Lena & Naixin
Lena and Naixin brought everyone they love to the Italian Alps for a two-day Dolomites wedding. On day one, they held their ceremony at a beautiful mountain wedding venue and took portraits at their reception space while wearing their Chinese wedding attire. On day two, they invited their family to go hiking up the mountain with them so they could experience more of these beautiful mountains together.
After eight years of doing long-distance, Lena and Naixin had built a lot of their relationship through travel, exploring together whenever they could match schedules. Those trips became everything. The times they could focus on each other and their shared love of adventure.
So when it came time to get married, they knew exactly what they wanted. Grand mountain scenery, fall colors, and the chance to share that experience with everyone they love. The Dolomites in September gave them all of it!
Why September is Ideal for a Dolomites Wedding
Lena and Naixin chose September because they wanted fall colors and dramatic mountain views without summer crowds. September is one of the best times of year to have a wedding in the Dolomites for good weather (think warm days, clear skies, and accessible roads) without the summer crowds. Just know that it can get cold very fast once the sun sets!
To bring their destination wedding to life, Lena and Naixin worked with Gemma a Dolomites Wedding Planner who helped them find Col Pradet for the ceremony, built their timeline, and connected them with other Dolomites wedding vendors. Gemma handled the design and logistics while, as their wedding photographer, I focused on documenting their story as it unfolded.
Want to know more about timing and planning? Check out our Dolomites wedding guide to learn everything you need to know.
Day One: A Mountain Wedding Ceremony at Col Pradat and Sunset Photos in Chinese Wedding Attire
A Gondola Ride to Their Mountaintop Ceremony
On day one, everyone met at Lena and Naixin’s chalet (Chalet Ronn, where their entire group stayed together) and rode the gondola up to Col Pradet. This restaurant is one of those wedding venues in the Dolomites with mountain views that take your breath away. When you reach the top, you’re greeted by sprawling peaks directly behind the ceremony space.
After they said “I do,” they took portraits with their guests on the lawn, then headed to the terrace for cocktail hour!
When everyone headed back down the mountain, Lena and Naixin changed into traditional black and red Chinese wedding attire with gold embroidered details. We took a few fun few family photos in front of their chalet and then went back out for couple portraits at a second mountain location. This was the first time I got to photograph a couple wearing cultural attire in the Dolomites and the red and gold embroidery against the gray peaks was truly stunning.
But as the sun dropped, the temperatures dropped along with it, so we had to make a new plan.
When Cold Weather Changed Our Plans (For the Better)
September in the Dolomites gets cold the second the sun disappears. The temperature dropped fast, and within minutes, it was too cold for us to stay outside comfortably.
We could have pushed through, but we knew we had a whole second day waiting for us. So we decided to head back to the chalet, get warm, and see what other magic we could create.
What happened ended up being some of my favorite images from their entire Dolomites wedding.
We arrived at the reception space at the chalet and were greeted by warm light, long tables being set for dinner, and an intimate atmosphere. Lena and Naixin walked around the room where their celebration was about to unfold and took in all the details. I broke out the direct flash and directed the couple for a more editorial look. These moments were intentional, intimate, and completely unplanned.
People talk about pivoting during elopements all the time. But you can also pivot when it comes to your wedding day, too – especially when you know there’s another full day of photography ahead of you. We didn’t stop photographing or sacrifice moments by coming inside early. Instead, we just found different ones.
Day Two: Hiking the Dolomites in a White Wedding Dress
On day two, the Dolomites showed us everything September can be. Moody, dramatic, and clouds and sun constantly trading places. A cloud inversion settled in the valley below us, and we honestly didn’t know if we’d get a sunset.
And then we did! The sky changed colors right in front of us.
Lena wore her white wedding dress for hiking and her parents and a few other guests hiked the entire way with them. Her mom made sure they stayed warm, taking care of her children the way mothers always do. Her dad (who the day before had wandered over to the vendor table just to check that we were all fed and cared for) was right there beside them.
