How to Elope in Iceland

Getting legally married in Iceland

Iceland is one of the easiest countries in Europe for foreign couples to marry in. You send your documents – usually passports, birth certificates and proof that you are free to marry – to Registers Iceland a few weeks before the wedding, and the ceremony is then led by a district commissioner, a church minister or a humanist officiant from Siðmennt. You also need two witnesses aged 18 or over; your photographer, videographer or planner can step in if you come on your own.

Requirements and processing times can change, so it is always best to check the current rules with Registers Iceland or your planner. Many couples choose a symbolic ceremony in Iceland and sign the legal papers at home – the day in Iceland is then completely free to be whatever you want it to be.

When to elope in Iceland

Summer (June to August) brings the midnight sun, green landscapes, purple lupins and access to the Highlands, where the mountain roads usually open from late June. Popular places are busy in the middle of the day, so I plan ceremonies for the early morning or the long, golden evenings.

Winter (November to March) turns the country white and quiet. Days are short – four to five hours of daylight in December – but the light stays soft all day, the ice caves under Vatnajökull are open and the northern lights may appear after dark.

Spring and autumn give you a bit of both: fewer people, longer days than in winter, the first and last northern lights and beautiful colours in September.

Choosing your place

Waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers, ice caves, canyons, lava fields, little churches – Iceland has more possible backdrops than one day can hold. Most couples choose one main place for the ceremony and two or three more for portraits nearby, so the day is spent enjoying it rather than driving. The best places to elope in Iceland are collected in a separate guide, each with a film I have made there.

Permits, drones and respecting nature

Small ceremonies in public places usually need no special permit, but some locations are on private land, and national parks such as Þingvellir, Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull have their own rules – flying a drone there, for example, needs permission in advance. Driving off-road is illegal everywhere in Iceland, and the moss and vegetation take decades to recover, so we always stay on paths and roads. Your planner and I will take care of the details for the places you choose.

Weather and a plan B

Icelandic weather changes by the hour, and that is part of the magic. I check the forecast with you in the days before the wedding, and we always keep a sheltered alternative in mind – a cave such as Gígjagjá, a little church, a hut or a glass-walled restaurant. Some of my favourite films were shot in wind and rain.

A typical elopement day

A relaxed elopement day often looks like this: getting ready in your hotel or cabin, a first look nearby, a drive to the ceremony place, your vows with or without guests, a toast or a picnic, portraits at two or three more places and a dinner to finish the day. In summer we can use the light late into the evening; in winter we plan around the short daylight and finish with a cosy dinner.

Working with a planner

A local planner makes everything easier – the legal paperwork, the officiant, transport, flowers, a picnic or a dinner, and the knowledge of where to go when the weather turns. In Iceland I love working with Pink Iceland, who have planned many of the elopements I have filmed here.

Film and photography

For elopements I usually come on my own, which keeps the day relaxed and intimate – more like a friend with a camera than a big production. I film as a documentary, without directing you, and edit your day into a cinematic film you will want to watch again and again. If you love the look of film, I can also shoot part of the day on Super 8 or 16 mm. More about filming elopements in Iceland.