Dolomites Elopement Guide
Updated for 2025
Looking for a far-off, magical place to tie the knot? Let me introduce you to The Dolomites! The Dolomite Mountains—also known as the "Pale Mountains"—are an Italian mountain range in the northeastern part of the country. They’re part of the Alps and have become one of the most popular destinations in the world thanks to social media.
The Dolomites region is split into two sections—with some areas having two names—as the northern areas were once part of the Austrian Empire. Residents in the North—South Tyrol—actually speak German as their first language instead of Italian and have more of an Austrian culture. But the further South you travel in the range—Belluno and Trentino—you’ll find more Italian speakers and Italian influence on the culture.
For an elopement, the Dolomites are fit for royalty. Everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by tall peaks—18 total—that rise to almost 10,000 feet. People have traveled here for centuries to see the vertical rock walls and cliffs and traverse through the dense collection of long, deep, and narrow valleys. It’s truly one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world.
The Dolomites are a hot spot for skiers, mountain climbers, hikers, and cyclers based on the time of the year. And if you’re into the more extreme stuff, BASE jumping, paragliding, hang gliding, and free climbing are all popular activities in the mountain range.
Adventurous Elopement in the Italian Dolomites: A Multi-Day Journey Across Epic Landscapes
Getting There:
The Dolomites are in Italy, so you might think that looking for flights to Italian cities is the best option. But because the range borders Austria to the North, it may actually be easier to fly into Austria instead. Innsbruck is the best city if you’re headed to the northern areas. If you’re going to the southern part, Verona and Venice could be your best options. It all depends on where you’re going.
Note: Long-haul flights rarely go directly to these cities, so expect to stop off in Munich, Milan, Paris, Madrid, London, or Amsterdam before taking a short-range flight.
Upon landing, it’s possible to take public transport to the outlying cities of the Dolomites, but from there, you may find yourself stuck. Buses going into the deeper sections of the Dolomites only run a few times per day. It's best to either rent a car or hire a car/driver to fully experience the range. Just know that many of the passes are very steep and narrow. This can be fun for some and a gut-wrenching experience for others!
How to Legally Get Married Here
Can foreigners get married in Italy?
To be legally married in Italy, you either have to have a civil or Catholic ceremony. But fortunately, you don’t need Italian citizenship to get married. You just need to fill out and submit the proper documents months in advance to be sure everything is good for your wedding day.
For civil ceremonies, a local mayor or other government official will conduct the wedding in either German or Italian, based on where you are. It’s required that you have a translator if you don’t speak either language. Mostly, civil ceremonies happen at a local government office, but you may request an outdoor location for pre-approval.
Note: Italy doesn’t currently recognize LGBTQIA+ marriages. It’s only possible to have a civil partnership in this case. Hopefully, it will change in the future, but for now, that’s the law in Italy. However, it’s possible to get married in Austria in the Tyrol region that’s close by!
However, most couples aren’t too jazzed about doing all the legal stuff on the same day as the elopement. Instead, it’s typically possible to do all the legal paperwork in your home country—probably the US if you’re reading this—and then travel for the elopement. Or at the very least, doing the civil ceremony the day before the elopement. Going this route frees you up to do literally whatever you want for your elopement. The possibilities are limitless!
Best Time of Year
You looked at the pictures and now have your heart set on the Dolomites. Awesome! Before you plan, you’ll need to know the best seasons to determine what landscape to expect during your elopement.
The Dolomite winter begins at the end of November and wraps up around mid-April. Though, there’s still snow cover on many trails through the end of June. If you want a snowy elopement full of skiing and other cold-weather activities, then plan for between December and April. But still do your research on the specific location. Many of the lakes may still be frozen in early Spring and during Winter, many locations are inaccessible and don’t open until the Summer.
If you’re looking for more of a hiking elopement, then look to the end of June through the middle of October. All the trails and mountain huts are open and you won’t find much snow on the ground. Plus, that’s prime time for the more extreme activities mentioned in the introduction.
Hiking or Driving for the Elopement?
Before landing on a location for your elopement, it’s important to take into consideration whether you want to hike or drive to your ceremony site. You can access many of these locations by car. But if you can get there easily by car, so can everyone else! It’s likely drivable locations will have more people, and you’ll have less privacy.
But if you’re willing to go to more remote locations via hiking, you’ll be able to find more secluded areas and possibly create a more magical experience. Hiking always opens you up to things that regular tourists won’t get to see.
