The ultimate guide to plan an elopement in the Italian Alps

ELOPING IN THE ITALIAN ALPS

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU PLAN AN ELOPEMENT IN THE ALPS

The current Covid pandemic has surely made it clear that things can take a different turn than we expected and that people who adapt faster and have a higher tendency to resilience are more likely to go through this unprecedented (to say the least) situation without getting overly stressed and feel overwhelmed by ever changing plans.

Surely couples who were supposed to get married in 2020 did not have their ideal year while they learned to postpone and push their organisation skills to the next level. 

With a worldwide situation that doesn’t look likely to change in the very near future, where gatherings and big parties are not likely to be allowed, considering an alternative way to celebrate your wedding could be just the winning thing to do.

Many of our couples have decided to change their destination wedding plans and decide to elope instead: they would still have a different and non-traditional wedding, with the plus of not having to worry about ever changing new rules and restrictions. 

It is clearly no secret that we have a huge “passion” (if our obsession can even be called so) for mountains, so it comes only natural to be so much in love with elopements in the Alps. 

If you too are a big mountain and outdoors lover and you want to celebrate your wedding in YOUR different and unique way, then eloping to the Alps could be just your thing. And there is definitely a whole special extra charm when it comes to the Italian Alps. 

Plus, because there is always a plus:

As for destination weddings, when you decide to elope somewhere special like Italy, you can easily turn your wedding destination into your honeymoon location! So, what are you waiting for?

You might also like: A guide to destination weddings in Italy

Let’s go through all you need to know when you start planning your elopement in the Italian Alps:

• Can I get legally married in Italy?
• 3 top Italian Alps locations for your elopement
• When is the best time to elope in the Italian Alps?
• How to travel to the Italian Alps
• Let’s elope!

CAN I GET LEGALLY MARRIED IN ITALY?

The short answer is YES. The long answer is yes, Italy legally recognises religious and civil weddings, you do not need to be a resident in Italy as there is no legal residency requirements. You will need to present your paperwork, including your birth certificate, passport, an affidavit and you’ll also need to submit a declaration of intent to marry. PLUS, you will need two witnesses. If you do not speak Italian, you will also need an official translator.

BENNI & CAROL’S EXTRA TIP:

Why not consider a symbolic ceremony and get rid of all the legal hassle instead? You can always get legally married in your home country and then have your intimate, heart felt symbolic ceremony anywhere you wish to in the Italian Alps.

This is also the best way to actually have the epic day of your dream without having to worry about finding time on the actual day to sign all the legal paperwork, which is always a huge plus especially if your plans are those to hike up a mountain!

3 TOP ITALIAN ALPS LOCATIONS FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT

1. The Dolomites

It is hard to find nowadays people who haven't heard of the Dolomites and their breathtaking landscape. The Dolomites are indeed popular destinations, even within their national mountain lovers, but for very good reasons. In 2009 the Dolomites became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it couldn’t be otherwise, it is by far one of the most spectacular areas in the Italian Alps range. It treasures some of the most iconic Italian Alps destinations, like le Tre Cime di Lavaredo (which for a climber like Carol are just THE dream) and the very famous Lago di Braies. As beautiful as these popular destinations might be, they have the downside of being very crowded as well. The wonderful thing about the Dolomites though, is that they stretch and cover a very wide area in northern Italy, so equally beautiful but far less busy locations are easy to find in such a wild region.

Being both Benni and Carol skiers, they know only too well how, for example, Val Gardena and Val di Fassa are amongst the most beautiful areas you can choose for an unforgettable elopement. And these are only two of the many different options this area can offer.

To know more about it, you can visit their official website here:

https://www.dolomites.org/

Or, you can just contact us and start asking anything that really crosses your mind!

GET IN TOUCH  

USEFUL LINKS

https://www.dolomites.org/

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Lago di Braies

Val Gardena

Val di Fassa

2. Valle D’Aosta 

The smallest of all the Italian regions and yet the one with the most unreached and unknown places probably in the whole Europe. This little region is surrounded by the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn, so it is home of 4 of the highest peaks in Italy, all ranging from 4000 metres and above. 

