatest adventure in the place you've always dreamed of.
Throughout the whole planning process, my presence as an expert Dolomite photographer may be crucial. The photography adventure element packages include my consulting, planning and styling of your wedding, plus help in customising and creating your wedding timeline, finding locations away from tourists, as well as the recommendation of local vendors such as your hair and make-up artist who will come to your hotel, a florist who will make a bouquet and decorate your arch, a celebrant, catering, wedding planner, and even a videographer, if you need one. Everything according to your budget. Of course, my experience as an award winning photographer with 10 years of professional experience, and invaluable knowledge of the Dolomites and its changing conditions.
As a Dolomites wedding photographer and local expert I’m happy to help!
Write to me to find out how you can hire me, and what the booking process for my services looks like.
READY TO ELOPE IN THE DOLOMITES?
Pin this GUIDE ON HOW TO ELOPE IN DOLOMITES to help plan your wedding!
CONTACT FORM
It is very important to have a wedding photographer whom you fit and connect with - a friend with whom you feel that you can be yourself and share your private moments. I want to hear about your dreams and plans and help to customise the greatest adventure for your intimate wedding or elopement in the mountains.
My ELOPEMENT PACKAGES start from 4000 euro up to 6000 euro depending on different factors.
