Iceland · LGBTQ+ weddings

LGBTQ+ Weddings & Elopements in Iceland

Iceland legalised same-sex marriage in June 2010, and on the very first day the law came into force, the country’s prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, married her partner. Many of the couples I have filmed in Iceland since 2016 are LGBTQ+ – two grooms next to an erupting volcano, on a glacier and in front of hidden waterfalls, and the founders of Pink Iceland at their own wedding in Reykjavík. These are their stories, and everything you need to know to plan yours.

Same-sex marriage: Legal in Iceland since 27 June 2010
Reykjavík Pride: Every August, since 1999
Planner I work with: Pink Iceland, a queer-owned planner in Reykjavík
Recognition: Finalist, Best LGBTQ+ Wedding, Love Stories TV Awards 2024

Why couples choose Iceland

Iceland was the ninth country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples, after years of registered partnerships, and today it feels refreshingly normal to get married here as two grooms or two brides. Add the landscapes – waterfalls, black beaches, glaciers and lava fields, often with nobody else around – and the small, relaxed way of celebrating that Iceland is known for, and it is easy to see why so many LGBTQ+ couples come here to elope.

If you would like to combine your wedding with a celebration, Reykjavík Pride – Hinsegin dagar – fills the city centre every August, with a parade that tens of thousands of people come to watch.

Weddings I have filmed

Jónsi & Sumarliði – next to an erupting volcano

In April 2021 Jónsi and Sumarliði got married on the lava field at Fagradalsfjall, a few weeks after the first eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula in around 800 years. The story went around the world – from the BBC to PinkNews and Out – and Love Stories TV made it the first episode of its Wedding Stories series. Read the whole story.

Two grooms getting married on the lava field in front of the Fagradalsfjall eruption — Fagradalsfjall, April 2021.

Qesar & Matt – on the Sólheimajökull glacier

Qesar and Matt started their day in a glass house, then walked out onto the ice of Sólheimajökull for their vows, with an officiant in a rainbow stole. Their film was a finalist for Best LGBTQ+ Wedding at the Love Stories TV Awards 2024. Watch the glacier elopement.

Two grooms exchanging rings on a glacier, the officiant wearing a rainbow stole — Sólheimajökull, February 2023.

Curtis & Darrin – at the black church of Búðir

Curtis and Darrin married with their closest family in the little black church of Búðir on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, on a crisp autumn day with the lava fields glowing gold and red. Watch their wedding · Getting married at Búðir.

Two grooms laughing in front of the black church of Búðir in Iceland — Búðir and the roads of Snæfellsnes, October 2021.

Two grooms walking hand in hand along a road on the Snæfellsnes peninsula — Búðir and the roads of Snæfellsnes, October 2021.

Matt & Brendan – Þórufoss and Þingvellir

Brendan and Matt got ready together in Reykjavík in matching green suits, then said their vows by Þórufoss waterfall and explored the canyons of Þingvellir National Park. Watch their elopement · Getting married at Þingvellir.

Jeffy & Oscar – Írafoss and Iðnó

Jeffy and Oscar exchanged vows in front of Írafoss waterfall on the South Coast with their family and friends, then celebrated in the historic hall of Iðnó by Reykjavík’s city pond. Watch their wedding · Getting married at Írafoss.

Two grooms in a white and a black tuxedo embracing at their wedding in Iceland — Írafoss, April 2025.

In 2019 I also filmed the wedding of Eva María and Birna, who founded Pink Iceland in 2011, in Reykjavík. More about working with Pink Iceland.

Getting legally married in Iceland

Foreign same-sex couples can marry in Iceland on exactly the same terms as anyone else. Before the wedding, the District Commissioner (Sýslumaður) checks that you are free to marry: you send your birth certificates, passports and certificates of marital status, and the ceremony has to take place within 30 days after the certificate is issued. You can be married by the District Commissioner in a civil ceremony, or by an officiant of a registered religious or life-stance organisation – a foreign officiant cannot marry you legally in Iceland. Many couples also marry legally at home and keep the Icelandic ceremony purely for themselves.

A planner takes care of all of this for you. More about the legal side, the seasons and a plan B for the weather is in my guide How to elope in Iceland.

Where to get married

Every place I film is open to every couple. Some of the most popular are Írafoss and the waterfalls of the South Coast, the black sand beaches near Vík, the ice caves and Jökulsárlón, Búðir and Þingvellir – and for a city wedding, Reykjavík. You will find them all in my guide to the best places to elope in Iceland.

Planning your elopement in Iceland?

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

Check your date

Questions about LGBTQ+ weddings in Iceland

Is same-sex marriage legal in Iceland?

Yes. Iceland opened marriage to same-sex couples in June 2010 – the law came into force on 27 June 2010 – and same-sex couples marry on exactly the same terms as everyone else.

Can a foreign same-sex couple get legally married in Iceland?

Yes. You apply to the District Commissioner (Sýslumaður) with your birth certificates, passports and certificates of marital status, and the wedding has to take place within 30 days after the certificate is issued. Many couples marry legally at home and keep the ceremony in Iceland just for themselves.

Who can marry us in Iceland?

The District Commissioner in a civil ceremony, or an officiant of a registered religious or life-stance organisation. A foreign officiant cannot perform a legal marriage in Iceland, but can lead a symbolic ceremony.

Do you work with LGBTQ+ planners in Iceland?

Yes. Most of my weddings in Iceland are planned by Pink Iceland, a queer-owned planner in Reykjavík – we have done more than a hundred weddings together since 2017.

Can we combine our wedding with Reykjavík Pride?

Yes. Reykjavík Pride – Hinsegin dagar – takes place every August, so a wedding or elopement in early August can easily be combined with the parade and the celebrations in the city.