Elopement on the Suspension Bridge - a Mountain Wedding in Austria
Adventure Wedding in Tyrol with a free wedding on the suspension bridge at the Olpererhütte - a small dream wedding in front of a snowy Alpine backdrop
What were we actually doing on the mountain in Tyrol? Was that a real wedding? A styled shoot? An after-wedding session?
In terms of character, it was an elopement - a real wedding in a very small circle. All around it was an adventure session - after all, we had to get up the mountain first. And down again. You do not know exactly. It was definitely beautiful. But let me start at the beginning. Because how did we actually get together and how did this “Adventureous-Mountain-Elopement-Wedding-Styledshoot-Inspirational-After-Wedding-Dings” come about?
Mostly, bridal couples spend a long time looking for their wedding photographer, follow the work on Instagram, you get to know each other and if everything fits, then you make a decision. In principle it was the same with Jessi and David. For their outdoor wedding in the Palatinate, the two consciously decided against a photographer and instead opted for a great wedding video (and a gin bar), but that's another story. It is thanks to Jessi's dress that the two ended up with a wedding photographer after all.
It started on the last day in September. It was cold but sunny and we gradually trundled into our little house and made ourselves comfortable by the tiled stove. We were able to get a taste of the Palatinate wine first. Christina and Carmen already knew Saja and I from weddings in the region - we are all based in the Taunus. Jessi and David, on the other hand, are from the Palatinate and we met in person for the first time in the Zillertal. Of course, Hugo was there too, who visibly enjoyed the attention of the small group and the sofa.
Rain and Snowfall
The next day, the weather made a first dash for us - real dog weather, so to speak. But that's not really surprising for the beginning of October in the Zillertal. When it was raining or snowing, a hike of several hours up the mountain made little sense - especially since we would probably have arrived at the bridge without sight. Instead, we strolled through Mayrhofen and treated ourselves to a hot chocolate or two. The thing about the Palatinate wine was also great to delve into in this weather. With that, of course, the pressure increased - it had to work the next day!
Toll road to Schlegeisspeicher closed - we drive it anyway
For the next day, however, the sun was announced and Getting Ready started early, while David went to fetch the bouquet.
With two cars we drove towards the toll road to the Schlegeisspeicher. Our enthusiasm quickly took a turn for the worse. The toll road was closed. Actually, it should have been open for a few more days, but the operators had simply brought the winter closure a few days earlier due to the snowfall the day before.
There we stood now. We wouldn't have made it in time to walk from there to the bridge - if it had been possible at all. We didn't want to wait for the next day either - who said the road would be open then !? So we unceremoniously packed six people and a dog into one car - if there was a parking ticket, then at least only for one (I have Swabian blood) - and drove around the barrier over the closed toll road to the reservoir. We never got a ticket.
A "short" hike up the mountain
The parking lot at the reservoir is practically the base camp. From there it is only 590 vertical meters to the Olpererhütte - a leisurely walk of less than 2 hours for locals and experienced hikers. But it took us almost 3.5 hours. Whether that was due to our condition or the first snowfields and the many photo opportunities on the way, I don't want to go into that here. In any case, the way up was already pretty impressive.
The Olpererhütte is the rescue for tired hikers.
Unfortunately, we arrived at the hut so behind our schedule, which kindly revived us with the last schnitzel of the year. After us, the Olpererhütte also went into the winter break. Already in summer the hut can only be delivered by helicopter. In winter, the catering will then be completely stopped and the hut only serves as emergency accommodation.
In addition to schnitzel and ski water, there was a quick second Getting Ready in front of the unbelievable glacier-mountain-reservoir panorama before we were supposed to make the last few meters to the bridge.
The wedding dress and the bridge
The dress spent the way up the mountain well tied on David's back. It finally appeared at the bridge. And while Carmen was finalizing the makeup for Jessi, the photo of the dress hanging on the bridge was taken unobserved - one thing between us boys. Jessi would not have approved that.
Speaking of Jessi ... she's actually afraid of heights. That somehow got lost in the planning.
The wedding at 2,400 meters
Then there was a really detailed ceremony on the bridge. Christina had telephoned the two of them long and often beforehand and conjured up a wonderful wedding speech. And although the whole thing actually started as an after-wedding session, the constellation turned into a real elopement - only Jessi and David, Christina as the speaker, Saja and me as the photographer and Carmen for hair, makeup and hugositting.
It was a really intimate moment for both of them. And there were even tears.
The bridge is an Instagram hotspot. Unfortunately.
A special feature of the suspension bridge at the Olpererhütte is that the photos give you the impression that you are floating at infinite height above the reservoir. In reality, the bridge is only a few meters long and leads at a height of less than 3 meters over a mountain stream, which only drops steeply into the valley behind it. So you don't need a drone for the spectacular photos, they are created comfortably from one of the many rocks a little further up in the creek.
That's why the bridge is so popular with Instagrammers. In the season, however, that makes the bridge unattractive. Videos are circulating online of people queuing up on the bridge for a photo - not a good place for an intimate elopement. But that's not what the bridge was built for either, it was already in mind as a photo hotspot. Because just a few meters further up, the stream would be much easier to cross. Only the look would not be the same.
Wedding photos with a mountain panorama
Meanwhile, we were happy about the time so late in the year and, last but not least, about the closure of the toll road. All of this successfully kept other hikers away and we had the mountain to ourselves and were completely undisturbed.
So many of the photos were taken with longer focal lengths from above. Fortunately, my wife Saja was there as the second photographer. Normally Saja actually works as a business photographer in Frankfurt and does not scramble around mountains - without her and her position at the end of the suspension bridge, the motifs during the wedding would have been considerably less varied. Besides, I should have run a lot too.
After the wedding, we devoted ourselves to the portraits for a while. With our busy schedule, it was a tight program that was exhausted until the last minute. I really wanted to take some evening mood with me, but I also didn't want to start the several-hour walk into the valley in complete darkness.
We almost succeeded in doing that. We covered the last hour of the walk in the glow of the smartphone flashlights without incidents.
Whatever you call this project, it was an all-round successful campaign - an unforgettable experience with a lot of emotion, great photos and no losses. Afterwards we cooked together and the matter with the Palatinate wine was finalized. Completely finished, but incredibly happy, everyone went to the cozy beds of our old farmhouse. And yes, it took a bit of luck that everything came together so well. Luck and the fantastic people who took part. Thank you all!
By the way, the next day we went up the mountain again. This time deep into the snow for an after-wedding session in the crevasse. But I'll show you this story another time.
Below you can find many more photos of this elopement on the mountain. One click is enough.
Have fun browsing!
