How To Plan A Ski Resort Wedding In Europe
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Is the idea of spending your hard-earned dollars on a wedding killing you, when you’d much rather be spending it on an awesome ski trip? I feel you! After my first snowboarding trip to the French Alps, I was so addicted to the mountain life that I came back to England and quit my job, and jumped on a plane to the Austrian Alps to spend a winter season in a ski resort. When your highlight of the year is your annual pilgrimage to the ski slopes, it’s hard to imagine spending your savings on anything else, especially a wedding. BUT it doesn’t need to be a choice between one thing or the other. What if you could plan a winter wedding in your favourite ski resort in Europe? Well, guess what – YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN! And I’m going to show you how.
How To Plan A Ski Resort Winter Wedding In The Alps
Which Ski Resort?
There will probably be a few factors that will be key in deciding which ski resort is the ideal location for your winter wedding. Things you’ll want to consider will probably include:
1. How easy is it to get to?
2. Can we/do we want to have our legal wedding here?
3. The costs involved
4. Are there activities for non-skiers?
Ski Resorts In Austria
Mayrhofen / Zillertal
Zell Am See / Kaprun
Kitzbühel / Kirchberg
Obergurgl / Sölden
St Anton / Lech
Innsbruck / Stubai
Pitztal
Ski Resorts In Switzerland
Wengen
Grindelwald
Zermatt
St Moritz
Davos
Engelberg
Verbier
Ski Resorts In Italy
Aosta Valley
Val Gardena
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Courmayeur
Alta Badia
Livigno
Ski Resorts in France
Val-d’Isère
Chamonix
Méribel / Val Thorens
Morzine
Alpe d’Huez
For some more information about wedding venues & wedding planners in the Alps,
check out this Alps Wedding Planning Guide
When Is The Best Time To Plan A Ski Wedding?
Unfortunately, climate change is making the seasons increasingly hard to predict. As I’m writing this post, it’s mid-November in the Austrian Alps, the mountains are white and I’ve already had my first ski day of the winter season. BUT it isn’t always like this. For the last few years, winter has arrived late. Extremely late. It’s no longer a given that Christmas and New Year in the Alps will be white, so coming between mid-January and mid-April mean you’ll have the best chances of great skiing conditions.
Dates to Avoid In The Winter Season
February/March:
Whilst you might be inclined to think that the UK half-term week in February might also be a week to avoid, this isn’t always the case. The busiest weeks to avoid during the ski season are the weeks that coincide with Fasching (Carnival). This period before Lent coincides with Austrian, Swiss, German, Dutch & Belgian holidays (though rarely the UK holidays) and is always incredibly busy across ski resorts. If you’re unsure when the carnival period is just search for Fasching 2022/2023… for example.
Other Dates To Avoid:
Some ski resorts in host big festivals, such as Snowbombing in Mayrhofen, Austria and Tomorrowland Winter in Alpe d’Huez, France. If you’re looking for a low-key setting for your wedding, avoiding these resorts/dates is the best way to go.
Ski Resort Wedding Logistics
How To Choose A Ski Wedding Venue
Picking the right venue for your ski resort wedding can have some logistical challenges that don’t come with your average wedding venue. Some of the most unique and authentic venues to give you that rustic ski chalet vibe are in the most stunning locations, usually up on the mountain in the middle of the ski resort. So planning how you are going to get everyone there (and home again) can be the biggest challenge. Getting there might be fairly straightforward if all of the people you are inviting can ski or snowboard, but often, the biggest challenge is getting everyone back down again. Most ski lifts close between 4-5pm, meaning that if you want to keep the party going through the evening in your mountain wedding venue, you’ll need to find an alternative way of getting back down. Different venues have different options, from paying for an evening ride on the ski lift to getting ski-doo or piste basher to transport everyone back down. One thing you’ll need to think about when choosing a venue on the mountain like this is that everyone will have to leave at set times, not simply when they are tired and ready to go home. That’ll also be the case for your vendors – you may need to keep them on for longer hours simply because they can’t get down until the first transport is arranged.
How To Go Skiing or Snowboarding In Your Wedding Clothes
1. Make Sure You Buy Outfits That Allow You To Move With Ease
When choosing your wedding outfits, keep in the back of your mind that you might want to hit the slopes in them. When you ski or snowboard you’re usually quite active in your movement, so just as you want clothes that won’t restrict you on the dancefloor, think about how you move when you’re on skis too and if you’ll be able to do that easily.
2. For Snowboarders
Think about how wide your stance is. For girls, a tightly fitted dress, or for guys tighter trousers may stop you from being able to stand in your usual wider stance, so make sure you test this when shopping for your wedding clothes. For brides, you’ll probably also want to re-think having a train on your wedding dress, as you could end up getting it stuck under the board every time you go for a heelside turn.
3. Research The Lift Situation
Chairlifts or cable cars are always preferable above drag lifts as not only are they more comfortable, but there’s less chance, especially for the bride, of getting the dress caught up in something.
4. Don’t Forget The Accessories
Whilst you might not want to put on a helmet and goggles, don’t forget to pack at least sunglasses if it’s going to be even slightly sunny, as there’s nothing worse than snow-blindness. And remember to pack a pair of socks so you don’t get blisters and have a jacket handy in case you need to cover up and keep warm.
5. Have A Competent Friend/Family Member Come Along
If you’ve got a jacket, bouquet or anything else that you want to bring on the shoot with you but perhaps not wear the whole time, having a competent skier or snowboarder in the wedding party who can tag along and hold stuff can be really helpful.
And don’t forget your lift passes!
