Full-Day Italian Dolomites Elopement

Kelly & Mike

Bride and groom hold hands during their Italian Dolomites elopement adventure

The Couple and Their Decision to Plan an Italian Dolomites Elopement

Kelly and Mike’s Italian Dolomites elopement originally started out with the couple planning Kelly’s 30th birthday trip to Italy. The couple got to talking and decided that while they were there, they should also plan their elopement and surprise their family when they got back home. Since they wanted to celebrate their marriage on top of a mountain, we quickly decided on The Dolomites.

As I had previous experience with the Dolomites in May, I made sure to warn Kelly and Mike that we might experience potential road closures. As with many mountain elopement locations, springtime can be a little tricky as it is a bit too early in the season for everything to be fully open. But, they were up for the challenge and ready to embrace whatever came their way.

From a Foggy Rowboat Adventure To Sunset Photos in the Mountains, This Is How To Plan an Adventurous Elopement in the Dolomites

During the planning process, Kelly and Mike knew they wanted to experience Lago Di Braies and Cadini Di Misurina for their elopement locations, however, I wanted to make sure we had a few backup plans as well

Although I had been to these locations before, the day before their elopement, I revisited them to double-check the road status as the online report isn’t quite reliable.

The night before their elopement, I met up with Mike and Kelly to go over our game plan. We made some changes to the elopement timeline due to some road closures and early morning rain.

The morning of their Italian Dolomites elopement was misty and foggy. We waited for the fog to lift and the mountain to come out at Lago Di Braies. What we got was more dimensions to the beauty that already exists.

In between their sunrise boat ride adventure and their sunset first dance, we took a mid-day break. The hotel staff knew the couple was getting married, so when we got back to the room, there were rose petals all over their bed. Kelly and Mike wanted to keep the rose petals pristine so they took their nap on the couch instead. We all laughed so hard when they shared this story.

After they woke up from their nap, they enjoyed pizza in their hotel room (hey, when in Italy, am I right? Haha).

One of my favorite moments from the day happened during their sunset adventure. Knowing the road to the mountain was closed, we planned for 2 additional hours of hiking. As we hiked up, one of the road construction officers saw us and gave us a ride up the mountain. It was such a fun surprise. He didn’t quite speak English, and none of us knew Italian, so the car ride was just full of smiles and us repeatedly saying “Grazie”. When we said goodbye, he had the biggest smile on his face and said “Congratulations”.

When we got to the top, we had the whole place to ourselves. This turned out to be one of the biggest blessings in disguise with the road closure. We all felt so small witnessing the giant towers of mountains in front of us and in the distance far away.

Kelly and Mike shared their first dance there on the mountaintop, then we watched as the sun went down and the moon came up. It was one of the most beautiful golden sunsets I’ve ever witnessed in The Dolomites and a magical ending to Kelly and Mike’s Italian Dolomites elopement!

Best Time of Year to Plan an Elopement in the Italian Dolomites

With all mountain elopement locations (not just the Dolomites), time of year matters! Because of the higher elevations, roads in the mountains close during the winter months due to rain and snow. The exact time of year for each mountain differs, but if you are planning to elope in the Dolomites, typically late Spring to early Fall is best.

The best time to visit is usually June-September, however, I’ve photographed elopements in May and October. Just like with Kelly and Mike though, you’ll need to be prepared for road closures and extra hiking time to get to these locations.

Henry’s talent and creativity behind the camera may be why you choose him, but it is only a small piece of what you will receive when you work with him.

Our experience with Henry from start to finish has truly exceeded any expectations we had.

We were not entirely sure what we were even doing or how to plan an elopement- but we knew we wanted our special day captured. For my husband and I, having an intimate elopement with just the two of us was very important- but having photographs to share our special day with our family & friends back home was just as important.

When I stumbled upon Henry’s photographs via Instagram, I just knew he was the one we needed. I fell in love with his style and his ability to capture raw moments and emotion through a still photograph.

Leading up to our date, Henry was always in contact via FaceTime, email, or text to answer any questions or concerns we had. He took so much stress off of us when it came to planning and preparing. Rest assured, you will always have him looking out for you and easing the process along the way in any way he can.

Fast forward…

It’s been two weeks since we eloped and we still cannot stop talking about how incredible our whole day was and it would not have been possible without Henry.

Henry’s talent and creativity behind the camera may be why you choose him, but it is only a small piece of what you will receive when you work with him. He delivered so much more than incredible photographs for us to look back on and we’re so happy to have met the man behind the camera!

Thank you for the most incredible experience, the most amazing day, and the most breathtaking photos Henry!! WE LOVE YOU

Kelly & Mike

Eloped in the Italian Dolomites