If I was eloping in the Dolomites, I would absolutely make it a two day elopement experience because there is NO way I’m flying all the way to Italy just to speed run my wedding day. Absolutely not. We are romanticizing this entire experience.

And honestly?
I’d probably stay another week or two afterwards because there is also NO way I’d leave the Dolomites immediately after getting married. I am honeymooning the HELL out of this place.

OKAYY here me out, imagine spending your first week married driving through mountain passes with no real agenda, stopping at random little cafés every few hours, eating pasta and tiramisu (my fave!) every single day, wandering tiny alpine towns, finding hidden lakes, sleeping in with the mountains outside your Airbnb windows, and fully soaking in the fact that you just got married in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

THAT sounds like the dream to me.

If I was eloping in the Dolomites, this is what I would do!

First of all, you NEED a rental car.
Not optional, if you’re wanting to go off the beaten path and really explore on your own time, relying on public transportation isn’t going to cut it.

Half the magic of the Dolomites is literally the driving around part. Pulling over every five seconds because the mountains suddenly look fake. Finding random little cafés. Accidentally discovering some tiny mountain town that ends up becoming your favorite part of the trip. Windows down, espresso in hand, THAT is the vibe.

I would personally stay somewhere near Cortina d’Ampezzo or Dobbiaco because SO many incredible locations are nearby and you’re not wasting half your day driving all over the place.

And honestly? I wouldn’t even make the first day “elopement focused.”

I’d make it feel like the best vacation ever.

Check into the cutest little mountain Airbnb with giant windows and cozy blankets and immediately go wander around Lago di Dobbiaco because it is genuinely one of those places that makes you sit there quietly for a second because it’s so UNREAL!

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Then the rest of the evening?
Just vibes honestly.

Get pastries.
Drink espresso.
Have aperol spritzes at 2pm because you’re in Italy and nobody can stop you.
Walk around with no plan.
Maybe rent a little row boat.
Maybe get pasta twice in one day because you deserve it.

And PLEASE for the love of everything good, stop at Pasticceria Panificio Alverà.

This would immediately be on my itinerary. Fresh pastries, tiny coffees, little sandwiches, desserts that somehow change you as a person. This is exactly the type of place I would want couples going to during their elopement weekend because it feels so cozy and local and romantic without even trying.

And if you’re staying near Dobbiaco/Toblach, you HAVE to go to Birgit Patisserie.

I don’t care how busy the day is. We’re making time for pastries. Getting pastries to-go too… Non negotiable.

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Then day two would be the actual adventure day.

No insanely stressful timeline.
No trying to hit 14 locations in six hours.
No waking up feeling immediately overwhelmed.

I would genuinely start the morning slow at the Airbnb. Coffee brewing. Music playing. Getting ready together while the mountains are sitting outside the windows looking all dramatic and beautiful.

Those are always the moments people end up remembering most anyways.

From there, I’d stay fairly local for the first part of the day because honestly some of the best locations are all surprisingly close together.

You’ve got:

• Lago di Braies
• Cadini di Misurina
• Tre Cime di Lavaredo
• Lago di Sorapis

…all within pretty reasonable driving distance depending where you stay.

And listen.
I KNOW Lago di Braies is “popular,” but there is a reason. That place at sunrise is actually stupid beautiful. Like disrespectfully gorgeous.

• photo courtesy of Wikipedia

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Then later in the day?

THIS is where I would make things extra ridiculous in the best way possible.

Drive toward:

• Val Gardena
• Seceda
• and Gardena Pass

Because the second you get into that area it genuinely looks like somebody made it up.

The rolling hills. The ridgelines. The tiny cabins. The cows (COWS!!) just existing peacefully with the most insane mountain backdrop you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s absurd honestly.

And if budget allows?
Helicopter ride with HeliUnion. We can explore the harder to reach areas without spending 10+ hours hiking to them, win/win.

Imagine ending your elopement day flying over the Dolomites at sunset after spending the morning slow and intentional in the mountains. That is the kind of thing you remember forever.

Also one thing I would absolutely force into the timeline:
a long dinner break.

Not a quick “grab a snack and keep moving.”

No. Nope. NADA.

We are sitting down for pasta and wine and tiramisu while still partially in wedding attire looking slightly chaotic from hiking around all day. That sounds infinitely more memorable than rushing through the entire experience trying to maximize photo locations.

Honestly I think that’s the biggest thing I’d want couples to know about eloping in the Dolomites:

the best parts are usually the in between moments.

The random café stop.
Pulling over because the mountains suddenly look insane in the lighting.(+ COWS!)
Getting slightly lost together.
Stopping for another espresso you definitely do not need.
Watching the sunset from the side of the road.

That’s the stuff that turns this from “wedding photos in Italy” into one of the best experiences of your entire life.

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If You’re Reading This and Feeling Seen, That’s Not an Accident

Most couples who reach out to me say the same thing:
“This feels like exactly what we want.”

If you’re dreaming of an elopement that feels calm, intentional, and deeply meaningful — not rushed, performative, or stressful — I would love to help you plan it.

You don’t need to have everything figured out.
That’s part of my job.

• Thinking about elopeing in the Dolomites? This is what I would do!
• Multi Day Elopement? Yes, I’m being so real right now. Why you need one.
• Why “just a quick ceremony” never works how you think
• Your guide to Eloping in the Redwoods
• Traveling to the Pacific Northwest for Your Elopement: Everything You Need to Know