Tracy and Carlos’ Winter Elopement in Switzerland

Tracy and Carlos’s multi-day elopement in Switzerland was an unforgettable celebration of their love and adventurous spirits. From the breathtaking ride on the Glacier Express to their intimate ceremony by the Matterhorn, every moment reflected their unique connection and shared passions. They embraced tradition and adventure—sleeping in an igloo at Iglu-Dorf, exploring charming streets in their traditional Vietnamese and Filipino wedding attire, and exchanging heartfelt vows by the serene waters of Lake Brienz—creating memories that will last a lifetime. Get all the details below.

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About This Elopement

Photography by Sheryl Anne Photography

“Tracy and Carlos decided to have a multi-day day elopement filled with epic adventures throughout Switzerland!

I absolutely loved every moment of their multi-day elopement; it was a true celebration of their love and individuality! Rather than pouring resources into a big traditional wedding, they chose to invest in this epic adventure together, embracing experiences they had always dreamed of and creating unforgettable memories. Each day was a carefully curated experience—riding the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt, exploring the stunning slopes of the Matterhorn, sleeping under the stars in an igloo at Iglu-Dorf, and exchanging vows while sharing their first dance by Lake Brienz. Every moment was nothing short of magical. And let’s not forget their unique touch of tradition—Tracy and Carlos chose to don traditional Vietnamese and Filipino wedding dresses while strolling through the charming streets of Interlaken to beautifully symbolize the fusion of their cultures with the charm of Europe. It was a breathtaking journey from start to finish, and I’m grateful I could capture it all!” [Sheryl, the photographer]

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Permits and Planning Your Switzerland Elopement

“Permits were not required in the locations Tracy and Carlos chose for their multi-day elopement in Switzerland: Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken. Switzerland generally does not require permits, which makes it an easy and epic destination for elopements with symbolic ceremonies!

When planning your elopement in Switzerland, be aware of special regulations and considerations to ensure a smooth and respectful experience. For instance, drone usage is prohibited in Lauterbrunnen and on the ski slopes of Zermatt. Additionally, the weather in these regions, particularly during winter and early spring, can be extremely cold and unpredictable, posing potential dangers to those on the mountain, so check the weather forecast often and listen to local guides.

When visiting public places, please be courteous to other visitors and respect the property of locals. It’s easy to unintentionally wander onto private land while searching for the perfect photo spot, so always be mindful of your surroundings.” [Sheryl, the photographer]

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Top Tips For Your Elopement

“To avoid the crowds and create a more intimate elopement experience, I recommend planning your ceremony at sunrise and choosing dates during the low season—either September to October or March to April.

For smooth and efficient travel, I also suggest taking advantage of Switzerland’s excellent train system. Download the SBB app on your phone, which allows you to easily purchase tickets, check bus and train schedules in advance, and receive real-time updates on delays or cancellations. Be sure to plan your train routes ahead of time to make the most of your journey and ensure everything goes smoothly for your elopement trip!” [Sheryl, the photographer]

Deciding to Elope

“While the idea of having a traditional wedding is still magical, we wanted something a bit more intimate, where we could get a chance to truly cherish and create better memories, without all the additional stimuli that come with a traditional wedding. It was also a wise decision for us, financially, since we had the best of both worlds. Being surrounded by the beauty of Switzerland and getting to be married to each other, is just something that we dreamed of.

We have always wanted to travel to many places, with Switzerland being the top bucket list destination. We both love the outdoors, hiking, and honestly being surrounded by the Swiss Alps is truly a surreal experience. Switzerland offered that and more. The country leaves us speechless every time. We are in awe of how breathtakingly beautiful it is.” [The couple]

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Planning Process

“For the planning process, we actually had a lot of help from Sheryl, our elopement photographer. She was so helpful and wonderful in helping us research certain areas so that we could have our multi-day elopement.

The one thing we knew we wanted, was to have a bit of both the winter season and spring season, as Carlos, my husband, loves the snow and winter, whereas I love the greenery and spring. We took a huge gamble on the weather since March is a little unpredictable. However, the weather was great and beautiful while we were there.

After we chose our dates, we did reach out to Sheryl first, to see if she was available. From there, we actually had multiple lengthy sessions with Sheryl on researching modes of transportation (did A LOT of research from Google on that), towns that we absolutely wanted to visit, as well as the best lodging for what we were going to do. Since we were going to go to multiple towns, we created a rough 9-day itinerary with which towns we were going to start off in and end with.

There was also the financial component, where there were a lot of calculations that were involved (i.e. how much would a one-way or round-trip train ride cost from one town to another) to help with budgeting. We highly recommend mapping out how much traveling you would need by train to see which Swiss Travel Pass works best for you. For us, that was the Half-Fare card, as it allowed us to pay for only half the price of all train tickets and buses within the span of our travel.

Our rough estimate for this trip was around 8-10k. Switzerland is a pretty expensive travel destination. Everything from public transportation, food, lodging, activities, and even plane tickets. We haven’t truly sat down and calculated the cost of everything, unfortunately. But we did save up around 10k and stayed within our budget, throughout the trip.” [The couple]

Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the photographer:

“The final day, during their ceremony by the breathtaking Lake Brienz. In the days leading up to it, Tracy had shared the story of their ring—how it was what they could afford at the time, with plans to upgrade it when the timing and savings were just right. But little did she know, Carlos was already a step ahead! During their vow exchange, he dropped to one knee and surprised Tracy with a stunning new ring. It was such a beautiful and unforgettable moment. After their heartfelt ceremony and a magical first dance by the lake, we celebrated with a meal where they shared even more exciting news—Tracy was pregnant! It was a day full of surprises and joy, making their elopement truly one for the books.”

From the couple:

“For us, the most memorable part was waking up every morning, feeling immensely loved by each other, and being so incredibly grateful that we were able to take the time to truly take in all of the beauty that Switzerland had to offer. As much as we had so many things planned, we were always able to slow down and make time for each other and our surroundings. I believe that Sheryl, our elopement photographer, truly helped with capturing all of that for us, which made our elopement even more memorable. We can look back at our pictures to re-live one of our most cherished and life-changing memories.”

Photos From This Elopement