Fall elopement in the Dolomites – rainbow, golden light & unforgettable mountain views

Amy and Tom dreamed of a quiet, intimate wedding surrounded by nature. No crowds, no chaos  –  just mountains, a lake, their love, and a couple of their closest people. A fall elopement in the Dolomites felt like the perfect way to celebrate: dramatic peaks, golden trees, and that crisp alpine air… it was all lining up to be something magical. But, like all great stories, theirs came with a little twist.

Lago di Braies pre-wedding session in the rain

Originally, the plan was to have an elopement ceremony on 10th of October. But the Dolomites had other ideas. From morning till night, the skies opened up and rain came pouring down. We made the call to move the ceremony to the next day (thankfully, their hair and makeup artist was up for the change too). And honestly? We didn’t regret a thing.

The one thing we couldn’t move was the iconic boathouse at Lago di Braies, which Amy and Tom had booked for their first look in the morning. So we decided to go for it anyway – and turn it into a fun little adventure before the actual elopement.

We met up at the parking lot, finally in person after more than a year and a half of texting, planning, and video calls. And it felt like seeing old friends. Amy and Tom had brought their two best friends, Liz and James, with them. It didn’t take long to realize this was a crew that knew how to have a good time.

The engagement-style photo session started at the boathouse at Lago di Braies. Even though the mountains in the background were foggy and hidden, the lake was still that surreal, beautiful blue. The guys lit cigars, the girls were giggling, and we rowed wooden boats in the pouring rain like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Later, we warmed up inside the boathouse for a bit before heading out for a walk along the lakeshore. And you know what? The rain actually helped us – the lake was almost empty compared to usual amounts of tourists at this time of the year…

The first shoey at Lago di Braies? We think so!

Then came the prosecco. Amy and Tom wanted to do a little spray – just for the fun of it and for some epic photos. After the wild bubbly explosion, Liz looked at them and exclaimed, “You should do a shoey!”

If you’re not familiar, a shoey is an Aussie tradition where you pour alcohol into a shoe and drink it – yep, straight from the shoe. And while I was standing there thinking “Wait, what’s a shoey?”, Amy and Tom (who live in Australia) were already halfway through pouring prosecco into their shoes. And yep – they chugged it! Straight from their sneakers, in the rain, laughing their heads off. It was chaotic and hilarious!

Afterwards, we headed to a little café near the lake to warm up again – cake, coffee, and a bit of planning for what would turn out to be the most unforgettable elopement day.

A mountaintop first look, birds in the sky & a surprise rainbow

They took separate cable cars up to a mountaintop near the hotel for their first look. Tom stood waiting, heart pounding … When Amy finally appeared, he smiled – that kind of quiet, honest smile you can’t fake. They hugged tightly, and just stood there for a moment, soaking it all in. No rush. No posing. Just the two of them, surrounded by silence and mountains.

Suddenly we noticed that a storm was gathering in the distance – dark clouds creeping over the ridges behind us. “We should probably head down soon,” we thought. But before we could move, we caught a glimpse of something magical. A rainbow.

I ran toward it like a wild child (I mean – rainbows during wedding portraits?! Yes please!) and the bride and groom followed. Just as Amy and Tom were standing for their portraits – rainbow behind them – a group of birds flew overhead. Black thrush, the kind you often see in these mountains. It was already one of those moments that felt too good to be real, and somehow nature decided to add one more layer of magic…

Walking back to the cable cars, Amy gasped when she saw a patch of snow. Living in Australia, they don’t see snow often. Naturally, they both stepped into it like excited kids. That whole moment felt like the universe was celebrating together with them.

And the storm? It never came. We rode the cable car down dry and smiling. “This is just perfect,” Amy said. “It can’t get any better.” But she didn’t know yet what the evening would bring…