The Dolomites

Pale rock towers above green meadows and alpine lakes — sunrise elopements in summer, snow in winter.

The Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are a range of pale limestone peaks in Italy’s north-east, spread mainly across South Tyrol, Trentino and the Veneto. Below the rock walls lie high meadows, larch forests, turquoise lakes and valleys where German, Italian and Ladin are spoken.

They suit elopements and small weddings: vows by a lake at sunrise, a ceremony on a meadow or in a small chapel, dinner in a mountain hut or a valley hotel. Many places can only be reached on foot or by lift.

A couple reading their vows by a mountain lake

The Odle peaks glowing orange at golden hour

A village church in green meadows below the Odle peaks, in the Val di Funes

Through the year

When to marry in the Dolomites

Summer is the season: from late June to September the lifts and mountain huts are open, the meadows are green and the days are mild rather than hot. Afternoon storms are common, so mornings are the safest. Winter brings snow weddings from December to March; in between, in spring and late autumn, many lifts, huts and hotels close.

January: Good with planning
February: Good with planning
March: Good with planning
April: Quieter
May: Quieter
June: Best
July: Best
August: Best
September: Best
October: Good with planning
November: Quieter
December: Good with planning

Early summerWild flowers across the meadows, snow still on the high peaks and the longest days of the year.
High summer to autumnWarm valleys and cool heights. July is the wettest month, with afternoon storms; September is calmer and clearer, and in October the larches turn gold.
WinterDeep snow and cold, bright days — a white elopement, with warm layers and a plan for the cold.

Places

Where couples marry here

The kinds of places — ask your photographer which ones they know well.

Alpine lakes
Still, green-blue water under the rock walls — the classic sunrise elopement, before the day’s visitors arrive.
High meadows and viewpoints
Open pastures with wooden barns and the peaks all around, reached by lift or on foot.
Chapels and mountain huts
Small churches in the meadows for a ceremony, and huts for lunch or dinner at altitude.
Valley hotels and old farmsteads
Wooden chalets, spa hotels and restored farmhouses for the guests and the dinner.

Light

How the light falls

The pale rock catches the first and last sun and glows pink and orange — locals call it the enrosadira — while the valleys are already in shade. Mountain light is hard at midday and the weather changes fast, so photographers here plan around sunrise and sunset and keep a second spot in mind.

Travel

Getting there

Fly into Venice, Verona or Innsbruck; the valleys are two to three hours away by car. Roads climb over high passes that can close after snow, and the best spots often need an early start or a lift.

Photographers