Snowboard Winter Wedding Adventure in Austria

When you think about eloping, what is the first thing that comes to mind? How about an epic snowboard winter wedding adventure in Austria?

This Austria elopement is an awesome reminder that an elopement can be whatever you want it to be. According to Cat Ekkelboom-White, the photographer, this couple had the time of their life doing what they love on their wedding day in the Austrian Alps, snowboarding.

“Inge and Martijn’s focus for the day was to have fun and make the most of being in their favorite ski resort. Not just hitting the slopes, but just the whole feeling of being in the mountains. The cozy mountain hut atmosphere, the cheesy apres-ski music, and the Jagermeister!

Their ceremony was so incredibly moving. I’m pretty sure everyone was in tears. After they had tied the knot, their next priority was getting as many laps in as possible before the lifts shut.” [Cat]

Do you love snowboarding? Get all the details on this snowboard wedding and how to prepare for it!

If you want to skip the story, then jump to the photos from this winter wedding adventure in Austria.

Deciding on Having a Snowboard Wedding

Having an intimate wedding or elopement sometimes doesn’t happen because a couple plans it. Rather, elopements have now become more and more popular that couples find inspiration through social media to ditch their traditional wedding for something a little more exciting.

“We talked a lot about getting married but always thought the formal weddings we went to in the Netherlands were a bit boring and a lot of formalities in one day. We wanted to do something awesome on our wedding day. Then I saw a photo of a bride and groom hitting the slopes in a gown and tuxedo on Pinterest. I was sold and sent my husband the photo. He absolutely loved the idea!” [Inge]

According to Cat, these two met and instantly clicked with their love of traveling and being active. They both especially enjoy snowboarding and wakeboarding together. Thus, this snowboard wedding in the Austrian Alps defined them as a couple perfectly.

“I love capturing these types of adventures because I completely understand why a couple wants to do it. They can’t imagine themselves being the center of attention at a big wedding. They’d rather just be enjoying the more simple pleasure in life – the great outdoors, adventure, and each other.” [Cat]

Planning This Winter Wedding Adventure

According to the couple, planning went relatively smoothly. They had a ski vacation booked with their family and planned their wedding that same week. They fell in love with the Schmiedhofalm and its amazing views and super friendly owners.

One thing Inge recommends to couples who decide to have a snowboard wedding like this is to hire a knowledgeable team. Her wedding planner from Trouwen In Oostenrijk lives in Austria and also speaks the language. Her photographer, Cat, is experienced in documenting snowboard weddings.

Planning an elopement can be less stressful than planning a traditional wedding, but there are a lot of strange obstacles you may come across when you don’t live in the area you are planning. Thus, we also suggest building a strong elopement package with awesome vendors.

Cat tells us that with Ski and snowboard wedding adventures, she focuses more on logistics rather than the creative side because there are many factors to consider. She also mentions how documenting these types of adventures are hands-on for her because she is on the slopes while the couple is too!

“You have to be really considerate of what gear you take because you often have to ski with it. But you also need to still be responsible and still have backup cameras and lenses in case something happens to one of them, which is a very real possibility when you are skiing and shooting at the same time.” [Cat]

Tips for Other Couples who Want to Elope

Inge tells us her advice and it’s simple, “do what works for you, and do what feels right.”

Cat tells us that the couple should fill the day with activities you both love to do, without worrying about anyone else.

“You can absolutely incorporate your love of adventure into your elopement. The possibilities are endless. I’ve hiked, climbed, skied, snowshoed and snowboarded with couples for their elopements all across Europe. At the start, I think it helps to either picture yourselves in a particular type of landscape or doing a particular activity, and then you can take it from there.” [Cat]

Cat also mentions staying within some boundaries of your comfort zone. It’s a great idea to try new things but maybe stick to an adventure you both are comfortable with for your wedding day.

“Adventure weddings definitely aren’t for everyone. I think a lot of couples love the idea of taking pictures in remote places but aren’t always prepared for the effort that it can take. I think it’s super important to hire a photographer who is an expert in adventurous weddings, and who knows the location you want to visit because of their expert knowledge and can make the world of difference in helping you to plan and prepare for your day.” [Cat]

Favorite Moments During this Wedding Adventure

Inge and Martijn tell us it’s difficult to pinpoint their exact favorite moment from the day because they loved every bit of it.

“We absolutely loved hitting a few slopes with our friends and family after the ceremony, and the great party!” [Inge]

Our team personally loved all the details they included to make their snowboard wedding adventure unique including their Jägermeister wedding cake, blankets for the ceremony to keep warm, and their snowboard sign in for their immediate friends and family to sign.

Cat recalls three moments that stood out for her their first look, their ceremony, and the slopes. She loved witnessing and documenting all of the emotional moments including their first look nerves and their emotional ceremony exchanging vows.

“They were both ecstatic after their ceremony (I think they were both quite nervous beforehand), and afterward they just wanted to shred. I mean, how can you NOT love hitting the ski slopes on a wedding day?!” [Cat]