A local's photographer point-of-view on a winter elopement in the dolomites
If you’re dreaming in white for your elopement in the Dolomites, winter shouldn’t stop you AT ALL!! Here’s why.
Let me start from the beginning, because this story I’m going to tell it’s a peculiar one, as I began discovering as I met with Allan and Janelle that day.
I reached out online asking for couples interested in getting some pictures done for a session I needed to do for a stock agency I collaborate with. I had a number of couples interested ready to brave winter and, kind of last minute, decided they were the right couple in the right moment. We talked for a few days about which location to go to, what outfit to choose. My only brief instructions were “winter wedding”.
It’s not easy to enjoy the majestic view of the Dolomites alone, or almost, even during winter time, but it’s not impossible and when picking a destination, I was pretty sure of what I was looking for.
As we were messaging, I vaguely got that A&J were married and enjoying Italy as Allan was serving in the military in Aviano. I didn’t know much more than this, by the time we met. I usually pretty much go with my guts on these occasions and most of the times it pays off 😉
All right, back to the session day, we set off for the short hike necessary to reach our chosen spot. I still had a sore knee, I had in fact broken my left cruciate ligament a month before, but I wasn’t really sad at all about hiking in the snow that day!
Digital video edited to look like super8 footage
We chatted a bit as we were walking, talking about what they were up to in Italy and stuff. Janelle then said something to me that made me go “whaaaaat please?”
She said in fact something along the lines of : “we actually got married online“. I had so many questions at that point, but one thought came to mind: “oh, then this is kind of it, it’s kind of real!” and I started freaking out a bit, as I shifted mentally feeling like I should give them some memorable experience and photos for the occasion, I sort of wasn’t the final recipient of that whole thing anymore.
So it wasn’t really a surprise for me, when they were “pretending” to exchange vows that things got a bit emotional cause that was the “closest they have ever been” to use Janelle’s words, to a real in-person wedding.
As she explained, they had filed the request to get married by proxy, as Allan was already serving the military in Italy and they wanted to be together and be married anyway at some point. Turns out, since living on two different time zones, when the official email reached the two, Allan was soundly sleeping during the European night and was greated by his spouse the following morning with a message. Sounds romantic in a way, but saying some -just then- on the rifugio’s beer brand block notes written vows, was probably more magical than that 😉
My idea after that was to catch the sunset time, when show lights turn the dolimitic rocks on with the alpenglow phenomenon (in italian language enrosadira). We almost gave that up, beacuse there were a few clouds on the horizon, but the wait and the freezing temperature paid off at the end! 🙂
on film
on film
As I was driving back home, later, the speaker on the radio said that has been the coldest day of the winter, up to that point. After that it was never colder than that for the rest of the winter time 😉
This whole story means: if you’re the adventurous type and want a truly unforgettable elopement or moment for your special day, you shouldn’t be afraid of cold temps nor snow, nor anything…go for it! Need any help? All the planning can be pretty daunting believe me, I suggest you take a leap of faith and leave that in the hands of somebody that knows her way around the Dolomites territory and vendors.
I recommend you to stick around if you want ro read and watch other epic stories in the Dolomites, like this spring elopement 😉