If for your elopement you are looking for an esthetic mountain landscape and a real feel of proper alpine mountains, then Valle d’Aosta is definitely the elopement destination you should consider.

OUR FAVOURITE LOCATIONS FOR AN ELOPEMENT IN VALLE D’AOSTA

Courmayeur: “a place above ordinary” as it is described on their official website. And it really is a place above ordinary, nothing can really top its spectacular views of Mont

Blanc. Find all you need to know about this unique place and start being carried away by the thought of planning a day completely above the ordinary!

https://www.courmayeurmontblanc.it/en

Cervinia: Do you want to experience in one day both the Swiss and the Italian charm? Cervinia is that one place that can offer you the possibility of eloping right in front of the Matterhorn (do we need to say more?!) and also the chance of having a little detour in Switzerland and visiting Zermatt all in the same day. But it is so much more than this, to know everything this wonderful destination has to offer, visit their official website here:https://www.cervinia.it/en/estate/home

Gressoney: The Mont Blanc and Matterhorn are not enough and you want a third option? If you decide to elope in Gressoney you will be surrounded by Monte Rosa, probably one of the most beautiful and esthetic mountain landscapes in Valle d’Aosta. With just a quick cable lift you can find yourself in the Passo dei Salati and from there start exploring one of the wildest places in the area. For all the info you need to know about this epic place, visit their website here: https://www.lovevda.it/en/database/3/tourist-resorts/aosta-valley/gressoney-saint-jean/392 

USEFUL LINKS

https://www.lovevda.it/en 

Courmayeur

Cervinia

Gressoney

3. Alta Valle di Susa

Last but definitely not least, Alta Valle di Susa. Alta Valle di Susa is the place we know better on Earth. It is where we spent most of our childhood and teenage years and it is where we spend pretty much all the holidays with our families. Alta Valle di Susa doesn’t have the same amount of marketing as its more famous sisters, it is surely not as well known - even though in 2006 we had the Winter Olympics! - but we can guarantee, it is second to none! Right on the border with France, this beautiful valley offers everything one could look for when thinking of eloping in the Alps: wild treks in remote places, stunning lake views, waterfalls everywhere, unique mountain views, potential short detours in France (like for example in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Briançon), huge climbing walls, endless ski slopes, ancient forts like Forte di Exilles, the fort that is believed having jailed Man in the Iron Mask or the astonishing Forte di Fenestrelle and so so so much more! 

OUR FAVOURITE LOCATIONS FOR AN ELOPEMENT IN ALTA VALLE DI SUSA

1. Valle Stretta or Vallée Étroite:

One of the main characteristics of Alta Val di Susa is that it hasn’t been very much touched by human hands. This is even more so when we talk about Valle Stretta: as soon as you enter it, you will notice that there are hardly any buildings apart from a few “alpeggi” and mountain huts, but then it is purely wilderness and nature. The first thing you see when you enter this enchanted Valley is “La Parete dei Militi”, a massive wall, pure rock, where what we nowadays know as “sport climbing” was born. On the other side of this historical and magnificent wall, you are escorted all the way up to the end of the car road by the so-called “Re Magi”, three peaks named after the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Caspar, Balthazar (in Italian Tre Re Magi: Punta Baldassarre, Punta Melchiorre e Punta Gasparre). Once you have reached the end of the driving lane, it is where the first paths begin and you have the chance to get lost in their wilderness. If you choose the right time of the year, chances are that you will not encounter anyone at all. We could go on and on and on talking about this Valley, we know its every little corner. We tried anyway to come down to three top picks for an elopement in Valle Stretta, but of course we have so many more locations to suggest and this is definitely something we can do together should you wish to elope here.

So here we go, our 3 TOP picks for an elopement in Valle Stretta:

Lago Verde: the literal translation of this location would be, “The green Lake”. The Lago Verde it’s a hidden lake whose waters are green, literally green. The hike to reach it is stunning and easy, with beautiful views on the Grand Seru’

Lago Lavoir: a wild lake, surrounded by Italian and French peaks. The hike is a bit more demanding, but totally worth the views.

La guglia Rossa o Aguille Rouge: it entails a longer and more consistent hike, suitable for those who have already a good level of fitness and knowledge of the alpine environment.  

