We are writing this article with the fresh Lauterbrunnen elopement just behind us. What an adventure this period in Switzerland was. We spent every single day exploring the best that Switzerland has to offer – the Jungfrau region. At least when it comes to elopements with Alpine vibes.
This article will surely help you if you are planning your own elopement in the Lauterbrunnen area as it will cover a wide variety of topics that might be interesting to you such as choosing your Lauterbrunnen elopement photographer, the best Lauterbrunnen elopement locations, tips about traveling the area and what to do apart from the elopement.
We are an elopement photographer and videographer duo that shoots elopements and weddings all across Europe and we are in constant search for places that offer stunning views and remarkable eloping experiences. The last area we scouted was the Jungfrau region of Switzerland and if you continue reading this post, you’ll get to know why we believe that this Swiss region is an absolute dream for anyone who wants to have a mountain-themed elopement.
Lauterbrunnen – the best of Switzerland
If you are to Google the term ‘Switzerland’ there is a high chance that at least one photo of Lauterbrunnen will be among the first ones shown. It’s stereotypical Switzerland, something you think about first when somebody mentions the name of this remarkable country. Just imagine cliffs with waterfalls pouring from them, high mountains still covered in snow, trains slowly climbing up steep terrain, old wooden houses, cows, lots of cows…
Lauterbrunnen (and the surrounding area) is really the best Switzerland has to offer. The same is with elopements too. This area is the ultimate Switzerland elopement experience. If you want mountains to dominate in your elopement and photography, then Lauterbrunnen is the place for you.
Lauterbrunnen is part of a famous Swiss region called Jungfrau. Together with neighboring places such as Grindelwald, Wengen, and Murren… it makes the most famous and visited area in Switzerland. It is visited throughout the year with peak season being during the winter when the area is visited because of snow and all the activities related to it, but it’s also visited during the warmer months when activities such as paragliding, base jumping, hiking… are more dominating than the snow-related ones.
The Ultimate Switzerland Elopement Guide
Lauterbrunnen elopement photographer and videographer
As we already mentioned, we are a photographer and videographer duo and we document elopements and weddings all across Europe. We are in a constant search for the most remote and best possible places for elopements. And we love mountains as much as we love the sea. We like to capture the essence of every elopement, and document all the aspects of the elopement experience, whether it’s the waiting for the train that will take you to your elopement location, the view from your hotel room, a landscape that surrounds you when you elope…
We are doing both elopement photography and videography, but depending on the preferences, sometimes we do photography or videography only. We help the couples that choose us to document their elopement to plan other aspects of the elopement too – we help you with the location choice and connect you with the best and proven elopement vendors you might need for your elopement in the Lauterbrunnen area (florists, stylists, symbolic officiants…).
Related: Swiss Alps Wedding Guide
How to get to the Lauterbrunnen area
Lauterbrunnen is located in the mountainous region of Switzerland, surrounded by high mountains and hardly reachable places. But this didn’t prevent Swiss people from making one of the most efficient transport networks in Europe. When coming to Switzerland with a plan to finally reach the Lauterbrunnen area, flying to the country is your best option (if you are not coming from neighboring countries). The closest airports to the Lauterbrunnen area are Basel and Zurich, with Zurich being just a bit further. There are many flights from all across the world landing at these airports daily.
Related: Kaysy & Keith’s Adventure Elopement near Grindelwald
Once you land in Switzerland, you have 2 options and both are equally good. One is to rent a car and drive to Lauterbrunnen, and the other is to use the (very good) public transport. We like to use a car to drive around and have a bit more freedom when it comes to exploring more secluded places. If this is the case with you, then you might consider renting a car too. On the other hand, if you want to stay near famous places, then public transport will take you anywhere you want to.
If you plan to use public transport to travel across Switzerland, think about buying the Swiss Pass. It just might save you some money and spare you from waiting in the queues.
Related: Tam & Mike’s Adventure Elopement at Oeschienen Lake
Tips for traveling around the Lauterbrunnen area
Once you arrive in the Lauterbrunnen area, you have a similar choice as when you first land in Switzerland- whether to use a car or travel by public transport. Lauterbrunnen area is full of train lines, gondolas, cable cars, and bus lines. It almost makes your car totally unnecessary. Swiss public transport is absolutely well organized and punctual. Swiss people are well known for their punctuality and it reflects in this domain too. You can use a bus that takes you to the train station and there is a train waiting for you which leaves in a few minutes. Once the train comes to a particular location, a gondola is waiting for you if you want to explore further.
