Francesca and Pablo’s two-day snowmobile elopement in the Dolomites was so much fun! From frozen lakes (that weren’t quite as frozen as we hoped 😅), to snowmobiles in the mountains, to champagne at sunset and an unexpected party in a mountain hut, their elopement was the perfect balance of romance and joyful adventures!

This blog post covers everything — all the locations, the itinerary, the behind-the-scenes moments, and of course, their beautiful photos.

Before the Elopement

I arrived in the Dolomites a few days before Francesca and Pablo’s elopement to make sure everything was exactly right for them. No stress, no surprises (well, only the good kind 😅).

My first stop was visiting the snowmobile operator to go over all the logistics in detail. We went over the routes, best viewpoints, light conditions, and timing. That meeting ended up being three hours long, haha! But those are exactly the kinds of details that need taken care of if you want to have a fun snowmobile tour and truly epic photos, so it was absolutely worth every minute.

The next day I went location scouting. The couple had originally wanted their ceremony standing on ice at Lake Braies, which is one of the most stunning lakes in the Dolomites. But when I got there, I could see that the ice was already starting to melt. There were wet patches forming on the surface, and with two more sunny days before their elopement, I knew it wasn’t safe. Having the couple fall through the ice during their vows was not part of the plan 😅 So I went to scout for an alternative.

I found it at Lake Dobbiaco. Similar winter scenery, a beautiful rocky beach area with solid ground underneath the snow, more secluded, and more private. On the way, I also found a big flat rock by the water, which I cleaned up and set aside. More on that later 😊

The day before the elopement, I drove out to pick up Francesca’s bouquet. It was such a masterpiece and made exactly after clients’ wishes! Then went to pick up the wedding cake. Oh my goodness, the cake! The couple had designed it themselves, and the baker brought it to life so beautifully! It was such an art piece, full of detail, and as delicious as it looked. 

That evening, I met Francesca and Pablo for dinner to walk them through the full plan for their elopement days. We went over the weather forecast, discussed my findings from location scouting, and decided to switch to Lake Dobiacco for their ceremony. I also brought along album cover and paper samples so we could design their album together over dinner. It was such a lovely evening. I could feel how excited they were 🥰

DAY 1

Getting Ready

On the morning of the elopement, I arrived at their hotel room to capture them getting ready and some detail photos. A hairstylist came in for her hair, Francesca did her own makeup. 

To keep the first look a surprise, I sent Pablo down to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant while Francesca had breakfast via room service. Once they were fueled for the day and ready to go, Francesca hid her dress under a large coat for the drive, so he still wouldn’t see the full look until that special moment. 

First Look & Ceremony at Lake Dobbiaco

When we arrived at Lake Dobbiaco, Pablo was waiting by the lake as Francesca walked towards him. I will never get tired of first looks. They had their vows and their ring exchange, and we took portraits on the frozen lake against the most dramatic mountain backdrop you can imagine. The Dolomites covered in snow are just so dreamy!

After the ceremony, it was time for a very special Estonian tradition — sending away the bride’s maiden name. The idea is that as a bride takes on a new name, she lets go of the old one in a meaningful way. I had found the perfect flat rock for this during my scouting trip and had cleaned and dried it up and found a marker so Francesca could write her last name on it. 

We brought it to the lake, and she threw it onto the ice with some force, hoping it would crack through and disappear into the water! The rock bounced, and the ice didn’t break… and we all burst out laughing 😂 But actually, it turned out to be even more beautiful that way. The rock will now slowly sink into the lake as the ice melts. Her name becoming part of the lake. I kind of love that.

Lake Braies for Blue Hour Photos

Even though we had changed the ceremony location, we still went to Lake Braies for blue hour.

And here’s something important to know about Lake Braies (and mountains in general) is that, because the surrounding mountains are so high, the lake loses its direct sunlight around 4 PM, even though the regular sunset is around 6 PM. If you don’t know this and you plan to show up at 5:30 PM for golden hour photos, you’ll arrive to find it already dark and shadowy. 

This is exactly why working with a professional elopement photographer matters so much — these are the details I figure out in advance so the couple doesn’t have to think about it at all 😊

We arrived at the perfect time for beautiful blue hour light. There was still a big pile of snow on the lake that was safe to walk on, and the light was soft, and moody, and magical. We also did some lantern photos as the evening came in. By then, any crowds had cleared, too, so we had the whole place to ourselves. 

Back at the Hotel

When we got back to the hotel… we had a little surprise waiting for us. I had asked the hotel to bring the wedding cake to the room at 5 PM. But the hotel went completely above and beyond! They had decorated the room with balloons, candies, and champagne glasses, and had set everything up so beautifully. We didn’t even ask for any of that! It was such a lovely gesture, and it made the moment even more special 🥰

The couple ate their cake, popped their champagne, and then I left them to enjoy their evening together. It was a perfect, romantic day!

Day 2: The Adventure

Slow Morning & Pool Photos

Day two started with a slow morning. After a day like yesterday, they deserved to sleep in, have a big breakfast, and just take it all in. I met them at 1 PM, and we started with photos at the hotel pool. 

Snowmobiling in the Dolomites

Then it was time for the main event. Francesca changed out of her wedding dress into a onesie for the snowmobiling. It was a wise choice because she couldn’t sit on a snowmobile in her dress, each leg ona different side. Also, her dress wouldn’t have survived the wind and the cold, and being cold all afternoon wasn’t the vibe we were going for 😅 She kept her tiny veil on, though, and I have to say the photos still looked completely wedding-y and so fun!

