Seefeld Elopement - Lisa & Alex - Wild Connections Photography

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Lisa and Alex didn’t plan to have their elopement in Seefeld. They originally contacted me about shooting their elopement wedding in Norway, but when I had to break the news to them that I was fully booked during their travel dates and could only take on shoots around my home in Innsbruck, I passed on some names of other photographers that I recommend and thought that I wouldn’t hear from them again. But a few weeks later Lisa got back in touch and said that they would travel to Innsbruck and work around my availability, because they didn’t want anyone else to capture their elopement. Moments like this still make me pinch myself, because while I do believe I’m great at creating experiences for my couples, I know there are so many other great photographers out there. So when they said it had to be me, I did a little happy dance and started looking for locations around Innsbruck that would take their breath away.

Lisa and Alex were coming to Innsbruck at the end of May for their elopement. And they described their perfect day as being high up in the mountains, full of fun, laughter and shared memories, and a juxtaposition of “traditional” with “crazy adventure”. For their ceremony, they wanted to be spontaneous and choose the spot when they felt the most awe-struck on the hike – which I love!

If you’ve never been to the Alps in May, you may not know that it can be a challenging month to plan around if you are looking for high up, mountain top views. Most mountain lifts don’t open until the end of May or early June. Which leaves hiking to get you high in the mountains. And when the winter has been long, many trails are still covered in snow.

Our original plan was for 1 day earlier, when all the mountain lifts around Innsbruck were still closed. We were going to embark on a 7 mile, 2300ft hike south of Innsbruck that Lisa & Alex had chosen from a selection of ideas that I’d sent them. But then then two days before, the weather forecast did not look safe to be embarking on a 5-6 hour hike. After speaking with them, and explaining the options, we agreed on plan B.

Our plan B was to move their elopement to the following day, when the weather looked much more stable. I also suggested that we changed location, since the south side of Innsbruck still had a low-pressure weather system hanging around. Instead, we headed north, to the town of Seefeld. Instead of a long uphill hike, we were able to make the most of the opening day of the lift, and we transported ourselves up to the top of the mountain. From there, we hike along the stunning saddle and ridge until Lisa & Alex found their spot. Afterwards we continued to the summit for champagne and cake, which their family and friends lovingly carried up for them.

To end their Austrian elopement, we headed back to Innsbruck and finished off the day exploring the streets of the old town, getting that wonderful contrast between the ruggedness of the mountains and the elegance of the city.