Everything is s well organized and there is no waiting for anything. We almost don’t use cars when in the Lauterbrunnen area. The only exception is when we want to explore some distant and secluded location which is a bit off the standard public transport lines. But 99% of the most visited and most popular places in this area are well connected by means of public transport. One final thing we recommend when traveling around the Lauterbrunnen area – get a Jungfrau Pass which will make almost all your rides completely free. It will save you a ton of money and open a whole new world of stunning locations to you.
Related: Zermatt Matterhorn Elopement Wedding Guide
Who should think about an elopement in Lauterbrunnen?
Lauterbrunnen and Jungfrau region is the place you must consider if you want to elope in Europe and want epic mountains to surround you and make your experience unforgettable. More and more couples each year choose to have their elopement in the Lauterbrunnen area. It’s truly the best location for a mountain-themed elopement. If you are a couple who are in love with mountains and spend a lot of time hiking, then you should think about Lauterbrunnen elopement. Also, if you are not a hiker but still want epic mountains to surround you for your elopement, then this is the perfect Switzerland elopement location for you too.
Lauterbrunnen and Jungfrau region is surrounded by the Alps – the most famous mountain range in Europe. Apart from Switzerland, the Alps stretch through a few more countries – Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. Each of these has equally beautiful mountainscapes, yet with a distinctive vibe.
Can you legally elope in Lauterbrunnen?
Switzerland does not allow foreigners to get legally married unless they have a residence in this country. This might not be such a bad thing since it saves you a lot of time and nerves of dealing with bureaucracy. Most of the elopements are symbolic and that’s one of the best things about them. You can customize them in any way you want to and organize them basically anywhere. It’s completely opposite to legal ceremonies which are usually conducted in the registrar’s office and are pretty stiff and serious.
Elopements are all about true love and doing something you both like, you can deal with the paperwork and bureaucracy later.
Best time of the year to elope in Lauterbrunnen
Let’s say we have already convinced you to start planning your Lauterbrunnen elopement and you are all set to go and already imagining yourself saying you are on the green grass, surrounded by high mountains covered in snow. But there is one more question left unanswered, and that is the best period for the elopement in the Lauterbrunnen area. We always advise everybody to plan their elopements outside of the main season. The main reason is the other tourists that visit particular famous places, Lauterbrunnen in this case.
The Lauterbrunnen area is one of the most visited ones in Switzerland and if you are to go there during July and August, you will be astonished by the number of people that surround you. It’s almost impossible to imagine that many people are in such beautiful nature.
If you ask us, the best months to elope in Lauterbrunnen are late April, May, late September, and early October. There are going to be some tourists in these periods too, but their number will be significantly lower than during the peak season which is in July and August. And it’s not only about the elopement, it’s about your overall experience of this beautiful region. It’s simply not the same with all the people around running to get the best picture or the best spot on the train.
Spring is an excellent period because of fewer people around and because of the nature that awakes from the long winter in the Alps. Everything looks fresh and lush. The meadows are full of flowers and the mountains are still full of snow from the previous winter. The snow slowly melts and this makes thousands of small waterfalls – something the Lauterbrunnen area is famous for.
The only downside of the preseason and postseason periods we can think of is the fact that many restaurants are still not working as they have a break between the winter and summer seasons. If you are the kind of person who likes to have many options when it comes to these things, you might consider eloping in June instead of early May for example.
Here is our list of the best places to elope in Europe
One single best place for Lauterbrunnen elopement
If we are to choose just one place for elopement in Lauterbrunnen it would be Wengen. Lauterbrunnen is located in a valley surrounded by high cliffs from each side and Wengen is a small village located on top of one of these cliffs. The small village of Murren is located on the other one. There are a few locations in Wengen that provide really unique view of the Lauterbrunnen valley and the surrounding mountains.
Another great thing about Wengen is that it’s almost empty during the preseason and postseason periods (the months we mentioned above) because all the tourists that visit the area in these periods focus mainly on Lauterbrunnen. This is the perfect opportunity to have your Lauterbrunnen elopement held in privacy which means so much when it comes to these kinds of wedding ceremonies.
