A wedding couple stands on a moody black sand beach in Iceland wearing a flowing white dress and black suit

It pays to stay flexible when planning a full day adventure elopement in Iceland. When Meghan and Ben first reached out to me, they had some general location in mind, but nothing fixed. Iceland’s weather is notoriously unpredictable, so the best way to plan an Iceland elopement is to simply follow the weather!

Meghan and Ben put their full trust in me to scout locations. Only a few days before their elopement day, we nailed down a final plan based on current snow, ice and vegetation conditions. I presented them my favorite options, and off we were for their 10 hour adventure elopement!

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Full Day Adventure Elopement in Iceland: getting ready and black sand beach vow ceremony

We started their elopement day at their hotel in Hofen. We took a few quick getting ready photos, and then they both copied down their vows in their vow books. From there, we drove about 20 minutes to the Stokksnes black sand beach.

It was a bit foggy, with low clouds covering the mountains. We explored until they found a spot that felt right for their ceremony, and then got comfy.

Meghan and Ben have been together for 10 years. Their deep friendship was obvious in the short snippets I overheard - they told inside jokes and giggled between emotional tears. They enjoyed each other’s presence for a while, stopping to take in the dramatic surroundings.

When they were ready, we continued exploring the beach until it was time to head toward the glacier lagoons.

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Full Day Adventure Elopement in Iceland: exploring aquamarine glacier lagoons and lush green canyons

The awesome thing about having a full day adventure elopement in Iceland is the variety of landscapes. You can leave footprints on inky black beaches, watch fiery volcanoes, slide across turquoise glaciers and get lost in lush, emerald green canyons. That diversity in views was something they prioritized for their day.

After reading their vows at the black sand beach, we stopped at Diamond Beach (also known as Iceburg Beach) on the way to the glacier lagoons. I’ve been here a few times, and this day was the first it wasn’t pelting down sideways rain. It was actually sunny, almost warm! We spent some time here enjoying that small miracle before walking across the street to the lagoon.

A couple on their elopement day walks away from the camera between large chunks of ice on Diamond beach in Iceland

Now that we’d gotten our fix of moody blues, blacks and greys, I suggested we throw some greenery into the mix. Nearby the lagoon is a short canyon hike. You meander through a lush valley and end up at a small viewpoint overlooking a perfectly placed, pin straight waterfall leading back to a distant, snow covered peak.

At first, Meghan and Ben were least excited about this location. However, as we ventured deeper down the trail, they were shocked they almost passed up the spot. The rich greens and jagged vertical cliff faces had them giddy with excitement. It was only a little foggy, adding atmosphere to the peaks, but not covering them.

An eloping couple embraces in a green canyon during their full day adventure elopement in Iceland

Full Day Adventure Elopement in Iceland: a rare Icelandic sunset

After everything we had seen up to this point in their elopement, it was hard to imagine being able to top it. We had time left for one more location. I had two options for them, both glacier lagoons. The first lagoon was closest, but the second one was much more beautiful.

They trusted me fully at this point, and they chose the latter. When we arrived, the three of us gasped at our luck. Not only did we have the entire lagoon to ourselves, but the sun was out. At this point, I had been in Iceland for a week and had seen nothing but nonstop rain. The fact we were getting an actual sunset on this day felt unreal.

The light was warm and peach toned as we ran around the icy landscape. We took our time watching the sun go down, and I shook my head at our luck.

A wedding couple embraces on a glacier lagoon in Iceland with a golden sun shining behind them

It is days like this that make me really believe things just work out for elopements. There is some special magic that happens in trusting the process.

Megan and Ben’s full day adventure elopement in Iceland was a perfect example.