Everything you need to know about getting married in the mountains
Everbody dreams of a fairytale wedding. But wait a moment, is that really true? We certainly would say NO!
There are so many couples who don’t feel comfortable being the center of attention, couples who just want to spend their wedding day in nature, without hundreds of eyes looking into their direction. Just the two of them, talking about their next big adventure instead of how the colors of their tablecloths should be like - that’s what makes their eyes sparkle.
If you just nodded vigorously then you probably are one of those couples you would love to have their wedding in the mountains without all the trouble of having to include uncle XYZ or being part of traditions that you don’t feel comfortable with. You want to experience the feeling of freedom that you felt during your travel adventures in the mountains, the sheer excitement you had once you reached the top of a mountain, the world at your feet. That’s exactly what a mountain elopement can give you!
But the planning of a mountain wedding requires a few steps that you usually won’t find in your average wedding magazine and that’s exactly why we wrote this guide for you.
Table of Contents Show
1. Is it possible to get legally married in the mountains?
For a legally binding marriage in Germany you need to have a designated room/ building and cannot get married everywhere you want. But there still are register offices high up in the mountains where you can get legally married. Just be aware that those usually are booked out way in advance. Here’s a selection:
Jenner in the Berchtesgadener Alps
Wendelsteinhaus in Miesbach
Almbad Huberspitz
Sonn Alpin at the Zugspitze
Sonnenalm in Chiemgau
Nebelhorn in the Allgäu
Eisensteiner Hütte & Arberseehaus in the Bavarian Forest
Because of the bureaucracy involved we would advise couples who want to have a mountain wedding to either legally marry before or after their elopement in their home country or if you really want to get married outside to choose Austria instead of Germany. Why you ask? Because unlike in Germany it is possible to get legally married outside in nature/ the mountains if you find a registrar who is willing to hike up with you (don’t worry we know a few that we would love to recommend to you).
But still, you would have to fill out a lot of documents beforehand and that’s why we would recommend getting married back home and have a commitment ceremony in the mountains or just exchange your personal vows there. That way you have so much more possibilities to craft a wedding experience that is absolutely true to yourselves and the values that you represent. Another bonus is of course that you can exchange your vows anywhere you want. So choose your favourite spot in the Alps or take advantage of the location scouting we will do for you to find the perfect location for you adventure.
2. How do we find the perfect elopement location?
Well first of all “perfect” is very subjective and what could be perfect for someone else is not really your cup of tea. And let’s be honest: perfection is something that we will probably never reach and it’s not really what should define your mountain wedding. Your experiences, your biggest adventures together so far and the dreams you have, that’s what should define your mountain wedding. So if you close your eyes for a second and leave all the day to day worries behind you what do you see, where do you stand and what landscape do you see in front of you? It doesn’t have to be an exact location, that’s the beauty of dreaming, it doesn’t have to be concrete.
You can also think about all the adventures you experienced together and what exactly brought you pure joy within those. Was it star gazing at night, hiking up a mountain at sunrise or was it jumping into a crystal clear alpine lake.
And please don’t worry if you have just started planning your mountain wedding and don‘t know yet how it should be like in the end. A lot of our couples are actually at that exact point when they contact us. We love to hear your dreams and to support you in finding the perfect spot for your mountain wedding. One of our first advises would be to take your time finding out what makes your hearts beat fast, what excites you the most.
Why not make a date night out of it, have a nice dinner and treat yourselves to something special. The perfect setting for dreaming of your biggest adventure, yet. Talk about all the things that really hold meaning to you, things that YOU want on your mountain wedding and of course, things that you do not want. We guarantee you, this way you will have sparkling eyes instead of tired eyes from reading through every blog that tells you what you have to do on your wedding day. Because one thing is for sure: There is nothing you HAVE to do on the day of your mountain wedding.
What is the intention on your wedding day? What is most important to you?
Which landscapes do you prefer? Do you see towering mountains, or would you prefer rolling green hills?
What season would you like to get married in? Is it those summer days where it feels like the day will never end or are you more of an autumn person who likes to hike through arguably the most beautiful scenery nature has to offer. Or maybe you want to get married in winter because you always loved the cold and the snow-covered mountains.
Is your mountain wedding just one day or could imagine making a two or even multi-day adventure out of it?
Is it only the two of you or are you planning to bring guests with you? If so, please keep in mind that not everyone has the same fitness level or is comfortable with high altitudes.
How do you envision your ceremony? Any rituals or traditions you want to include?
What are you planning to wear? Because once you break with traditions, there is no one telling you, you HAVE to wear a white dress and a suit. You choose whatever you want to wear. Just take into account that you are comfortable with hiking a bit in your outfits and if not, bring extra clothes with you for hiking.
Are there any activities you would like to include into your mountain wedding? Is there something you always wanted to do but never found the chance to do so?
Take your time answering those questions and don’t feel rushed to complete them in a specific time frame. Those are the questions that will ultimately define how your wedding experience will look like and of course where it will take place.
And if you ever feel the need to reach out to us during your brainstorming sessions, please do so. We are there for you, every step of the way and we help you in finding the best spot!
