Tips for Planning a Ski Trip Proposal in Austria

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The Alps in winter are pretty damn romantic if I say so myself: snow-capped mountains, rustic wooden chalets, and cuddling up with some hot mulled wine, just like a scene from a holiday rom-com movie. You don’t need to work hard to make things feel romantic – the Alps already do the heavy lifting! Using your ski trip as an opportunity to surprise your partner with a marriage proposal could be the perfect timing, so if it’s something that you’re considering, keep reading…

Choosing the Perfect Location to propose

The “perfect” location is often subjective. It depends on you and your partner’s wishes, ease of access, the weather, and how crowded a location may be. I typically work with couples who are visiting the area for the first time, so they often don’t already know the exact spot where they want it to happen. And that’s where I come in. I’m here to help you pick the perfect location and plan exactly how things are going to unfold. But even while you are still in the early stages of planning, here are a few of my top tips:

Consider a Smaller resort

Innsbruck and Tirol have some of the best ski resorts in the world. But especially in the high season, some of them can get extremely busy. Smaller resorts tend to attract fewer people, which means the slopes (and the lift lines) can be much less crowded. Even if you’re staying in a big resort, you may have some other smaller areas on your lift pass.

Pick a Quieter Time of Day

Remember that winter means shorter daylight hours, which often conveniently align with the ski area’s opening times, so the time of day may be limited to between 9 am and 4 pm (typical opening hours in winter). Most people tend to head in for lunch between 12-2 pm, so this can lead to slightly quieter slopes during these times. Saturdays are often one of the quieter days on the mountain, as Saturday is the main travel day for many resorts in the Austrian Alps.

Narrow down your Vision

Ask yourself these questions about how you (and your partner) would most enjoy the proposal moment:

• Would you and your partner prefer a location that is quieter, or are you ok with lots of other people around?
• Is your priority views, or privacy?
• Are you skiing, snowboarding, or on foot?
• If you’re doing winter sports, what is your ability level?
• Would you prefer to do it at the top of the mountain, at a mountain restaurant, on the piste, or in the valley?
• In resort, such as at the Christmas markets, or in an Apres ski bar?

I prefer working in the resorts that I know the best around Innsbruck, as it helps me guide you to choosing the best location for you. Once we’ve chatted over your vision, I’ll send you my top suggestions on where I think would be the best location for your proposal.

Keeping it a surprise

When it comes to having your proposal photographed, there are two different approaches that we can take.

The first option is to keep everything a complete secret. We’ll agree on a time and location in advance, and I’ll essentially stalk you on the mountain, waiting for the moment to happen. This option is the best route if you don’t want to raise any suspicions; however, it does come with a small challenge – that we can’t communicate openly. So while I’ll be trying to keep you in my sights to be ready with my camera and get the best angle for photos, I may not be able to control everything happening around me.

The alternative is to hire me for a skiing photoshoot/couples photoshoot, or even as a fake ski guide. This means that I can easily direct you and control more of the factors around the proposal moment itself. However, if you never hire guides or have never booked a couples photoshoot before, this is very likely to raise suspicion.

Read more about the pros and cons of both approaches in my proposal planning guide.

Does it have to be during skiing?

Some couples live and breathe skiing/snowboarding, and want to get engaged on the slopes. But there are other options out there too, especially if you’re not confident skiers, you ski at different levels, or you are concerned about busy ski slopes. Here are some other ways to pull off an unforgettable winter proposal:

• Ski touring away from the busy resort
• Winter hiking or snowshoeing
• Tobogganing
• Ice skating
• Ice climbing
• At the bottom of the mountain after paragliding down
• A horse-drawn carriage ride
• Dog sledding
• In town at a Christmas market

Keeping the ring safe & Hidden

Whilst I appreciate that not everyone proposes with a ring, most of the proposals I have photographed have involved one. I’ve also had folks who have been anxious about travelling with the ring. If you are anxious about how to keep it safe, you can consider using a “placeholder” or “travel” ring – an alternative ring that isn’t as valuable.

On the day, I recommend keeping the ring in a box. If the box it comes in is quite large, you could also buy a slim ring box that fits more comfortably in a pocket without leaving a big bulge. Thankfully, most winter/ski jackets are fairly loose and have a lot of pockets, so it should be quite easy to help keep the ring hidden. Just make sure you remember which pocket the ring is in, so that you don’t end up frantically checking all your pockets.

Booking your ski proposal Photoshoot

I recommend booking a photographer for your proposal that is not only familiar with the area you want to propose, but also someone who is confident photographing on the slopes. Thankfully, I’m a former ski & snowboard instructor and have lived in the Austrian Alps for more than 15 years, so I’m your girl!

I offer proposal sessions starting at €1500 for 2 hours in the following ski resorts close to Innsbruck as part of my proposal session packages:

• Innsbruck – Nordkette
• Innsbruck – Patscherkofel
• Innsbruck – Mutterer Alm
• Kühtai
• Stubai – Stubai Glacier
• Stubai – Elfer/Neustift
• Stubai – Schlick 2000
• Stubai – Serles
• Seefeld Rosshütte or Loipe
• Leutasch Loipe (XC Skiing)
• Axamer Lizum
• Glungezer
• Bergeralm Steinach

For other locations within Tyrol, these can be requested and may be possible with an additional travel fee. These include:

• Mayrhofen/Zillertal region
• Kitzbühel region
• SkiWelt region
• St Anton
• Ötztal

After your date is booked with me, I’ll send you my winter proposal location guide and help you choose the best location for you. I don’t publish the locations online, as I’ve handpicked them and want to do my best to ensure they don’t become overcrowded.