We got quick group photos with family because Lena and Naixin figured it would be cool for their guests to experience the mountains too. But most of the time, it was just the two of them – alone in the landscape, the light changing around them.
If you’re considering a multi-day wedding or elopement, this planning guide can help you think through how to structure your celebration and elevate your experience.
When Two Cultures Meet in the Mountains
Lena and Naixin’s mountain wedding in the Dolomites felt like something I’d been quietly longing for.
Like so many Asians with immigrant parents, they grew up where Western and Eastern cultures intertwined. They didn’t want to forget their heritage, so they brought both to the Dolomites. A western ceremony on a mountaintop, and Chinese wedding attire at sunset. A white dress for hiking adventures and the people who raised them by their side.
To see another celebration that honored Asian heritage beautifully, read all about this Seattle Chinese Garden wedding that wove the couple’s culture and community together in such an intentional way.
Watching Lena and Naixin honor their Asian heritage in the Italian Alps (the culture that raised me, held me, continues to shape how I document love) felt like the world outside and the world within finally speaking the same language.
I’ll always remember how they smiled until their faces ached. Those real smiles that only happen when you’re surrounded by your favorite people in a place that feels like magic. How everyone stayed in one chalet together, no distance between moments, just love and laughter between naps. How Lena’s dad checked on the vendors at the reception. How her mom hiked the entire mountain just to be there for her daughter.
And I’ll remember how we pivoted when the cold came in. Found unexpected beauty in the reception space and created images that never would have existed if we’d stuck to the plan.
Thank you, Lena and Naixin, for bringing me to the Dolomites to document your two-day wedding! For showing me what it looks like when heritage and adventure don’t compete but complete each other. Your celebration was so intentional, so full of love, and I’m so grateful to have been a part.
He really helped up brainstorm what kind of wedding we really wanted and helped to make it possible.
If I could give more than 5 stars I would absolutely do so! Henry was such a pleasure to work with through the whole process. He really helped up brainstorm what kind of wedding we really wanted and helped to make it possible. It was always easy to communicate with Henry and he really made our day feel so personalized.
Henry is also such an amazing human being and so kind and wonderful to work with! He was very fun to be around and he always made us feel comfortable. All of our vendors also had nothing but great things to say about Henry! In addition to photographing our wedding he also hiked with us on our second day for additional photos. He has such a great artistic vision for photos and the sneaks he delivered blew our minds! We already knew the pictures would be amazing from seeing all his previous work but WOW! We could not have been happier with our decision to work with Henry. We will cherish these photos forever! I would book Henry again in a heartbeat!
Meet the couple & the best Dolomites Wedding Photographer everrrr!!! 🙂😘
Meet The Best Dolomites Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Henry Tieu Photography
Venue: Col Pradet and Chalet Ronn
Planner: Dolomites Wedding Planner
Videographer: Tu Nguyen
Hair and Makeup: Viki Aichner
Catering: Kolfuschgerhof
More Destination Wedding Inspiration
Ready to Plan Your Own Dolomites Wedding?
Dreaming of a Dolomites wedding that honors where you come from while celebrating where you’re going? Whether you envision a mountain wedding in the Italian Alps, a multi-day celebration that honors your culture and heritage, or something else altogether with the people you love, we would love to help you plan something that celebrates your experience!
Meet Your Intimate Wedding & Elopement Photographers
We’re Henry, Sergio, and Nick, the faces behind these honest, meaningful, and artful photographs of couples eloping in the most beautiful places. Since 2018, we’ve photographed more than 200+ intimate weddings and elopements all over the world and on 6 different continents. Our work has been published on Junebug Weddings, Green Wedding Shoes, Brides, Dancing With Her, etc…We’ve won international awards for best wedding photos but what’s most important to us is actually winning our clients’ hearts with our art.
With 15 years of combined photography experience, we’ve learned that the only way to a beautiful wedding experience & photos is through intentionality.
We’re here for you and with you from “let’s do this” to “I do”, one step at a time, each step of the way. We’re in this together
