Seceda Winter Elopement in the Dolomites

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Eloping In The Dolomites In Winter

Visiting the Dolomites in winter is quite a different experience from the summer. Many locations that are easily accessible in summer by road and a short walk become cut-off due or only accessible for ski tourers and snowshoe hikers due to the snow levels in the winter. While you do have many more mountain lifts running than in the summertime that allow you to get deeper and higher into many areas with relative ease, many of these are only open to skiers and snowboarders. So a location that you’ve seen in the summer may not be an option in the winter, but you may have other exciting options open to you instead. And if you are a skier or snowboarder, ski tourer or snowshoe hiker then the world (or at least the world of the Dolomites) is your oyster.

Mary & Moriah’s Winter Dolomites Elopement Story

Mary & Moriah first fell in love with Seceda when they visited the Dolomites together one summer and went paragliding on this beautiful mountain surrounded by these stunning views. So when we were looking at locations for their winter elopement, even though there were many different locations that were discussed, deep down they knew they wanted to return to Seceda.

However, knowing that they wanted to say their vows to one another in a more private setting, they put their trust in me to find them a private spot for their elopement ceremony, which was conducted by a close friend.

The winter of 2022 in the Dolomites was a pretty dry one, with very limited snowfall. But the day before their elopement, there was a big storm and lots of new snow. Which was fantastic for their photos. But it did mean that the snowshoe hike to their ceremony spot would be a little more challenging to reach with the deeper snow. To make things a little easier for them, I visited the ceremony spot in the morning and already broke an initial trail, as well as checked there was no avalanche risk in that area. With everything looking good, we were all set to go!

I’ll hand over to M&M to tell you about the rest of the day in their words:

How did you get engaged?

Moriah proposed to Mary in Chilhowee Tennessee, USA while they were visiting home for Christmas.
Moriah planned a surprise to take Mary to the top of a mountain overlook with a beautiful sunset scene. When they arrived, there were flower petals and candles that lined the ground leading up to string lights hanging from the tree that draped over the perfect spot to ask the big question.

A couple days later, Mary proposed to Moriah in Phoenix Arizona, USA. Mary took Moriah on a short hike to the top of a mountain that she use to hike as a young girl. It was another gorgeous sunset evening with all the different colors portrayed by the desert sun. Mary used the oldest proposal trick in the book: “I need to tie my shoe”. The truth was, she really did. She hiked the whole mountain with her shoe untied because she knew how tentative Moriah was. It made for the perfect moment when Mary pulled out a gorgeous ring and also asked Moriah that special question.

How did you decide on your location?

Mary and I love adventures and being outdoors. The Dolomites has been one of our favorite places to visit since we first arrived in Italy. We both agreed that the perfect elopement would in a place that we both feel at home and soothing to our souls. The idea of the Dolomites had us googling wedding photos and when we came across Cat’s photos, we 100% knew that’s what we wanted to do.

What is your favourite moment from the day?

Our favorite moments/memories were when we got to first see each other in our wedding dresses, when we popped a champagne bottle at the end of day, and when we had to help hold each other’s dresses while we walked in several feet of snow and kept falling.

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

We are really glad that we decided to do our vows at a location that Cat suggested. It was at a beautiful little cabin with a gorgeous mountain background. It was truly the most perfect place and moment.

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

Be decisive early and trust the process as it unfolds.

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

Our most helpful resources were Google, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.

What was your favourite thing about working with Cat?

Our favorite things about working with Cat was her expertise, kindness, patience, love for adventure and accommodations. She made our elopement such an amazing experience!

Vow Books: Etsy
Getting Ready Location: Residence Cesa Sassela