PLACES TO STAY IN VALLE STRETTA:

Rifugio Terzo Alpini (with a pristine cuisine, where you can enjoy a super affordable but real meal, with polenta, spezzatini and all the typical dishes of the area).

http://www.terzoalpini.com/FR/refuge.html

Rifugio I Re Magi

http://www.rifugio.iremagi.it/index.php/en-gb/

USEFUL LINKS:

https://visitvaldisusa.it/la-valle-stretta-con-le-sue-escursioni/

Rifugio i Re Magi

Rifugio Terzo Alpini

2. Grange della Valle:

Quite frankly, we don’t even know where to start with this! It is THE place, it is impossible to describe with words how beautiful this location is. First of all, the little village (if you can even call it a village, it only has a few houses) of Grange della Valle is unique. With its stone houses and little streets in which you can just get lost, it guards this astonishing valley. 

Only last August we did a three day trekking that started here and we went exploring (yet again!) these wild mountains, all the way to the French borders. They are dense with history - the second World War left many reminders all around, plus they are the mountains through which the Waldensians fled to Switzerland, but there are so many other stories worth knowing! - they are the gateway to many places so remote that they have become almost a myth (you see, the good thing about this side of the Italian Alps is that they are not touristy AT ALL, so chances are that you will always be by yourself!), we could honestly go on and on and on talking about this place!  

Places definitely worth knowing and simply perfect for an elopement in the Italian Alps are:

• Rifugio Luigi Vaccarone
• Lakes Clapier
• Lake Sabine 

PLACES TO STAY IN THE GRANGE DELLA VALLE AREA:

Rifugio Levi Molinari

Rifugio Luigi Vaccarone

3. Colle del Moncenisio:

It's the pass between Italy and France, on a Napoleonic historical road guarded by a deep blue lake with the most stunning views on the French alps peaks. We should probably just write a whole blog post only dedicated to Moncenisio and to the three locations that we just listed, but it is already a good start knowing that they are there. If you do decide to get in touch and talk us through your plans for an elopement in the Italian Alps, then we can surely come up with potential locations tailored specifically on what you want and expect from your day, we literally cannot wait to start planning your elopement with you!

USEFUL LINKS

https://visitvaldisusa.it/moncenisio-la-porta-delle-alpi/

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO ELOPE IN THE ITALIAN ALPS?

As in most mountain destinations, when it comes to the Italian Alps you need to be aware that Winter starts roughly in mid-November and ends at the end of April. So if you are planning to have a winter elopement, the months between November and April are those you should consider. If instead your plans are those of having a Spring/Summer elopement in the Italian Alps, then the months you should consider are those between the end of April/beginning of May and mid-October.

HOW TO TRAVEL TO THE ITALIAN ALPS

If you wish to elope in the Dolomites: 

the best website you can check out for travelling plans is this one:

https://www.dolomiti.it/en/transport-information-for-the-dolomites-mountain-holidays

If you wish to elope in Valle d’Aosta:

• For the Courmayeur area, you can check out this website here: 

(scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page) https://www.courmayeurmontblanc.it/en

• For the Cervinia/Zermatt area, you can check out this website here:https://www.cervinia.it/en/estate/breuil-cervinia-come-arrivare
• For the Gressoney area , you can check out this website here: https://www.guidemonterosa.info/page_e.asp?ID=5

If you wish to elope in Alta Valle di Susa (Piemonte):

• You can check this website out: (click on the “useful Information” button)

http://www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/the-mountains/the-susa-valley-and-its-villages.html

LET’S ELOPE

So, here’s our little guide on eloping in the Italian Alps. There would be so much more to say and so many locations to add, but it is a good start and a good way to start having a better idea of how the Italian Alps spread geographically in Northern Italy and how many different options one could have if they decided to elope in this part of Europe. 

Part of the service we offer with our elopement photography packages is to help our couples design and tailor their day, based on what they seek the most for their wedding. 

So, the very first step to take when starting planning an elopement in the Italian Alps is that of getting in touch with the first key information that will help us design your unique special adventure!

GET IN TOUCH

We cannot wait to hear your plans!  

Benni & Carol xx

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