Dolomites Winter Elopement in Ortisei – Daneesha & Bart
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Daneesha and Bart chose to elope in the Dolomites because it had special meaning for them, and because they loved the idea of combining their wedding with a ski trip.
Despite the weather forecast showing a mix of sun and clouds, the clouds were present for most of the day. Planning your elopement around a specific location or view always comes with a risk that you might be disappointed. When we got up on Seceda, unfortunately, the views were mostly hidden, with just the occasional glimpse of the valley below. But for Bart & Daneesha, this wasn’t a big deal. For them, the location was more about the emotional significance, rather than one specific view. Also, knowing that Seceda would be busy (which it was), the plan was to only take a few photos up there, after stopping at a cafe on the way up, and heading somewhere a bit quieter for their vows.
After Seceda, we headed to a valley nearby, where we hiked along the valley floor until we found a quiet spot away from the walking trail, with the trees giving them some privacy. They exchanged vows and read letter from their dads, and celebrated with some champagne, hot tea and pastries afterwards.
They wrapped up the day toasting with some prosecco back at their accommodation, before heading into Ortisei for dinner.
How did you get engaged?
We had taken the year off to travel in 2023, and I (Daneesha) had been saying to Bart for about six months that I would love to go to the Dolomites. Bart pretended for a long time that we would go another time, not that year. He surprised me by telling me a few weeks prior that we would visit in September. On our first day, we went on a hike near Ortisei. Bart stopped us at a secluded spot with a view over a valley between two large rocks and set up his phone to take a video (pretending it was self timer photos) and popped the question!
How did you decide on your location?
We knew we wanted to get married in a beautiful location with a view (preferably of mountains), and after a bit of time trying to plan a destination wedding and inviting other people, we decided that our dream location was going back to the Dolomites. It was just a plus that we could also go skiing while there!
What were the biggest challenges you faced in planning your wedding/elopement?
Our biggest challenge was coming to the decision to elope with just the two of us, we spent a long time trying to plan a destination wedding with our friends and family invited. Once we had decided on our elopement and started working with Cat, the process was easy.
What is your favourite moment/memory from the day?
After getting ready, we were walking through Ortisei into town to get coffee and hot chocolate, and a man in a large van stopped us to confirm it was our wedding day and ask us what our wedding song was. The first song that came to Bart’s mind that the person might recognise was ‘Bella Ciao’. The man blasted the song at full volume from his van, and we danced on the street while he serenaded us.
Is there anything you are really glad you did? Or didn’t do?
There are a couple of things I’m glad we did – we asked both our dads to write a letter to us that we could read prior to saying our vows. It was a really special moment.
We also got each other small gifts to open in the morning, turns out we had both got something related to our pet cats. A pocket square with their faces for Bart and a bracelet with their initials for me.
What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?
Do exactly what feels right for you. It can be so easy to get caught up in what other people will want, but it’s your day, and you should do exactly what is going to make you happy and make your day as special as possible for you.
What wedding planning resources did you use whilst planning your elopement (if any)? (Instagram, Pinterest, Wedding Blogs, Magazines etc)
We read the wedding blogs on Wild Connections and a few other websites to understand what we needed to consider. We learned how important it was to find a local photographer who was familiar with the location and terrain, particularly in winter, which is what led us to Cat.
What was your favourite thing about working with Cat?
Cat made the whole process so simple and fun. She planned the day exactly how we wanted it and worked all our ideas into the schedule. We were so comfortable taking photos, not something we have done before! She struck the perfect balance of giving us direction (needed) and letting us have our small quiet moments just for us.
Vendor Credits:
Hair & Makeup – Viki Aichner
Flowers – Blumenatelier La Fleura
Accommodation – Residence Villa Stella, Ortisei
Dress – Lulus