Where to stay when in the Lauterbrunnen area
There are many villages in the Jungfrau region and there are many different types of accommodation to choose from. Most of them have epic views of the surrounding mountains. Imagine waking up with a 4000 meters mountain rising above you. Epic. When it comes to the elopements, it’s also important to choose a nice place to stay, especially if you want your elopement photographer to document your getting ready part.
The most famous villages in the Jungfrau region are Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Both of them are famous tourist centers and accommodation in them might be a bit more expensive than in some further villages. Interlaken is a small city near Jungfrau and is also a great option if you want to be in a more urban area (it’s located some 30 minutes of driving from Lauterbrunnen).
The great thing about accommodation in this region of Switzerland is that almost all the houses are preserved in a traditional style with a lot of wood used in their construction both from the inside and outside. This really means a difference when it comes to the overall experience of the location and photos in these accommodations really have that special kind of vibe to it.
Jungfrau elopement – what other places to consider except Lauterbrunnen
Apart from Lauterbrunnen, there are many other equally stunning locations in the Jungfrau region. In fact, there are so many of them that it might seem it’s hard to choose the right one. Most of the best places are easily reachable using the network of cable cars, trains, and gondolas. Jungfrau region, for example, gives you the opportunity to elope on the top of Europe – the highest viewpoint called Jungfraujoch. To get there you take the train from Grindelwald and enjoy one of the most scenic routes among the mountains. Once you reach the Jungfraujoch, you are standing among mountains that feel so close and you can almost touch them. What a place to elope to.
Other famous locations are First, Bachalpsee, and Schynige Platte. Each of these is easily reached by gondolas and some require a bit of walking too. Interlaken area is close to the Jungfrau region and it also has many other places perfect for elopements in Switzerland. Oeschinensee is yet another location not so far away from the Lauterbrunnen area. It’s a lake surrounded by high mountains and one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland.
Mountain elopement: best ideas for your hiking elopement
What to do after the elopement in the Lauterbrunnen area
Apart from your elopement in Lauterbrunnen, there are many other things to do to make your elopement experience even more unique. Elopement is the whole duration of your stay abroad, not just one day when the ceremony is taking place. Make sure you treat each day as a unique opportunity to enjoy and have fun as a couple. As we already mentioned, getting a Jungfrau Pass is the first step toward great memories from this part of Switzerland. Once you buy it, make sure you visit each place it covers. All the trains, gondolas, and cable cars are free to you now and these can really take you to stunning locations.
There is no need to rush and visit all the places in one or two days. Take your time and plan your visits carefully so you have the best possible experience. One thing we suggest is doing a tandem paragliding flight with the instructor. Lauterbrunnen area is famous as one of the best paragliding spots in Europe and you will see dozens of paragliders in the sky at any given moment. There are many other adrenaline tours you can do in the area too.
A helicopter ride is yet another thing you can do and there are many helicopters that fly from Lauterbrunnen and take tourists high in the mountains. There is even an option to hire a helicopter to take you to a unique place in the mountain where you can elope far from everybody.
How much could your elopement in Lauterbrunnen cost?
As we are reaching the end of this article, it’s time to answer the question that is important for everyone and it regards the possible cost of your Lauterbrunnen elopement. The following numbers are just an estimate and include only things related to elopement and not the rest of the vacation or some tours you might do apart from the elopement. Let’s say you are having an elopement and want to hire a photographer (4 hours coverage), symbolic officiant, makeup and hair stylist, and florist. You might expect this to cost you around between 5000 and 7000 Euros, depending on particular wishes from your side.
Europe adventure elopement photographer
Have any questions for us?
We hope this article and the images attached to it helped you in planning your Lauterbrunnen elopement. It’s truly a place worth considering if you always dreamed about eloping surrounded by beautiful mountains and pristine nature. We know that even more questions might arise after reading such articles and we are here in case you have any additional questions.
If you would like to hire us to be your Lauterbrunnen elopement photographer and videographer, or just want to know more about our prices, just contact us through the form on our website and we’ll answer you shortly.
Thank you for reading it all the way down and hope to see you in Switzerland!
