After getting engaged, Kelsey Row and Ali Reed felt reluctant about hosting a big wedding, so when they stumbled across a photographer who specialized in Alpine elopements, they jumped at the chance. The couple packed wedding outfits and hiking boots, invited their sisters, and set off for a weekend in the mountains…

DAY BEFORE WEDDING

Ali (left) and Kelsey

Kelsey: The day before our wedding ceremony, we took a long hike to three different alpine lakes. Our photographer Cat helped coordinate our elopement — she asked us what we envisioned, recommended hikes, and found a great bakery. It was nice to be working with someone who knew the terrain so well.

Kelsey: We thought, Why not get married with our sisters by our sides? The four of us are around the same age, quite similar in many ways, and very close. It felt really special.

Kelsey: I felt a lot of hesitancy to get in the glacial lake. It was freezing but super fun.

Ali: Then we had lunch at a restaurant on the mountain and kept hiking.

Ali: Before we came to Austria, we figured there was no way it could be as beautiful as it is in pictures. But it was even more beautiful in person.

WEDDING DAY

Kelsey: We stayed in an apartment in the city of Innsbruck, Austria. One of my favorite parts of the day was getting ready together. We are not morning people, so we slept until nine, did each other’s hair and makeup, and had mimosas with our sisters. It was nice not to have a tight schedule and worry about a lot of guests.

Ali: We finished getting ready separately, so we could do a proper first look.

Ali: I found a jumpsuit with a cape for $98 and joked that I was yielding the rest of our dress budget to Kelsey. She had me guess beforehand what I thought her dress would look like, and I was totally wrong. I was thinking lacy and boho, and she had silk goddess vibes. It felt awesome to turn around and see her.

Kelsey: After our first look, we met up with our sisters and hiked to a lake for the wedding ceremony and a picnic.

Ali: Since our parents weren’t physically there with us, we asked both sets to write something, and then our sisters read their letters aloud. We laughed, then cried, and then laughed at the fact that we were crying.

Kelsey: Then Ali and I said our vows.
Ali: We took a few long pauses to just soak in the moment. It felt like the whole world stood still.

Kelsey: Hilariously, I forgot to bring water when packing for the picnic, so we only had Champagne to drink.

Kelsey: Ali and I covered our sister’s expenses, and then, after the wedding, we all took trains together around Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Two weeks with four people in Europe — a once-in-a-lifetime trip — was still much cheaper than the quotes we were getting for larger weddings in the U.S.

Ali: Getting legally married in Austria was complicated, so we signed our marriage certificate with Kelsey’s sister at a random airport bar before we flew abroad. Now, whenever we’re at the airport, we’ll pass the bar and be like, ‘That’s where we officially got married!’

P.S. A wedding at home, and how would you make your wedding feel true to you?

(Wedding photography and planning by Wild Connections Photography.)