A moody summer wedding in the Italian Alps
There is so much I could say about Megan and Ryan’s day in the Italian Alps. At one point, I turned to Megan and said, “I am jealous of your elopement day,” because it truly was just the perfect day. We couldn’t have asked for better weather or overall good vibes from the two of them and the family they invited to celebrate with. They were radiating joy ALL DAY LONG—from alpine lakes and gondola rides up to huts tucked into the mountains to hiking out to some of the most rugged peaks I’ve ever seen! We really did it all!
We started off at sunrise at the well-known Lago Di Braies, where the water is as blue as can be. Rowing around in the boats was so much fun, and it was also quite a humbling experience trying to shoot while drifting around. The scenery was straight out of a Nicholas Sparks romance novel. Megan and Ryan had their first look here, along with some family photos, as we explored around the lake and the boathouse.
After we wrapped up here, we headed to the next spot for their ceremony. The whole crew jumped on gondolas, and we were whisked up the steep mountain face, taking it all in. Once we reached the top, we realized we basically had the whole place to ourselves. We walked past the rifugio down to where we could get better views of the mountains behind us, and Megan and Ryan chose where they wanted to exchange vows.
The ceremony was filled with laughter and some emotional tears as the fog moved through the peaks behind them. We capped the ceremony with a celebratory shot of limoncello (when in Italy, right? 😆) before walking back up to the rifugio to enjoy lunch with everyone. We drank wine and coffee while eating meat and cheeses all while taking in the stunning views around us with hardly any other people in sight.
We headed back to town for a mid-day break before meeting at Megan and Ryan’s hotel. Even the view from their hotel was stunning! I will never get over all of the green meadows filled with wildflowers, with some of the biggest mountains just casually in the background. The Dolomites are truly unlike any other location!
After some quick getting-ready photos, we set out for the final spot of the day. The weather was looking iffy, but we at least knew the fog was moving, which was a good sign. When we pulled up to the trailhead, it was a total whiteout, with glimpses of the huge peaks just poking through the clouds every couple of minutes. We waited it out for a bit and even considered trying again the next day, but just as we were walking back, we got a huge clearing, and all the fog lifted! We hustled back to the overlook spot with just enough light left to grab photos of the two of them taking it all in.
The blue hour light seemed to last forever, and combined with the moody clouds, it not only made the trail totally empty but also created a really romantic mountain backdrop. I couldn’t help stopping to grab more photos as we made our way back to the cars. It truly was the perfect day spent running around the mountains, and I cannot wait to be out here again!