3. What is the best season for a mountain wedding?
That’s not an easy question to answer because everyone has a different favourite season, they want to get married in. We can just give you a few advises on what to avoid and what might help you to ultimately decide which season you prefer the most.
One thing is for sure: Nature can be tricky and a mountain wedding needs extra preparation and experts by your side who always have a plan b and maybe even a little trick up their sleeves. So as always, preparation is key!
During our calls we will therefore discuss not only one location and one timeline for your day but always have a Plan B and mostly a Plan C ready to kick in once needed.
We will also carry appropriate equipment with us, when we start our mountain adventure (i.e. head lamps, hand warmers, first aid kit, rain jackets and not to forget many many snacks). Furthermore, you get a checklist beforehand with all the necessary things to pack.
Be flexible! Chances are, you have picked a mountain wedding because you love the calmness and the peaceful atmosphere the mountains give you. It would be contradictory to have a tightly clocked timeline and have a look on your watch every few seconds.
Check the weather, but not too often! Trust us, the weather will not change, no matter how often you unlock your smartphone and have a look at it. Speaking of smartphones, please don’t rely on your weather app on your phone. They are usually not very accurate when it comes to weather forecasts in the mountains. But you can check websites like the DAV (German Alpine Club) or bergfex.
If you are planning to do a longer and more difficult hike on your wedding day consider hiring a guide for this tour. Guides know a lot more about the region you are in and can give you advice on what to bring with you and how to prepare.
Even though no one can predict the weather to the second, there are still a few guidelines and tips that we can give you.
Most couples choose to have their mountain wedding during the summer months. The perfect month in our opinion is June. It is the transition month between spring and summer and on the one hand a lot of the hiking trails are accessible again and a lot of the huts and cable cars are open and on the other hand certain regions are not quite overrun by too many tourists. We don’t recommend getting married in august, because august is the month in which a lot of European countries have their summer holidays and it is extremely hard to find a private spot. Furthermore, august is the month with the highest temperatures and it can get dangerous too high up in the mountains during the middle of the day. If you still want to get married in August, we suggest planning for a sunrise elopement. Temperatures are noticeably cooler and you might even find a quite spot.
If summer is not really your thing we strongly recommend getting married in autumn. September and October are our favourite months for a mountain wedding. Not as many tourists as in July and August and a lot of the tracks are still accessible. The huts are also still open, just in higher regions huts tend to close around mid September but if you are planning to stay in lower altitudes autumn will not disappoint you. Quite the opposite we would say. Nature will greet you with its most beautiful colours and temperature will be perfect for hiking. If you plan on having a winter wedding be aware that most huts, hotels etc. are usually close in November and only open around the beginning of December for the skiing season.
4. What activities can we do?
There are so many things you can do on the day of your mountain wedding. Honestly, the possibilities are endless, and it comes down to how much time you plan for those activities and how important they are to you. Of course, there is the obvious one: hiking in the mountains. But you don’t have to hike in the mountains (see also next chapter). The following ideas are just that - ideas! It’s up to you what you want to do and if you ever feel stuck, please reach out to us and we will help you with all the experience and tips we gathered over the years. And last but not least before we show you our inspiration, you don’t HAVE to do any activities if you don’t want to.
Glamping
Horseback riding
Snowshoeing
Boat trip
Swim in an Alpine Lake
Rent E-Bikes and discover the area
Stand Up Paddling
Star Gazing
Have a picnic
Enjoy a campfire and roast some marshmallows
Tobogganing
A helicopter ride on top of a glacier
…
4. Do we have to hike on our mountain wedding?
A quick and easy one to answer for you: NO! Okay on to the next one. Just kidding. There are a few more things we want to talk about on this topic.
If you are an active person and like to hike in your spare time then hiking on your wedding day is probably something you are looking forward to. And hiking on your mountain elopement gives you a couple of advantages compared to lets say using a cable car. For one, hiking has no opening hours and you can start your adventure early in the morning equipped with some head lamps where as most cable cars usually start operating at around 9am. If you want to experience more freedom and have a quiet space to yourselves then starting early is a good idea. Hiking also lets you access regions and areas that you cannot reach otherwise and you are more likely to encounter areas where you will find no one else because most of the tourists prefer regions that they can reach via cable cars or other transportation.
But still, hiking is absolutely not essential to your mountain elopement. Why not charter a helicopter and fly to a remote place where you can exchange your personal vows, have a nice little picnic, pop some champagne and celebrate your love.
5. Should we invite guests to our mountain wedding?
If you want to invite guests to your mountain wedding or if you want to have a “just us” experience is totally up to you. There is no right or wrong with this question.
There are a few things you need to be aware of if you want to have a few guests who join you on your wedding day. Are they all comfortable with hiking or should you choose a different location, do you need to pick a different accommodation for all of you, etc.?
A perfect solution for you, if you simply cannot decide whether to bring a few people with you or not, could be to have a multi-day elopement experience. The first day you can spend with your friends and family and the next day is YOUR day, YOUR adventure. That’s kind of like your cheat code, where you have the best of both worlds.
And now? Now it’s time to start planning your very own mountain wedding and take all the inspiration we gave you to start dreaming. We cannot wait to hear all the plans you came up with and to meet you in person.
