Trentino South Tyrol and Dolomites wedding florists

A wedding in the mountains

Trentino South Tyrol offers weddings in the mountains and in town. In the Dolomites you can marry in Alpine hotels, wooden huts, mountain refuges reached by cable car, valley chapels and high meadows: Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme, San Martino di Castrozza, Madonna di Campiglio. Lower down are Trento and Bolzano with palazzi and castles, Merano with gardens and early twentieth-century villas, and the vineyards around Lake Kaltern (Lago di Caldaro) and the Wine Road. To the south, Riva del Garda has a separate page. The Belluno Dolomites, including Cortina, are in the Veneto, but many local floral designers work in both regions.

South Tyrol is bilingual, Italian and German, and many couples come from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The list includes floral designers who work in both languages.

Altitude, cable cars and mountain roads

In the mountains the logistics change completely. A refuge or hut at altitude is reached by cable car, chairlift or dirt road with a transit permit: ask what time the lift opens, whether it carries materials and what its weight limit is. The Dolomite passes are busy in summer and some roads are restricted at certain times of day. In winter you need properly equipped vehicles and sometimes snow chains.

High-altitude venues have little space to work in and often no water supply for the flowers. The floral designer prepares much of the work down in the valley and finishes on site. Read the guide to a Dolomites wedding.

Climate: cold, storms and strong sun

Even in summer, evenings at altitude are cool and the weather changes quickly: afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August. You always need an indoor plan B. The sun at altitude is strong and dries flowers out faster. In winter, weddings in the snow are possible, but cut flowers suffer in the frost: designers use protected arrangements, winter greenery, branches, berries and candles in lanterns. Read the guide to a winter wedding.

Alpine flowers: look, don't pick

Many Alpine flowers, such as edelweiss, some gentians and other species, are protected by provincial law and cannot be picked. The floral designer uses grown flowers that echo their shapes and colours, together with larch, fir, mountain pine, ferns and mosses bought from authorised growers. Before you ask for an "Alpine meadow" bouquet, talk it through with the person making it. The guide to wildflowers explains the alternatives.

What wedding flowers cost in the mountains

Price ranges are indicative. A bridal bouquet is often between €100 and €350, low centrepieces between €40 and €150 each. At altitude, lifts, transport, extra hours and travel from the valley add to the cost. Read the guide to extra floral costs.

What to ask the floral designer

• Have you worked at this refuge or hotel before?
• How will you get the flowers up? Do we need the cable car?
• What happens if a storm arrives during the ceremony?
• Do you speak German with guests and suppliers?

Once you have a date and a venue, request up to 3 quotes.