4 Common Mistakes Couples Make When Eloping in Iceland

What Many Couples Don’t Realise Until It’s Too Late

Hi! I’m Anna and I’m a local elopement photographer living in Iceland. Today I’d like to talk to you about common mistakes that couples make when planning their elopement in Iceland and also on the day of the elopement.

Eloping in Iceland can truly be one of the best experiences of your whole life and I want to make sure that you get the most amazing day that exceeds your expectations. 

So here are the most common mistakes that I have noticed during my years as a local Iceland elopement photographer:

Mistake 1. Booking the whole trip before reaching out to photographers

I get it. You’re engaged and can’t wait to start making your elopement vision into reality! You’ve seen lots of incredible wedding photos from Iceland and you just KNOW it’s the perfect place for you. So you make arrangements at work to take some time off and book your flights as soon as possible so this dream elopement that you have envisioned actually starts to feel real!

And then once that’s in place you start checking out different photographers to see which one might be the best one for you. 

And this is where it can go wrong. Unless you start planning your elopement way in advance (usually between 1 and 2 years in advance or earlier), there’s a chance that your favourite photographer might be unavailable during your trip. Imagine, you fall in love with a photographer’s work and you think: “this is the one” only to be disappointed when the person is already booked and not available to photograph your elopement.

So my recommendation is: start researching photographers before booking your flights and accommodation to at least get a general idea about their availability, pricing and process. That way you can be sure that your favourite photographer will be the one photographing your elopement! Also, the photographer will give you soooo much information about Iceland and you might actually decide to book your accommodation in a completely different area than what you originally had planned based on your own research.

Mistake 2. Staying only in Reykjavik and not checking distances in Iceland

Some of my couples are drawn to the ease and convenience of staying in the capital during their whole stay – they can experience the culture, everything is easy and accessible, and I really understand them! They’ve never been to Iceland before and this just seems like the perfect and easy solution. Also, they love that they can just stay in the same hotel/Airbnb during their whole trip and don’t need to worry about checking in and checking out at different accommodations.

Sometimes it also happens to me that the couples assume that Iceland is smaller than it actually is and I get that too! It IS a small island in the middle of the ocean, but the driving distances can actually be very long!

For instance, if you want to visit the famous Diamond Beach, you will need to drive for 5 hours from Reykjavik – and with breaks and stopping to see all the beautiful things on the way it can take the entire day – or even several days if you want to see everything.

There are some nice locations to see near Reykjavik, and you can also do day tours from there to see popular places like Reynisfjara Beach (5 hours return) and Kirkjufell mountain (5 hours return), but do you really want to spend a big chunk of your elopement day and honeymoon driving back and forth in your car? I would highly recommend you to book accommodation in different places in Iceland so you get to see the best places the country has to offer, as in my opinion all the most beautiful locations are further away from Reykjavik.

Personally, my favourite area in Iceland is the Southeast and it takes around 5-6 hours one way to drive there, so if you book your accommodation in Reykjavik for the whole trip, you won’t be able to see that area on a day tour.

Mistake 3. Not hiring a local photographer (or a photographer with an extensive portfolio from Iceland)

So many photographers from the whole world dream about visiting Iceland and taking elopement photos here, and I really understand them – Iceland is incredible!! However, it might not be the best idea for you to work with a photographer who has never been to Iceland before for the following reasons:

1. They might not understand Icelandic weather well
2. They don’t have the same experience in helping you find locations & hidden gems as well as avoiding the crowds

Let’s break down these reasons.

1. Icelandic weather.

The weather here is different from most other places – it’s unpredictable and ever-changing. The thing about Iceland is that it can be bad weather in one place, but if you drive for 10 minutes, you can have good weather – you need to be able to understand the weather forecast correctly and anticipate in which locations you will be sheltered from the wind, for example. 

I, personally, check the weather forecast meticulously in the days before photographing an elopement and I often make changes to the timelines I’ve created for my clients to make sure that we are at the right locations at the right time. And this is why I have so many photos in my Iceland portfolio that look idyllic.

2. Locations, hidden gems and privacy

Iceland has become a super popular tourist destination due to its otherworldly natural beauty and all the unique things you can experience here! And of course some of the locations have become extremely popular on social media and it’s almost impossible to have them to yourself. As a local, I know when to visit this kind of locations without crowds if you really want to have photos from the iconic/famous spots. If you’re more open to exploring new and less known locations where we won’t meet anyone, I can also help with that! I alway customise locations to each client based on how much privacy they’re looking for. A photographer who has never been to Iceland might not have the same knowledge of all the location options and you might end up being photographed with hundreds of people around you.

To sum up, it’s important to have deep knowledge of many locations in Iceland in order to create a day with the type of landscapes you dream about and the amount of privacy you need.

Mistake 4. Not bringing enough warm clothes on the day of the elopement 

Like I mentioned, Iceland has ever-changing and unpredictable weather at any time of the year. However, for some of my clients who have never been to Iceland and who live in completely different climates, it has been difficult to imagine how it might feel. I totally understand them if they’ve never been to a place like Iceland before, but they ended up being cold and not bringing all the things I recommended.

I always let my clients know that they need to bring lots of warm clothes with them on their elopement day in order to have a more comfortable experience. 

And this includes:

• WARM jackets
• Hats for the grooms and hoods for the brides
• Gloves
• Skin-coloured leggings for the brides
• Rain gear has to be brought just in case
• Good hiking shoes that provide safety of different types of terrains.

In regards to hiking shoes – sometimes my clients really wanted to get some photos with nice shoes on as well and in that case we brought the nice shoes with us, changed on location and took photos where it was safe for them to stand in those types of shoes, so this is also a possibility.

I always let my clients take as many breaks as they need to warm up. In the end, my clients tell me that their elopement was one of the best days of their lives! The cold and unpredictable weather are a part of the experience in ICEland and it often makes the photos even more beautiful. The weather needs to be welcomed and embraced – and this is how you get the most memorable and special day!

I hope these tips were helpful for you and you’re welcome to get in touch with me if you have any other questions by filling out my contact form.