Or go all out for your elopement and book a helicopter! There are some tour operators around the Dolomites who can take you to almost unreachable destinations for your elopement.
Where to Elope in the Dolomites
Tre Cime
Tre Cime di Lavaredo—also called Drei Zinnen—is an iconic location within the Dolomites. It’s easy to reach the base of any of the three peaks and there’s even a toll road that’ll take you right there. For the best setting, it’s best to stay in one of the mountain huts at any of the peaks and then go for a morning elopement. Just know that you’ll need to book the huts months in advance.
Consider staying in Mountain Hut Antonio Locatelli, Alpine hut Auronzo, or Hut Lavaredo
Seceda Ridgeline
Seceda is one of the most notable locations in the Dolomites. It’s easy to reach via lift or an hour-long hike after using the Col Raiser lift, and offers stunning views of grassy mountain peaks of all shapes and sizes. Because it’s so easy to reach, there are a lot of tourists coming here during the day, so it’s best to get here right at sunrise. It’s a beautiful scenario as the sun rises behind the mountain peaks and makes a wonderful backdrop for an early morning elopement.
Lago Di Braies
Pictures might make you think this is the perfect spot for a personal, private elopement. But it’s actually one of the most popular tourist destinations in all the Dolomites, with multiple weddings happening in the area every day. That’s not to say it isn’t a wonderful place to elope! The lake has pristine, blue water surrounded by extraordinarily tall peaks. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. But if you want a little privacy, you’ll need to schedule your elopement for early in the morning and privately book the boathouse.
Consider staying at Hotel Lago De Braies
Alpe Di Siusi
Alpe di Siusi is the quintessence of the Dolomites. With rolling green meadows and dramatic rocky peaks peppered with small mountain huts, you and your significant other will be awestruck by the magnificence of this area. Pictures just don’t do it justice, but you’ll run the battery down on your phone trying to! It takes some preparation to get there, with sections of the road only open at specific times. The best plan is to go early in the morning and elope at sunrise or mid-day and then drive back down before the roads close. But if you stay at one of the nearby hotels, you’ll have extended hours. Or, you can also take one of the gondola lifts up to the top. However, they don’t open until 9a, and it may be difficult to get everything you want for a wedding up to the top via gondola.
Passo Giau
The Great Dolomites Road—Grande Strada delle Dolomiti in Italian—is a 100km road that passes some of the most beautiful spots in the Dolomite range. There are a lot of routes to take, but the road starts in Bolzano and ends in Cortina D’Ampezzo. Along the way, you’ll pass popular spots like the popular Lago di Carezza, Passo di Costalunga, Vigo di Fassa, Canazei, Passo Pordoi, Arabba, Livinallongo, Passo Falzarego, and the Ampezzo Valley. The trip itself is epic, but eloping along the way would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Consider staying at Averau Mountain Hut
Baita G. Segantini
The actual Baita G. Segantini is more of a pond than a lake. But this body of water features some of the most beautiful views of the Dolomites, with epic reflections on the surface. It takes a 4 mile hike, but this alpine pasture hut facing the Pale di San Martino is one of the most scenic destinations in the range. It gets its name from a nearby restaurant that's a 30-minute walk from Passo Rolle. You can technically drive here along a private dirt road, but it’s usually closed to tourists and highly discouraged. Just add it to your hike to the Passo Mulaz instead and stop to elope at this magnificent site. Along the way, you won’t be able to help but stop to see all the green meadows surrounded by rocky cliffs. This is one of the top spots for a sunset elopement, as you can start mid day when the foot traffic lowers a bit and end the hike with an epic ceremony. Be on the lookout for the Cimon della Pala peak along the way!
Dolomites Elopement Packages
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Full Day $9,000
7 hours of coverage
3-5 locations + capturing any activities you do
Split or consecutive coverage
Includes any necessary photography permits
Includes ALL TRAVEL FEES to get here
Vendor referrals, location recommendations, help planning your timeline
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Half Day $6,500
4 hours of coverage
2-3 location
Consecutive coverage or $250 extra for split
Includes any necessary photography permits
Includes ALL TRAVEL FEES to get here
Vendor referrals, location recommendations, help planning your timeline
Let’s work together.
Fill out this form as detailed as possible and we’ll be planning together in no time!
Maddie and Jack’s Lago di Braies elopement was nothing short of magical. With exclusive boathouse access at sunrise, they rowed amid stunning mountain reflections and serene alpine beauty.