WHAT IS ELOPEMENT
Have you heard of any eloping couples? Were you honest enough in your dreams about your wedding day? Contrary to earlier times, when eloping was frowned upon, today many people support it. You are mistaken if you continue to believe that weddings are the only legal form of wedding.
The possibility of mapping out your wedding day allows you to elope, which is one of the main reasons couples do it. Traditional weddings sometimes seem to become events that couples throw for other people to enjoy. Eloping gives you the freedom to do what feels right if a large party isn’t quite what you’re looking for. You can have a ceremony in your backyard with your family, or you can fly away only two of you and tie the knot in a place you always dreamed to visit. Since there are no rules, eloping can mean whatever you want it to mean!
Having a wealth of experience in wedding photography, we would advise couples to think about the Dolomites. Their breathtaking views make the location a perfect place for an elopement photographer. It’s also an ideal place for a dream photoshoot or a romantic video. So, if you are curious about this idea, keep reading.
WHERE ARE THE DOLOMITES
The Dolomites are a mesmerizing mountain range in northeast Italy. It extends over several provinces — South Tyrol, Trentino, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Belluno. These mountains are a part of the Southern Alps, and they became a UNESCO World Heritage Sight in 2009.Sharp mountains and crystal alpine lakes in Dolomites attract many tourists all around the world.
HOW TO GET TO THE DOLOMITES
The easiest way to get to the Dolomites is to fly to one of the international airports. Innsbruck, Venice and Verona airports are the best for European carriers. Munich and Milan airports are better for the long-haul airlines from Asia, the USA, and Australia.
To get closer to the magnificent places, you’ll need to use public transport or rent a car. Traveling by train, you’ll get to the remote towns, but you’ll have to take public buses to get closer to the Dolomites. Remember to check the schedule, some buses get to some areas only a few times a day!
The easiest option will be to get a rental car, it’ll give you more freedom and flexibility. Hiring a car to travel to the picturesque locations around the Dolomites is a good idea if you’re a nature lover and planning to drive around the area.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO ELOPE IN DOLOMITES
The Dolomites have distinct seasons, and depending on where you want to go and how you want to spend your time, each season has its own benefits and drawbacks. It can end up being a crucial choice while arranging your wedding.
Plan your wedding between the middle of December and the middle of April if you enjoy white scenery and snow, are not scared of the cold or freezing weather, or perhaps you also enjoy skiing and snowboarding.
Summer in Dolomites:
In the Dolomites, summer lasts from mid-June until the end of September, with cable cars and huts closing in the middle of October.
It’s one of the most popular seasons, and not without a reason: all the epic mountain places are open to visit, so you can use cable cars to get there, hike or even get to some of them by car.
If you rent a car, you can drive over picturesque mountain passes with many picnic stops and visit multiple places.
By the way, you can even stay overnight in Italian mountain huts (called Rifugios), that’s the perfect choice for a sunrise ceremony in the mountains as you can wake up early in the mountains and enjoy stunning locations without other tourists! This also can be a perfect option for your multi day adventure elopement in Dolomites!
Autumn in Dolomites:
To be honest, one of the best time of the year to photograph a wedding or elopement in the Dolomites is the autumn. It is beautiful in the fall because of the colors, it is significantly colder (between 40 and 60 °F and 4 and 15 °C) and it’s considered as low season, so you can expect to see there less people than during summer time.
If you adore autumn colors and feel comfortable while dealing with colder temperatures, September-October will be the perfect choice for your wedding in Dolomites. The autumn season is quite short and lasts from September until the end of October or even early November.
The air and the views are crystal clear, and together with clouds, soft and warm light creates natural diffusion. Nature changes its color into magical brownish, yellow, and orange, and the clouds in the upper mountains look just fantastic.
Cable cars and rifugios operate until the end of September or mid-October, and most of the roads are open to drive, so most of the locations will be easily accessible for your elopement adventure.
And multi-day adventure elopements are still possible! As most of the places are open to visit and it’s safe to hike because of the low thunderstorm possibility, you can choose one of the thousands trails and explore mountains.
WHAT TO PLAN FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT IN THE DOLOMITES?
It depends only on your dreams what your ideal day will be! THAT’S YOU CREATING THE DAY FROM YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!
Ask yourself — what activities do you like? How you imagine your perfect wedding day to be? There are no wrong answers!
No rules! This is YOUR day and you’re free to dream big about it!
