Planning the Ultimate elopement in switzerland complete with the swiss alps and cows!
Sometimes life just does what it does and you need to plan a last minute elopement. That’s the beauty of elopements though - they are so flexible! Katelyn and Cody had originally been set on a Chateau elopement in the French Pyrenees, but just a few days before the trip the worst happened…
I got COVID.
We were scrambling to come up with a plan. Ultimately, we decided to move the date just a couple days later so I could recover. They just happened to be in Switzerland for a short trip, so that’s where we went. But now that we had to scrap their entire original plan, we were essentially starting over at zero.
Nevertheless, here’s how we successfully planned their very last minute elopement near Interlaken, Switzerland!
READ MORE: What to do if you have to cancel your elopement
We kept things simple and worked with what we had
In order to pivot quickly and plan a last minute elopement at a totally new location, we worked with what was already in our favor. Katelyn and Cody had already planned to be in Switzerland a few days after their original booked date. That was already in our favor. We found a lovely hotel close to a trailhead they wanted to hike and got up for sunrise. We did some getting ready photos at the hotel and then spent the first hours of the day exploring the incredible Swiss Alps. They had a short and sweet vow ceremony right there on the trail.
We prioritized diverse views and a relaxed experience
The Swiss Alps has so many gorgeous rivers, lakes, peaks, valleys and waterfalls, you can pretty easily see all the above in one hike! Of course, our number one priority was to relax and have enough time to just enjoy the location. We didn’t over plan things, or try to pack too much into one day. Katelyn wanted to see cows more than anything, so we hit the trails and took what came. Not only did she see cows, but we also saw sheep and goats and had time to stop and get some pretzel and a strudel at one of the huts later in the day!
If you have to plan a last minute elopement, choose one location that offers a lot of things to do and see, no matter the weather.
Incorporate things that matter to you and make the most of the little things
The cute story of how these two met came full circle on their elopement day. Katelyn worked on a whale watching tour boat where Cody and his family had booked a tour. Unfortunately, they all got pretty sea sick, and Katelyn was there helping each of them. She ended up feeling awful that they had such a horrible time, and gave Cody a “rain check” to come back again. To this day, Cody has kept that card in his wallet with Katelyn’s name and number.
READ MORE: Acadia National Park Family Elopement
To make an old and meaningful thing new again, Katelyn contacted the tour company for a fresh card, and put her new name and number for Cody to keep close. It was a super simple surprise that had so much meaning for them both.
They also brought their favorite Kinder “Hippo” treats and a good bottle of wine to toast with.
Even as a bit of rain ended the day, these two were relieved how perfect everything turned out being, despite having to plan a last minute elopement.
