Dolomites Rifugio Elopement - Heather + Kurtis - Wild Connections Photography

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Many of my 2025 elopements have been plagued by bad weather, and Heather & Kurtis’ elopement was one of them. Originally, the plan was to hike and spend the night in a rifugio, get up and exchange vows at sunrise the next morning, then hike back to the valley, meet with family, and have a second ceremony and dinner with family. However, due to extremely heavy rain and snowfall on the forecast, the plans needed to change.

The couple got ready separately early on the first morning, then shared a sweet private first look outside the hotel. They were then joined by their families, where they hiked into the valley for their ceremony, conducted by Heather’s cousin. Afterwards, everyone continued to a mountain hut at the end of the valley, where a wonderful lunch made of local appetizers was served. Heather & Kurtis then changed into hiking clothes, and packed their wedding outfits into their backpacks for their hiking adventure.

We hiked up into the mountains, climbing steeply up the mountainside and getting deeper into the mountains. Once we reached the hut, there was time for a quick cake and cappuccino break, before switching back into their wedding clothes for photos around the hut. We hiked all around the surrounding area until the rain started to fall.

The next morning, with rain and clouds surrounding the hut, we packed our bags and hiked back to the valley. Wanting to still make the most of the day, we decided to jump in the car and visit a nearby lake and waterfall – laughing and joking as we tried to dodge the heavy rain. That evening, everyone met up again at the hotel for a pre-dinner drink. As luck would have it, a local band was playing in the hotel lobby that night, and the couple was summoned to do a first dance before heading to dinner.

Heather & Kurtis’ Story – Told by Them

How did you get engaged?

Our first time in the Dolomites, we stayed at the hotel on Lago di Braies. Kurtis had researched and picked a specific hike that was accessed from the lake. The night before, there was a thunderstorm, and it snowed on the mountain peaks. We decided to hike anyway despite being nervous we were the only people on the trail. A few times I had thought we should turn around, but we kept going. I am glad I pushed through, because Kurtis proposed to me at the top of the hike. We were the only people around other than the two women working at the mountain hut.

Any funny stories leading up to your wedding day?

The airline lost Kurtis’s suit that he had checked in his overnight backpack. Luckily, we happened to be in Venice the first two nights and we were able to get his bag the day after we arrived!

How did you decide on your location?

Cat gave us about six options to choose from. We remember it was a really difficult decision, and we had it narrowed down to two options. Ultimately, we chose our specific location based on wanting a rifugio that was only accessible via hiking. We also chose our location based on the ceremony location because we had 12 guests (including two four-year-olds) who needed easy access. We were very fortunate that there happened to be an amazing hotel at the start of the trailhead that we all stayed in for a week.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in planning your wedding/elopement?

Our biggest challenge was finding a place for dinner since we were planning from across the world, and there was a language barrier. We ultimately hired a planner to assist us and we are so glad we did! She not only found us dinner options, but she also helped organize our guests on the day of, and even carried things for us to make everything easy and stress-free.

What is your favourite moment/memory from the day?

Our entire wedding event was special to us. Spending time with our family getting ready, walking to the ceremony, and celebrating after couldn’t have been better. The night of our wedding dinner, the hotel happened to have a live band, which was very fun! We also loved hiking and staying in the rifugio. It was such a neat experience to be surrounded by nothing but mountain peaks in a hut. We enjoyed learning how to play Pass the Pigs with Cat. She even let Kurtis win. Can you tell Heather wrote this part?

Is there anything you are really glad you did? Or didn’t do?

We are really happy we followed our hearts when deciding to elope with our immediate family. We didn’t get caught up in all the traditional wedding details, which made everything stress-free and focused on being present with family, with nature as a backdrop. We are very glad we hired Jlenia, our wedding planner, and Ulli for hair and makeup. They were both crucial to our wedding day and lovely human beings. Ulli hiked 2100’ of elevation with us, fixed my hair and makeup, and provided me with my coat to stay warm between photos. She is an absolute gem who made me feel beautiful.

What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?

The best advice we can give is to place your trust in Cat to bring your vision to life. We battled stomach illness and rainfall warnings, but Cat rearranged things to overcome these hurdles. Cat can’t control the weather, but she spends the majority of her life in nature and was excellent at forecasting better weather opportunities. She is an exceptionally talented photographer; rain, snow, or shine, your photos will turn out better than imagined.

What wedding planning resources did you use whilst planning your elopement (if any)?

We didn’t use any resources other than our hired help! We found Cat through Google search, and everyone else was recommended by Cat or Jlenia.

What was your favourite thing about working with Cat?

Our favorite thing about Cat, is she is ready for everything. She captured important moments that we didn’t even realize were happening. She is so friendly and made us very comfortable from the start. There are not enough words to highlight her talent and we think her photographs say it all. I highly recommend Cat for anyone looking for an elopement in the Dolomites or Austria.