Hi, I’m Maaike, your Swiss-based adventure elopement fairy godmother, mountain buddy and expert, and your soon to be new best friend!
I started my professional career in the world of events.
There was something so exciting about organising events! The variety of people you meet, the different types of events, places, from concerts to conventions, seminars, exhibitions and so much more, assisting VIPs, world known athletes, etc. Not one event was similar to another!
Those years have allowed me to establish myself as a professional events manager and gave me the skillset I needed to become an entrepreneur.
Mountains are to me what oxygen is to the lungs! I was only 2 months old when my parents took me on my first mountain camping trip above 2’000m! Turns out this adventure would become quite a story… as a storm hit the hill my parents chose for our tents! The wind blew like crazy, lightnings would lit up the sky and the thunder was mega loud all around us… my family was nervously waiting for it to pass, while I was…. sleeping peacefully in an oversized sleeping bag! haha
Mountains became my happy place! You know, that go-to place that makes you feel alive, that place that challenges you, that makes you face your inner “demons” or helps you process whatever emotions or heavy stuff you are going through!
Nature, and mountains in particular have saved me on more than one occasion, and today I feel so freaking grateful to be able to share my passion for these ridiculously gorgeous landscapes with my clients!
Photography has been part of my whole life, or at least as far as I can remember! 🙂 I was only a young child when my dad started lending me his camera. Back then nothing was digital, and thinking about it makes me smile now, realising the number of cat pictures (we had a lot of cats back then) and random stuff my parents discovered on those photos-rolls…! haha the start of a real passion!
Fast-forward to the present, I am so thankful that my parents helped me develop my artistic skills in my youth, allowing me now to capture in the best way some (if not the) best moments of your life! Nature is an incredible canvas, to me the perfect place to celebrate your special day.
I freaking LOVE helping my couples to have their best elopement experience!
From the very start of the planning process, to capture your best moments out in nature, I’ll be there by your side to make sure you can enjoy a smooth and stress-free planning process, and have the best day ever.
Imagine this:
You both love hiking and look forward to an epic hiking adventure in the Alps. After a day of exploring trails, we reach a fantastic alpine ‘cabane’ (mountain accommodation). There, you enjoy a fantastic panorama over some of the highest peaks in Switzerland!
In the early hours of the next day, we head out with our headlamps to reach the nearby 3’000m summit! The air is crisp, the night is silent and you are so looking forward to finally be able to share your vows in the wilderness!
You take a moment to look around, to see the colors changing around you. This is it, your time, your special moment just for you two! It feels right, it feels unique and authentic!
You can almost hear your heartbeats in the silence of the morning. Alone in the wilderness, on a 3’000m summit, you look at eachother, share your private promises to eachother with the first rays of sunshine warming your skin. You may shed a tear (me too), and laugh (the nerves and happiness), but most of all, you are totally free to be yourselves, to be in the moment, and to only care for eachother! Enjoy this time! It’s yours!
When you feel ready, we’ll get back down to the cabin for a full breakfast. The day is still young and you have time to enjoy the surroundings. Then, we’ll head forward on the trails, laughing and enjoying the fantastic panoramic views during the rest of this day.
Or maybe your vision is not to hike for two full days, but you still want to be out in nature, in a place where you can feel free to be raw, emotional and intentional. Imagine getting ready on a mountain range, with glowy sunset colors around you, epic views and the freedom to be in the moment? How about taking a helicopter ride to celebrate with a glass of your favourite ‘bubbles’ on top of a glacier?
Are you dreaming of a magical winter elopement? We can make it happen too! From skiing down some epic slopes in your favorite resort or snowshoeing in fairy-like landscapes, winter elopements are definitely one of a kind and are absolutely epic!