And here’s couple of ideas which can be easily combined with your wedding photoshoot in Dolomites:
- Hike to a rifugio for an overnight stay before exchanging vows at sunset or dawn; and start your day early at sunrise in mountains;
- taking a helicopter tour and visit remote location far away from crowds;
- rent a boat and row to the middle of the alpine lake;
- trying alpine horseback adventures;
- riding an e-bike or a bicycle across a valley or along a certified mountain trail;
- wandering through a alpine meadows;
- snowboarding or skiing;
- hiking one of the trails;
- going to a vineyard to sample the wines there;
- picnicking in the woods or on Alpine meadows;
- relaxing in outdoor spa with mountain view
WHERE TO ELOPE IN DOLOMITES: TOP 5 BEST DOLOMITES ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS
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Lago di Braies:
This picturesque lake is the “Pearl of the Alpes” because of its incredible scenery. Located in the South Tyrol region, Lago di Braies attracts many tourists worldwide. Besides, this place is worth visiting, especially during the sunrise. It’s for sure among the best places to do a photoshoot. -
Seceda:
Do you know it’s one of the most popular places among landscape photographers? It’s full of fantastic panoramic views and steep cliffs, which remind needles. Mount Seceda is 2518 meters above sea level, so you can imagine what shots might be there, right? You can access Seceda from Ortisei in Val Gardena by lift or, if you like hiking, you can get there from Col Raiser lift from St Christina within an hour. We recommend visiting it in September or early October when fewer people are around. Moreover, you can climb it up from the Praplan car park, as the cable cars don’t operate since October. - Tre Cime di Lavaredo:
If you like hiking, this place is perfect for you. Tre Cime di Lavaredo is full of numerous viewpoints with green valleys and flowery fields. Also, it attracts many climbers — its highest peak is 2,999 meters above the sea. Tre Cime di Lavaredo is one of the most unusual-looking mountain groups in the Dolomites; they are absolutely identical and sharp. You can get there by foot, car or bus from these cities: Cortina d’Ampezzo Auronzo di Cadore in Veneto and Dobbiaco/Toblach in Trentino South-Tyrol. By the way, it’s the symbol of the Italian Alps. You can find their photos on calendars, postcards, book covers, and souvenirs. So having a wedding photoshoot over there can look extreme but is worthwhile! -
Alpe di Siusi:
This region has the most extensive alpine pasture in Italy and in Europe. In summer, you can observe colorful bloomings perfect for a wedding video. Additionally, you can go mountain biking, hiking, or climbing. In winter, it’s an attractive place for snowboarders and freestylers. -
Natural park Puez-Odle:
Puez-Odle is 10,722 hectares of park with lots of captivating mountain groups. Located in South Tyrol, it’s a perfect place for photoshoots. The park is full of leafy forests, scree slopes, pleasant valleys, fragrant meadows, lofty cliffs, and deep gorges. So if you want your wedding photoshoot to be magical, this is an ideal place for you.
Eloping in the Dolomites is an incredible opportunity to start a new chapter of your life. It’s gorgeous and breathtaking landscapes are simply unforgettable! We are sure that having an elopement in Dolomites mountains will preserve this unique experience.
How to avoid crowds during your elopement?
The Dolomites are extremely popular among tourists, especially during the summer. But, we know some tricks to avoid them:
- Off-season visiting (September-October is a low season in Dolomites).
- Getting to the locations before the sunrise. You’ll have to wake up early to get there, but trust us, it’s worth it. You can also stay in hut close to the location.
- Finding secluded less famous but as beautiful as the popular locations.
- Hiring a private helicopter to get to the most remote areas.
Location scouting and saving contacts of best vendors in area is big part of our job, and our knowledge and recommendations included in any our package!
We know how overwhelming it all can be. So that’s why we’ll be happy to share with you our experience on free consultation call.
Jin:
We really wanna thank Nataly and Max for being such great photographers and made our special day so unique and memorable! Nataly is so helpful with all the suggestions before-hand and also helped calm me down (as wedding planning can be very stressful). Our day turned out to be perfect! Nataly is also good to accommodate everything and she’s always making sure that we are enjoying it and getting what we like! Btw we love the photos, can’t wait to see the rest of them!
Thanks Nataly and Max again!
Do you planning to elope in Dolomites?
Contact us to get more information about next steps! And let’s make this adventure started :)
Our time with Nataly and Max was truly flawless. Figuring out how to celebrate getting married can be really nerve-wracking, but they managed to take all that worry away and replace it with excitement! Their work in photography and videography is outstanding, but they offer so much more beyond that. Everyone we’ve shown our elopement photos and video to has said they should be entered into a contest.
And every time we look at those images or watch the video, we’re filled with the same feelings we had on that incredibly special day, in one of the most breathtaking places in the world.
Also, I’m usually quite shy and feel awkward easily, but they made me feel comfortable so fast! During such a special time in your life, Nataly and Max will become an unforgettable part of it.
Choosing them is something you’ll definitely be glad you did!