Iceland · Snæfellsnes · Location guide

Búðir Black Church Wedding

Búðakirkja, the little black church at Búðir, stands alone on a lava field at the edge of the sea on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, with the Snæfellsjökull glacier in the distance. It is one of the most photographed churches in Iceland – and one of the few places where you can have a real church wedding in the middle of wild landscape. I have filmed couples here almost every year since 2018, and these are my notes for planning a wedding at Búðir.

Búðakirkja, the black church at Búðir, with a couple standing in front of it

Where: South coast of Snæfellsnes – a little over two hours from Reykjavík
Best for: Church ceremonies for two up to around fifty guests
When: All year; long golden evenings from May to August
Good to know: No heating, toilet or running water inside

The church

The first church at Búðir was built in 1703; the black wooden church you see today dates from 1848 and was rebuilt in 1987. Inside it is a single small room of roughly five by nine metres with an organ and seating for up to about fifty people – simple, painted in soft colours and lit by the windows on both sides. When the door opens after the ceremony and you step out onto the lava field, the contrast is unforgettable.

A bride walking down the aisle of the small wooden church at Búðir

A wedding ceremony led by a pastor inside Búðakirkja

A newly married couple stepping out of the door of Búðakirkja — Stepping out of the church door as a married couple.

Booking the church

Anyone can rent Búðakirkja for a wedding, whatever their religion or where they live; the church keeper handles bookings and parish services take priority. The church is rented by the hour and provides the building only – the officiant, flowers, music and everything else you arrange yourselves, or your planner does. You can bring your own pastor or ask the local one. Only a Christian officiant can lead a service inside the church, so a legally binding ceremony there needs a Christian minister; couples who want a civil, pagan or symbolic ceremony usually hold it outside by the church instead.

Because there is no heating, an autumn or winter ceremony inside is chilly. Keep it short, bring blankets for the guests and plan somewhere warm for straight afterwards.

Hótel Búðir

A short walk from the church, Hótel Búðir is the obvious base: a country hotel on the lava field with a lounge looking out over the bay, and the place most of my Búðir couples stay, get ready and have their dinner. It hosts weddings from elopements to about a hundred guests and works closely with Pink Iceland.

Light, weather and the best time of day

Búðir is open to the ocean and often windy. The church looks completely different in every kind of weather – dramatic under storm clouds, gentle in soft summer light, and almost graphic in snow. In summer the evening light lasts for hours and lands right on the front of the church, which is why I like ceremonies in the late afternoon. Around midday, visitors come and go to photograph the church, so plan a few minutes of patience for the empty shots.

The black church at Búðir alone on the lava field under a stormy sky — Búðakirkja under a stormy sky – the weather is part of the story here.

A couple embracing in front of the black church at Búðir on a sunny day

The rest of Snæfellsnes

Most couples spend the rest of the day exploring the peninsula: Kirkjufell mountain and its waterfall, the sea cliffs and stone arch at Arnarstapi, the black pebbles of Djúpalónssandur, the golden grass and lava fields all around Búðir itself. I write about all of them in my Snæfellsnes elopement guide.

A couple in the golden grass around Búðir

For the legal requirements and documents, see my guide on how to elope in Iceland.

Planning your elopement at Búðir church?

Tell me your date and place – I’ll let you know if I’m free.

Check your date

Questions about weddings at Búðir church

Can we get married inside Búðir church?

Yes. Anyone can rent Búðakirkja for a wedding, whatever their religion or where they live; the church keeper handles the bookings. Only a Christian officiant can lead a ceremony inside the church, so civil, pagan or symbolic ceremonies usually take place outside it.

How many guests fit in Búðir church?

The church is a single small room with seating for up to about fifty people.

Is Búðir church heated?

No – there is no heating, toilet or running water. For a ceremony in the colder months, keep it short, bring blankets and plan somewhere warm for afterwards, such as Hótel Búðir next door.

How far is Búðir from Reykjavík?

A little over two hours by car.