Sunrise Elopement in the Dolomites - Alicia & Ryan

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Alicia & Ryan braved a VERY early start for their sunrise elopement in the Dolomites. Starting the morning at 4am, they got ready together in their hotel room while the mountains outside were still shrouded in darkness.

With rain forecast for their whole elopement day, we weren’t sure whether there would be lots of clouds around, or whether we’d get a sunrise at all. But as we parked at the trailhead ready for the hike to their ceremony location, the skies started to light up and gave us the most incredible sunrise.

After their vows, Alicia and Ryan warmed (and caffeinated up) in a nearby rifugio before hiking back down and travelling to their next location, which was another short hike to reach.

Their final location for the day was the top of the magnificent Lagazuoi, with incredible panoramic views of the surrounding valleys.

As the clouds drew in and the rain started to fall, we took a well-earned lunch break at the rifugio before heading back to their hotel for cake and a chilled out evening.

Alicia & Ryan’s Dolomites Elopement Story

How did you get engaged?

Ryan planned a big trip for Alicia’s birthday to Seattle. At the end of the trip while we were hiking through Mount Rainier National Park, Ryan got down on one knee when the clouds opened up exposing the snow capped Mount Rainier.

Any funny stories leading up to your wedding day?

Not leading up to, but after our wedding we did a drive thru wedding in Las Vegas to officially get married! Right afterwards, we popped into a casino and put a couple of dollars on 9 and 15 (our elopement day) on the roulette wheel and won almost $100 on our first spin!

How did you decide on your location?

We knew that if we eloped we wanted to make it extra special. We tossed around different ideas like New Zealand, Moraine Lake, and seeing the Northern Lights. While looking around, we stumbled upon the Dolomites and fell in love. When we came across Cat’s photography, we knew for sure that we wanted to elope there.

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

Deciding on the itinerary was the biggest challenge. Cat provided so many great options, we had a hard time narrowing down where we wanted to go exactly.

What is your favourite moment or memory from the day?

The sunrise pictures for sure! (Unexpectedly coming across the herd of sheep and goats was up there too!)

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

We are so happy that we did our vows at sunrise. The views (and pictures) were just stunning. We’re also glad we took the cable car up Lagazuoi to get the expansive views of the area!

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

Listen to Cat! All of her recommendations for beautiful locations, poses for pictures, and everything else was perfect!

What was your favourite thing about working with Cat?

Cat was incredibly kind, friendly, and knowledgeable about the area. She came so prepared and had everything planned out perfectly which really took the stress off our shoulders.