5 min read

How To Have A Ski Wedding: An Epic Experience at Gore Mountain in New York (Updated for 2022)

Whether it's a winter elopement, vow renewal, or ski wedding, Gore Mountain has some of the best views and terrain! Just ask Laura and Mike who put on their wedding clothes for a trash the dress ski wedding photoshoot.

The moment I met Laura and Mike, I was excited! Laura and Mike are avid hikers, often exploring the Adirondacks. Both are ADK 46ers and Laura is even a Winter 46er! Spending an afternoon spring skiing with this adventurous couple was the perfect way to close out this year's ski season.

After meeting in the parking lot, Laura and Mike quickly changed into their ski boots, ready to hit the slopes! This spring day was especially warm, so while we were prepared with lots of body warmers, we didn't actually need them. I handed Laura the custom bouquet I had made for her and we all headed to the gondola!

When To Have a East Coast Ski Wedding

When you think of USA skiing, most people think about traveling out West to Colorado and California, but the East Coast has plenty to write home about! After all, Lake Placid, NY hosted two winter Olympic events so it must be pretty good!

The majority of ski resorts are open from late November through early April, though if we're lucky, the season extends into early May. If you want to Ski the East on your wedding day, your best bet is to choose to ski midweek to avoid crowds. For the best snowy pictures, you will probably want to choose a date in late January or early February. If you want to have epic pictures in JUST your wedding clothes and ski without your jackets all day, I suggest choosing a date in early March as the weather begins to warm up.

Dates To Avoid

Due to school breaks, you will want to avoid visiting the mountain during peak busy seasons. I suggest avoiding the last two weeks of December, MLK weekend (January 15-17, 2022), and the week of President's Day (Feb 19-27, 2022).

Choosing A Ski Resort Wedding Venue

The East Coast is known for being icy due to our cold weather, but there are plenty of options for good powder and backcountry skiing if you know where to look! For the past 10 years living in New England and New York, I've skied or snowboarded at most of the resorts. When choosing your mountain wedding venue, you will want to choose someplace that offers all the terrain that you are looking for, proximity to other activities like winter hiking or snow mobiling, and good food.

Gore Mountain is a wonderful option for your ski wedding, though you might need to be a bit creative if you want a larger gathering. While skiing at Gore, you will have gorgeous views of the Adirondack high peaks. In addition to great downhill terrain, the Nordic Center offers fantastic trails for cross country skiing.

You and your guests can easily ride the gondola to the top of Gore to exchange your vows, enjoy a day of skiing, and then finish out with a meal at the Tannery Restaurant or another local restaurant. Another option is to host your winter wedding at a gorgeous venue like the Friends Lake Inn and follow it up with an after wedding adventure session on the slopes.

How To Ski Or Snowboard in A Wedding Dress

The last thing you want when hitting the slopes on your wedding day is to realize you CAN'T actually ski in your wedding dress! So, how do you make sure this doesn't happen? By planning ahead!

When choosing your wedding outfit, it's important to find an outfit in which you can spread your legs and keep that wide leg stance. You also want to squat and make sure you can move easily in your outfit.

Have a plan for how to keep warm. Depending on the weather, you might be able to get away with some skin-toned fleece leggings. If it's colder, you may want to wear something where you can wear snow pants underneath. If you think that might be the case, you will want to bring your pants to your wedding dress fitting.

Speaking of fittings, you will also want to bring your ski boots or snowboard boots with you. You will want to make sure you can easier get in and out of your bindings and won't trip on your dress.

And lastly, if you have a train, you will want to bustle it so that it doesn't get caught.

Choosing Your Ski Wedding Packages

There are a few different ways to have the perfect ski wedding for you! Things that you might want to think about are:

1) Do you want to get legally married? If so, do you want to do that on the slopes or elsewhere? Do you want to have a friend officiate or hire an officiant?

2) What sort of winter wedding experience do you want to have?

A week-long destination ski elopement with just you two where you choose the best day to say your vows.
A multi-day wedding consisting of a ceremony, ski-themed reception, and a private ski adventure.
An intimate wedding at a boutique hotel with a fun after-wedding trash the dress shoot.
Anything else that you can dream of!

3) What sort of accommodations would you like? Do you prefer to stay on the slopes and ski out your front door? Then choosing a mountain with on-site, slope-side accommodations is perfect for you! Or maybe you want to combine luxury and adventure. I can help you find the perfect resort with a highly-rated spa. You might also consider some place with a hot-tub and sauna to return to after a day on the slopes.

Whichever experience you want to have, I'm here to support and celebrate you!

Meet Your Ski Wedding Photographer!

I'm Molly and I've been sliding down snow since I was three or four years old. I grew up splitting my time between the German and Austrian Alps and the East Coast of the US. At 10, I started snowboarding and did just that for over two decades. A few years ago, I picked up a pair of skis again, and now love splitting my time between my snowboard and skis. For weddings, though, you'll usually find me on skis, since it is easier to handle a few cameras skiing backwards than it is while snowboarding.

Are you interested in talking to me about your dream ski wedding? Fill out my contact form today to schedule your free consultation!