Best tips for eloping in Iceland coming from Breanna and Nick’s elopement day. While everything turned out dreamy in the end, almost none of it was according to plan! Iceland’s unpredictable landscape can throw almost anything at you, including earthquakes…
So here are all the lessons we learned that day, summarized as 5 of the best tips for eloping in Iceland.
Tips for Eloping in Iceland #1: Chase waterfalls, especially in the rain
The beginning of their day started out normal. They booked a beautiful hotel in southern Iceland near Vik where they both got ready. Breanna had her hair and makeup done while I photographed their outfit details.
Both Breanna and Nick are huge Star Wars fans, and they chose May the 4th (Star Wars Day) as their elopement date. Included in their details were Star Wars themed vow books, jewelry and other trinkets.
Early in the process, their love for Star Wars became a central planning point. With the help of Pink Iceland wedding planners, they planned a glacier and ice cave tour which would bring them to their favorite filming locations. They even hired a Jeep driver to take them across the more rugged parts of the island.
Once Breanna’s hair and makeup was finished, they had a short first look indoors. The weather was rough that day, so before heading out, we grabbed umbrellas and rain jackets. Our first stop was Kvernufoss waterfall, about a half hour drive from Vik. The five of us (them, the planner, myself and the driver) headed out around noon.
Waterfalls are always beautiful, but especially in the rain when they have more water feeding them. It was here, staring at Kvernufoss, that reality set in for them. They were in Iceland. They were ELOPING! In Iceland! They were jittering with excitement as we explored the area.
After a little while, the five of us got back into the Jeep and headed to the our main location for the day.
Despite all the preparation leading up to our next location, the island had other plans.
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Tips for Eloping in Iceland #2: Be ready for a backup plan!
The main location for the day was originally supposed to be a series of ice caves near one particular glacier. This glacier is where many scenes from Star Wars were filmed, and they both wanted to spend a majority of their day here. We crossed the bridge that took us over the flood plains and began approaching the glacier.
When we got close, something was off. The jeep driver and planner were speaking quickly in Icelandic. Then, we were stopped by another driver. After talking, they explained to us what was going on.
There was a dangerous amount of seismic activity near the glacier that morning. The volcano underneath the glacier was long overdue for an eruption, and the earthquakes forced officials to shut down the area. Yikes. This meant everything we had planned for the rest of the day was now off the table. Double yikes. But, not to worry!
Tips for Eloping in Iceland #3: Hire Local Guides for Adventure Activities
Hiring local guides for ice caves in Iceland came in extra handy when we had to come up with a new plan on the spot. The planner, ice guide, and I put our heads together on how we could pivot and still have an incredible, adventure filled day.
We were worried about safety, and what an eruption would mean. Are we in danger? How likely is an eruption? What would happen? They reassured us that while rare, the biggest concern was an eruption wiping out the bridge we just crossed. This would strand us on the wrong side, and mean an 18 hour drive around the entire island back to Vik. Oof, no thanks.
We decided to high tail it back over that bridge. They recommend we continue to Yoda Cave, and that things were stable enough to spend some time there. We decompressed from the excitement by exploring the massive black sand beach. Breanna and Nick sipped champagne. At this point, they had mostly forgotten the earthquake excitement, and were enamored with the views.
Our next location was Sólheimajökull, a glacial lagoon not far from where we were. This was Breanna and Nick’s first time seeing a glacier, and they were in awe. With crampons, we hiked up to the top of the glacier for photos. They showed off the matching tattoos they got in Rekjavík: two black nordic symbols for love.
Meanwhile, the planner was on the phone with her team, coming up with a new spot for their ceremony!
Tips for Eloping in Iceland #3: Have a Traditional Icelandic Symbolic Ceremony
The planner had worked a little Icelandic magic while we were out exploring. Due to the rain, we thought it would be a great idea to hold their ceremony under the cover of a cave, and she knew just the place.
She contacted the owner of the land and got permission to visit. She updated the celebrant, who agreed to meet us at the new location. After a short drive and a quick but steep hike, we arrived at the mouth of a dry cave. It was the perfect spot out of the wind and rain to read their vows.
The celebrant led a traditional Icelandic ceremony where they drank out of a ceremonial horn and read their vows. After some photos in the cave, we carefully made our way down the muddy slope back to the jeep. Breanna and Nick were elated, but chilled to the bone and very ready to get warm again.
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Tips for Eloping in Iceland #4: Warm Up in the Geothermal Waters!
From the ceremony location, we headed back to the hotel. The hotel had a beautiful sauna and hot tub area, and I suggested they take full advantage of it. They changed, got into the water and relaxed. Finally, a warm photo op!
Tips for Eloping in Iceland #5: Book Full Day Coverage
Once they warmed up, facetimed their family and had dinner, it was time for the perfect ending to the day. The great thing about full day coverage is it gives you a lot of flexibility; and on a day like this, we needed it.
We agreed to meet up around sunset at Skógafoss. Although it’s not often you get a sunset in Iceland, it was still worth trying. As was our luck with the rest of the day though, it didn’t work out as planned but was still amazing.
With the rest of the day’s usable light, Breanna and Nick ran around the misty waterfall.
We ended the day at 10pm, 11 hours and a couple averted crisis after it all started.
What. A. Day! Truly the most spectacular adventure around Iceland with Breanna and Nick, not one I’ll soon forget! If you like what you see, check out their entire gallery here!
Ready for your Iceland adventure elopement? Let’s get started!
The content on this blog was written and curated by Mariah Arianna, copywriter and content blogger for photographers