MARIE & GAVIN’S ADVENTUROUS WINTER ELOPEMENT IN SOUTHERN ICELAND | ICELAND ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER | VIK, ICELAND

You know those people who have infectious joy? That was Marie and Gavin 100%! You may recognize these two from their Iceland black sand beach engagement session (a place we actually returned to on their elopement day!). Anyways, their elopement was a day full of adventure but also and more importantly pure joy.

Gavin is from Utah and Marie from British Columbia. Seeing these two together it is no wonder distance couldn’t keep them apart. Their love just deserved the kind of location that you’d describe as otherworldly for their elopement. So across the world they traveled to Iceland!

Iceland was a place full of adventure for these two – their winter Iceland elopement was truly a happily ever after. I can’t wait to help others have their own happily ever after like this!

So how did we spend their full day elopement together? Well let me back up first and say ‘full day’ can mean very different amounts of time in Iceland depending on the time of year. Since Iceland is so close to the North Pole, winters have short days (or no days). In the summer you can have the midnight sun! Marie and Gavin eloped in late fall/early winter. That meant about 6 hours of daylight plus some extended twilight.

And did I mention this is one of the best times/locations to see the northern lights? In Iceland the aurora borealis appears in greens and pinks, often draping across the sky or shooting into bursts of light. Sometimes you can even see hints of blues, violets, yellows, and red in the lights! With average temperatures this time of year in the 32˚F or 0˚C it’s good weather for seeing the lights as well as all snowy activities.

The chance of seeing the Northern Lights is reason enough to have a winter Iceland elopement, but there’s more!

Iceland has such a variety of incredible landscapes. From snowcapped mountain ranges to the insane landscape formed by volcanos. You can say your vows in front of a huge waterfall and visit an impossibly surreal ice cave on the same day. Hike on a glacier and end running on a black sand beach. And that’s not even all the beauty that Iceland has to offer for your elopement locations! We tried to take it all in on Marie & Gavin’s elopement day.

These two chose to marry in front of a private waterfall. With the whole area to themselves they committed their lives to each other as the birds flew high up above the falls. Then we drove far down a 4×4 road, and took in some of the snowy peaks of the far off highlands. Finally, we ended on that very same black sand beach where it all started for their engagement.

But what about the weather? This time of year in Iceland isn’t the coldest, but it is still cold! Often it can be windy or rainy or snowy and overcast days are more frequent this time of year. But because it’s not peak tourism season, often the crowds are quieter.

So it’s important to come prepared for the elements!

Pack according to the weather, and bring nice coats, gloves, and hats you don’t mind being photographed. Marie was wearing leggings and snow boots all day to keep warm, and Gavin had hand warmers in his pockets! Don’t forget to bring some hot tea/cocoa/coffee too!

Some last thoughts on planning your winter elopement in Iceland…

With the shorter days during the winter, the time can go by way faster than you might be used to. Rent a nice Airbnb, guest house, or lodge where you can continue the celebrations after the sun sets. Then plan travel during the dark hours to maximize your time enjoying these surreal locations! And I always suggest adding a second or third day to your itinerary to explore more areas together. I met up with Marie and Gavin two days later to explore the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We even had the place to ourselves for a while before tour groups started arriving. These two got totally soaked by the falls (it’s huge and misty!) and we had to take breaks where they jumped back into their winter parkas, but it was totally worth it!

Are you considering having your own Iceland elopement now?! It’s a stunning place, dream big and embrace the adventure! You bring your love story and I’ll be right there to document all your emotions and the fun you’ll have in this astonishing land. For more information on booking your Iceland elopement, start by filling out my contact form here! I can’t wait!

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