What It’s Like to Elope in the Dolomites

Realistic Elopement Itineraries to Help You Picture Your Day

If you’re thinking about eloping in the Dolomites, you’ve probably seen a lot of very pretty photos and not a lot of explanation about how the day actually works.

So let’s clear that up.

Eloping here doesn’t mean hiking until you drop, waking up at 3am against your will, or feeling like you need to cram every famous spot into one day. It can be relaxed. It can be adventurous. It can be somewhere in between. The goal is that it feels good while you’re living it, not just when you look back at the photos. Experience > photos; with an amazing experience, the photos will be incredible.

Below are four real, realistic ways a Dolomites elopement can look, using actual elopement days I’ve photographed as reference points.

These are absolutely not templates, they are just options that you can choose to copy as much or as little as you wish. It’s your day, so you gotta do what YOU wanna do.

What Eloping in the Dolomites Is Actually Like

Before we jump into itineraries, here’s the big picture.

A Dolomites elopement day (at least one with me) usually means:

• Balancing the locations you want with the time we have
• Built-in breaks for food, rest, and warming up
• Flexibility if weather or energy levels shift (Plan A, B, and C)
• Time to be present instead of watching the clock

You don’t want to spend the whole day posing, skipping meals to optimize the day, or driving because the locations are really far away. You want to make a day that’s built to be your best day ever.

Now let’s talk itineraries.

A One-Day Dolomites Elopement

Sunrise to Sunset Without Overdoing It

Of course, many people go for a single, full day. Often it’s all people have time for; sometimes it’s just all they want to do.

One of this flow is Mia and Kos. Their day went from sunrise to sunset, but it never felt rushed or chaotic. It was a very full day, that being said, and I think at least an hour of it they got to spend napping in the back of my car between locations. So though I wouldn’t recommend this busy of a day for everyone, it definitely does work for some people!

What we did together:

• Sunrise hike Cadini di Misurina
• Private vows while it was quiet and calm
• A break for coffee, breakfast, and warming up
• A midday lake stop like Lago di Braies
• Quick takeout pizza stop for their picnic up the mountain
• Lift up to Cinque Torri
• Picnic, emotional moments, instax photos, and first dance

The key to this elopement was pacing, quality breaks, and quick naps.

This type of itinerary is ideal if you:

• Want variety without exhaustion
• Like the idea of sunrise and sunset
• Want your entire elopement to fit into one meaningful day

You can read the full story of how Mia and Kos did this here:

👉 Mia + Kos’s Love Story

A Multi-Day Elopement With an Overnight in a Rifugio

Slower Pace, Big Payoff

Staying overnight in a mountain hut is a whole different experience. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about slowing things way down and truly enjoying the beauty of where you are.

While Katy and Evan had an intimate wedding rather than a true elopement, their overnight hut experience is fully adaptable to an elopement.

This could be your day, in your own way:

• Sunrise hike/heli tour to a mountain peak (Seceda, in this case)
• Beautifully presented breakfast and coffee break after
• Break/shower/nap
• Private pizzaiolo for lunch on a mountaintop
• Proper “getting ready” photos with details (dress, vow booklets, jewellery, cuff links, etc)
• Ceremony with closest family and friends
• Portraits with family and friends, and just the two of them in the gondola
• Dinner + dancing in privacy (they rented all the rooms)
• The next day, 2 hours of renting a Vespa and driving around the mountains + saying your vows privately

This is ideal if you:

• Like the idea of spending your time really IN the mountains
• Prefer to spend time around your chosen location, instead of driving from place to place
• Want a truly epic experience that people often do only once in a lifetime

For reference, here’s Katy and Evan’s story:

👉 Katy + Evan

A Full Two-Day Dolomites Elopement

One Adventure Per Day, No Rushing

A two-day elopement gives you space. Space to rest, space to change things up, and space to not feel like every moment has to count equally. You can really just enjoy these two days of getting married, and do them however you want.

Sarah and Rachel are a great example of how well this works.

What their first day looked like:

• Hiking around Cadini di Misurina
• Exploring Tre Cime at a relaxed pace
• Vows somewhere along the trail
• Dinner and sleeping at their accommodation

Day two:

• One focused hike like Lago di Sorapis (3 hours round trip, plus extra time around the lake)
• No pressure to squeeze anything else in
• Time to enjoy the experience instead of racing it

This option is perfect if you:

• Want to do longer, multi-day hikes or two there-and-back hikes over two days
• Like the idea of spending time in a typical “rifugio” overnight
• Want variety without chaos, and probably two outfits

Here’s Sarah and Rachel’s full multi-day elopement story:

👉 Sarah and Rachel

A Three-Day Dolomites Elopement

Maximum Flexibility, Minimum Pressure

This is the most relaxed option of all. Nothing is crammed. Nothing is rushed. And you have built-in backup days if weather decides to do its thing.

I will be very honest; very few people take this option. But- if you know it’s for you, then definitely give it a chance! Why not celebrate for 3 days straight?! You guys deserve it.

Using Kristy and Andrew as inspiration, a three-day elopement could look like:

Day one:

• Getting ready photos
• Sunset ceremony with family and friends with a post card view of the Dolomites
• Portraits of everyone

Day two:

• Detail shots of all your beautiful wedding things at your hotel
• A sunset portrait session, just dedicated to having a good time

Day three:

• Sunrise hike to Cadini di Misurina
• Pinterest-worthy breakfast at your 5-star hotel
• Afternoon picnic at Lago di Braies

This option works well if you:

• Want flexibility above all else, especially a good-shot at a sunny day (in the mountains, you never know how the weather will go)
• Wanting multiple outfits, multiple locations, and want to have memories at all the beautiful locations
• Like the idea of doing a 3-day/2-night hut-to-hut experience
• Want to do several different activities (hiking, via feratta, climbing, rafting, canoing, etc)
• Want a day dedicated to family, a day dedicated to the two of you eloping solo, and a day dedicated to the two of you in casual attire or something non-wedding

More days doesn’t mean more work, it means less pressure and getting a truly all-inclusive experience.

Check out Kristy + Andrew’s Micro-wedding/Elopement here:

👉 Kristy and Andrew

So… What’s the Right Way to Elope in the Dolomites?

The right way is the one that fits your energy, your priorities, and how you actually want to spend your time. You don’t need to do the longest hike, hit every famous spot, or copy anyone else’s day. You just need a plan that makes sense for you. That’s where I come in.

If you’re starting to picture yourselves here and want help turning that into something real and doable, reach out. We’ll build an elopement that feels intentional, flexible, and very much yours.