Austrian Alps Hiking Elopement with wildflowers – Kylie and Casey
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Having moved to Europe from the USA for Kylie’s job, they knew that getting their friends and families together would be a logistical challenge, and on top of that , they didn’t feel like a big wedding was right for them. However, they were drawn to the idea of eloping, and could picture themselves getting married somewhere beautiful in nature. After some talking, they decided that the mountains would be the perfect place for them to celebrate their marriage.
When I was planning their location ideas for them, they gave me the following brief: Big mountain peaks with dramatic cliffs/rugged terrain. Panoramic views from atop a peak, away from crowds. And since they were happy to hike, this opened up a number of incredible options to them.
After sending them a number of options, they settled on a stunning hike in the Austrian Alps, just an hour east of the city of Innsbruck. On my advice, they opted to elope on a weekday, just outside of high season, so the trails were quiet and uncrowded, giving them exactly the experience they wanted.
Here’s their story in their words:
How did you get engaged?
We got engaged during a trip to Rome. During a walk through the city, Casey took me to a beautiful spot within the Roman Forum and got down on one knee and proposed! He had hired a photographer who captured the moment and then took us on a personal tour of the area to take more photos. It was a really beautiful day.
Any funny stories leading up to your wedding day?
The night before, Casey tried to tie his tie and realized he hadn’t done so in over 10 years. Several YouTube videos later, and thankfully, we managed to produce a decent tie.
How did you decide on this location in the Austrian Alps?
We had an idea of the type of scenery we were looking for; rocky mountains, dramatic views, and the fewer people the better. We had a bit of an audience during our proposal and really wanted our wedding vows to be as private as possible. Cat provided us with some options, and we selected this area based on the views and the hike to the top!
What were the biggest challenges you faced in planning your wedding/elopement?
Honestly, we didn’t experience any challenges in the planning process. We both had very few ‘must-haves’ for the elopement and emphasized that we wanted a more carefree and spontaneous day. Cat did such an amazing job providing everything for us! The only stressful part was ensuring we had everything we needed in the days leading up to the elopement and making sure we didn’t forget anything.
What is your favourite moment/memory from the day?
Kylie: My favorite part was hiking in my wedding dress! It was so fun. I also loved taking pictures on the cliff edge, it was absolutely stunning and in that moment I knew those pictures were going to turn out amazing.
Casey: My favorite part was relaxing with the picnic after our vows and celebrating by popping champagne!
Is there anything you are really glad you did? Or didn’t do?
Besides eloping in the mountains, we are both so happy to have left the day open to be spontaneous. We enjoyed keeping it simple and just about us. We loved having the picnic after our vows to relax, drink some champagne, and eat some food!
What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?
Do what makes you happy!
We both wanted a really private setting to exchange vows, and it was absolutely perfect. I would absolutely recommend hiking in this area, it was beautiful, relatively easy hike, and was quite empty of people.
If you change into your dress midway through the hike, don’t forget to re-apply sunscreen!
What was your favourite thing about working with Cat?
Cat was absolutely fantastic. We really appreciated that she did all the planning for us, provided multiple location options with pictures, and went through them all with us. I truly felt that she genuinely cared about us and our experience. We really enjoyed having her with us at our elopement and loved all the candid photos!
