A 4 a.m. alarm, a headlamp hike and a ceremony for two at the edge of an alpine lake.
Priya and Sam wanted three things from their wedding day: mountains, quiet, and no seating chart. So we met them at a trailhead in the Dolomites at four in the morning with headlamps and a thermos of coffee.
The hike took an hour and a half. By the time we reached the lake the sky had gone from black to a deep, cold blue, and the first light was touching the peaks across the water.
Planning for the weather you get
Mountain weather changes by the minute, so every elopement plan has a second and third location within walking distance. This time we did not need them: the clouds held off until the vows were done and then rolled in, which made for the moodiest portraits of the year.