They drove to the snowmobile location separately, which gave them a chance to experience the winding, serpentine mountain roads. Not everyone loves those roads (altitude sickness is real!), but Francesca and Pablo were totally fine and actually loved the drive, which was a great practice for what was coming next!

The tour guide gave them a quick lesson, and off they went! Pablo did most of the driving, but Francesca took the wheel for a while, too. Through spruce trees, open snow fields, with those jaw-dropping Dolomite peaks all around, everything was just stunning! At one point, Francesca stopped to make a snow angel in the deep powder 😊

As for me, I was on another snowmobile with our driver, sitting backwards so I could photograph the couple behind us. Balancing myself on a shaking, fast-driving snowmobile with only my thighs while holding my 3-pound camera with both hands, a 12-pound backpack on my back is… a skill I now have 😀  I was squealing, it was so fun, and I absolutely loved every second of it. I’m always up for any adventure! 

I also managed to fall thigh-deep into a snow pile at one point, which everyone found very funny. Worth it for the photos. It was all sooo much fun! I was laughing A LOT and the couple couldn’t stop smiling either! 🥹

Sunset on the Mountain Top

We finished the snowmobile tour at the mountain top just in time for sunset. The couple had their first dance right there, too. I had brought a speaker along for exactly this moment, and it was also a great way to warm up a little after the ride 😊

A picnic was included in the snowmobile package, so we had a charcuterie spread and champagne to enjoy while the sun went down. It wasn’t even that cold! Just a really fun, relaxed, beautiful evening. We listened to music and just hang out. We ended with lantern photos as the last light faded behind the mountains. It was a beautiful end to a very fun and adventurous day! But was it really the end of the day? 🤔 …

The Unexpected Party

When we drove back down and arrived at the mountain hut, we found that the staff of one restaurant was having a team outing that evening. There were locals too. And they invited us to join them! So we did!

It turned out the chef of that restaurant was there too, and since Francesca and Pablo love barbecuing, they ended up having the best conversation with him about Italian meat cooking tips and tricks. They tried local beers and wine, and everyone was laughing. It was the most spontaneous and perfect ending to the day!

Their Two-Day Snowmobile Elopement in the Dolomites

For their Dolomites elopement, Francesca and Pablo wanted something meaningful and something adventurous. They shared their wishes with me, I built an itinerary around all of them, and we spread it across two days so they could truly enjoy every single moment without feeling rushed 😊

Day one was slower and more grounded, while day two was playful and adventurous! It was the best of both worlds! 

Full Gallery

Their full gallery can be seen here!

Itinerary

Day 1

9-1 pm Getting ready at the hotel, breakfast and lunch

1 – 1:30 Drive to Lake Dobbiacco

1:30 – 1:45 pm First Look at Lake Dobbiacco

1:45 – 2:15 pm ceremony at Lake Dobbiacco, send away maiden name

2:15 – 3:30 pm Portraits, taking it all in

3:30 – 4 pm Blue hour photos at Lake Braies with lanterns 

4:30 – 5 pm Drive back to the hotel

5 – 6:30 pm Dinner, cake, and celebrating at the hotel

The rest of the evening was spent just enjoying, celebrating, and being together on their own.

Day 2

Calm morning without Eva, sleep it off, take it all in, have breakfast.

10 am – 12 pm Getting ready for the day

12 – 1 pm Lunch

1 pm Eva joins + Infinity pool photos at the hotel

1:30 – 2 pm Bathroom break, packing for adventures, and changing clothes

2 – 3:45 pm Drive to snow mobiling meeting point

4 – 5:30 pm Snowmobiling, photo breaks, snacks/picnic, first dance

5:30 – 6 pm Blue hour on top of the mountain, photos with lanterns

6:30 – 7 pm Drive back with snowmobiles

The original timeline called for driving back to the hotel, but we ended up staying and partying with the locals. Elopement days can always lead you to unexpected places if you allow for the adventures to unfold!

Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My now husband and I just wrapped up our elopement, thanks to Eva! She made the entire experience so seamless, and organized all of our trip in such short notice. I was stressed coming from the US to Italy, I wasn’t sure how I could plan our dream elopement overseas and Eva took all that stress off my shoulders!! She even recommended less-touristy locations that helped the experience feel more intimate. I initially chose Eva due to her photography style, but was so impressed with how efficient she was organizing the actual elopement day. She helped us feel prepared not only with packing recommendations, but also how to write our vows, and sharing culture insights to the locations we were visiting. However, I think the best part has been her company! Eva is an all around genuine kind hearted person, she’s so easy to talk to, and made us feel so comfortable during the photo shoots that she was able to capture our personalities in the pictures. Truly a magical experience- and yes, she’s real!!

Ready to Have Your Adventure Elopement in The Dolomites Next?

Your elopement doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It can have snowmobiles, frozen lakes, spontaneous mountain parties, and cake in a beautifully decorated hotel room. It can be whatever YOU want it to be! As your elopement photographer and planner, I take care of everything so you can just show up and enjoy every single moment of your day.

If a Dolomites elopement (or anywhere else in the world!) is a dream of yours, let’s make it happen. Send me a message and let’s start planning your adventure ❤️

Accommodation: Alpe Tesitin Hotel 

Hair artist: Claudia Bellomo 

Bakery: 100Grad

Florist: Florales Atelier

Activity Service Provider: Snowmobile

Other blog posts you might be interested in:

How much does it cost to elope in the Dolomites? 
Your ultimate guide for lake Garda Elopement 
Helena and Keio winter vow renewal
Paula and Arturs moody vow renewal in the Dolomites
Ron and Shir last minute winter elopement in the Dolomites