A ”Sound of Music” Inspired Mountain Elopement in Germany’s Berchtesgaden National Park

When you think you want to elope in Austria….but you wind up near Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany’s Bavarian Alps getting married on a mountain instead. Because Germany has sweeping views, alpine lakes, and alllll the Sound of Music vibes…including *edelweiss* (did you know the opening scene to the Sound of Music was actually filmed in Germany, not too far from here?). 

Leading up to Jaina + Cody’s elopement, we had some last-minute pivoting due to forecasted thunderstorms. It meant hustling to swap picking up the florals and cake, tweaking the timeline, but these two just rolled with it without missing a beat. The flexibility paid off, and in the end, we got brilliant blue skies (albeit very toasty temps due to a record heatwave). 

Jaina + Cody’s elopement started with a first look next to a glittering alpine lake, before rowing a boat across brilliant blue water surrounded by mountains. Afterward, we took a hike, basking in every cool breeze that came our way. The ceremony spot – pure magic. A wide panoramic spot high in the mountains surrounded by Edelweiss flowers. And, if you don’t know much about Edelweiss flowers, there’s some pretty cool lore about them (for another post), and, they’re pretty hard to find, so I was losing my mind 😍

While there are so many moments to love, two that especially stand out are Cody’s hand-drawn cake topper, along with vow book illustrations in the back. Jaina also surprised Cody with a hula dance she’d been secretly practicing, complete with handmade lei. It was so touching, I struggled to look through my viewfinder due to wiping away the tears.

The German Alps are such an underrated place to get married, and hopefully seeing a day like this may convince you to go against the grain and elope in Bavaria. Whether in Berchtesgaden National Park, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, or Oberstdorf, there are so many gems in Germany you really can’t miss.

Mountain Elopement in Berchtesgaden, Germany Elopement Timeline

This dreamy elopement in Berchtesgaden, Germany included an easy access lake paired with hiking to a secluded mountain top location. Jaina + Cody got everything from alpine lakes to flowers and summit vistas. You can check out Jaina + Cody’s elopement timeline overview below. 

• 9:45 am – Meet at the lakeside parking lot. 
  • Change into wedding attire
  • First Looks at the lake 
  • Boat ride
• 11:30 am – Leave the lake and drive to the cable car station
• 12:00 pm – Arrive at the cable car station. Purchase tickets and ride up the mountain
• 12:30 pm – Arrive on top of the mountain. Begin hiking to the ceremony spot. 
• 1:30 pm – Arrive at the ceremony spot.
  • Change into wedding attire
  • Ceremony
  • Picnic + Cheesecake 
  • Exploring on the mountain. It is SO COOL up here. You’ll love it. 
• 3:30 pm – Begin hiking back to the cable car
• 4:30 pm – Take the cable car back down the mountain
• 5:00 pm – Arrive back at cars, wrap up and say goodbyes. You’re married 🥳

Real Berchtesgaden Elopement Experience: A review from our couple

”Five stars isn’t enough for Christine and Scott! I cannot recommend them enough for elopements in the Alps! Christine really is amazing in many ways. She took beautiful pictures, planned our whole day (and then planned again due to weather), coordinated flowers and cake, also hiked with our cake, and just a super wonderful person.”

You can see this review, along with many others by viewing our Google Business Listing here.

Check out Jaina + Cody’s Elopement in Berchtesgaden, Germany, below