How Much Does it Cost to Elope in Iceland in 2026/2027?
Planning an elopement can be so overwhelming as of course you’ve never done it before! There are so many amazing destinations to elope in the world and Iceland is definitely one of the most beautiful ones.
Right now you’re probably in the process of estimating how much it might cost to elope in Iceland in order to find out if it can fit your budget and, as a local Iceland elopement photographer, I wrote this post in order to make things easier for you.
The good news is that even though Iceland is an expensive country it is still possible to elope here on a budget and you can also make your elopement as luxurious as possible if you’re looking for something like that.
Normally, elopements are less expensive than traditional weddings as there are usually few or no guests involved, so let’s talk about what kind of expenses you need to have in mind when you elope in Iceland.
What affects the Cost of an Iceland Elopement?
There are a few things that have a great impact on the cost of your elopement in Iceland:
1. Time of the year
Iceland is most expensive in the summer – from June till the end of August, and this is the time when rental cars and hotels will be the most expensive. There are benefits to eloping during these months as it’s the warmest time of the year and everything is green! The days are very long and you can explore the highlands and the North of Iceland without worrying about snow.
The rest of the year will have lower prices that will be high during certain times of the year – e.g. Christmas, New Years, Easter etc. And there are other benefits to eloping during the cheaper months, for example Northern Lights and ice caves. You can read more about the best time to elope in Iceland here.
2. The length of your stay
I would say that the minimum amount of days to come to Iceland for your elopement would be 4, but 7-10 days would be great though as you can also explore the country and have your honeymoon right after getting married!
3. The number of vendors
How many vendors you hire will also make a big difference. Couples on a budget might only hire a photographer, while couples with higher budgets could also hire a videographer, officiant, hair & makeup artist, florist, wedding planner, driver and a guide (for example for an ice cave or glacier) etc.
4. Legal or symbolic ceremony
For a legal ceremony you need to hire an officiant and of course the officiant will also have a travel fee that depends on how far they need to travel to your ceremony location. Read more about legal ceremonies and what documents you have to prepare here.
5. Level of accommodation
You could go for a simple but nice accommodation that could start from $150 per night during the lower seasons or more luxurious accommodation, e.g. your own house with a hot tub and sauna or one of the many unique types of accommodation in Iceland – for example a glass hut or private island.
6. Special experiences
If you’d like to have adventures on your elopement day or during the honeymoon, such as visiting ice caves and glaciers, sightseeing tour with an airplane or helicopter, snorkeling, Northern Lights tour, whale watching etc. you will of course need to allocate extra amount of money for that. Check out this article for more location inspiration.
Biggest Cost: Your Photographer
Your photographer will typically be the largest single investment for your elopement as it’s the most important vendor for your day. I would recommend you to go for a local photographer as a local can also act as your wedding planner and plan an awesome and unique experience for you that would not be possible for a non-local with no or limited experience in Iceland.
What affects photographer pricing is the amount of experience they have, amount of hours that you book and what they include in the package (e.g. planning assistance, wedding album).
A realistic price range for a professional elopement photographer in Iceland in 2026/2027 would start from $4000 (half-day) and could be all the way up to $15,000 for a multi-day elopement with a wedding album included.
Personally, as a local, I offer planning included with my packages and customised experiences that will be tailored specifically to your vision and needs.
Flights to Iceland
I’m going to give some examples on flights from the US, Canada and Australia in this section. The price will depend on which part of the country you’re flying from and the time of the year. Of course the most expensive flights will be during the summer months and holidays. During shoulder seasons and winter you will be able to get lower prices.
United States
Prices per person:
- East coast: $350-700
- West coast: $650-1100
- Midwest: $500-850
Canada
Prices per person:
- Toronto and Montreal: CAD $550-1000
- Vancouver and Calgary: CAD $750-1300
- Smaller cities with connections: CAD $700-1400
Australia
Prices per person:
- Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane: AUD $2000-3500
- Perth, Adelade: AUD $2200-4000
Best time of the year to find cheap flights
You can normally find cheaper flights to Iceland in October, November, January, February, March and April. I would recommend you to book 3-5 months in advance for the lowest prices and use flexible date searches on Google Flights.
You will need to book your flights to Keflavik airport, which is the main international airport in Iceland and it’s located around 50km (31 miles) away from the capital Reykjavik.
Accommodation in Iceland
Like in most other places you can find budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation in Iceland.
In regards to budget accommodation – it would be something simple that usually starts at around $USD 150 per night. There are many guesthouses in Iceland that have shared bathrooms and I would highly recommend you to look for a place with private bathroom.
Mid-range accommodation is around $250-500 per night depending on the time of the year.
And luxury accommodation includes incredible hotels like The Retreat at Blue Lagoon and Depler Farm and cost thousands of dollars per night. There are also many luxury villas and Airbnb’s in gorgeous nature.
Car rental
You absolutely need a rental car in Iceland for your elopement and to get the most out of your time here. If you’re going for a luxury elopement, you could also hire a driver and a tour guide for your honeymoon who will drive you around.
You need different types of cars for different times of the year and depending on where you want to go.
From May to September you can rent a sedan unless you plan to travel into the highlands (open from mid June to October) for which you will need a larger 4×4 vehicle.
For all the other months I would highly recommend you to rent a 4×4 vehicle as the roads can have snow and be slippery.
Personally, I would go for a 4×4 vehicle at any time of the year as it will give you so many more opportunities to explore more remote areas without worrying as much about getting stuck.
Renting a car in Iceland generally costs between $50 and $300 depending on type and season.
Optional but popular extras
Officiant
Many of my couples choose to hire an officiant for their ceremony. Officiants in Iceland do an amazing job celebrating you during your ceremony that is customised to you and your story. You can choose between a secular ceremony, pagan/viking and religious ceremony inside one of the amazing churches in Iceland. Popular rituals during ceremonies include hand-fasting and drinking from a horn!
Some of my couples have had a family member as their officiant which worked out very well. And some of my couples love to read their vows to each other in full privacy without an officiant. So as you can see, what your ceremony will look like is completely up to you and it will be amazing no matter what option you go for.
The cost of a ceremony with an officiant usually starts from around USD $730 (2026) and you also have to consider the officiant’s travel fee. Luckily, officiants are located all over Iceland!
Hair & Makeup Artist
Most of my brides have their makeup and hair done professionally for the big day and there are some truly skilled professionals in Iceland!
Bridal hair & makeup usually starts from around USD $500. If you’d like the hair & makeup artist to travel to your hotel, you also need to consider their travel fee, extra fee for Sundays and holidays and also extra fee for very early start in the morning.
Florist
A bridal bouquet and usually also a boutonniere for the groom can add some much style and beauty to your photos and there are some amazing florists in Iceland who can make a custom bouquet for you.
Usually the price for a custom bouquet will start from around USD $200, but it’s also possible to order a bouquet online for around $100-150 or even have one made at specific stores for a budget friendly option (around $50).
Videographer
A video of your big day can be absolutely invaluable and I’ve never met a couple who regretted hiring a videographer. There’s just something about watching a movie about your love! Videography cost is typically similar to photography and will start at around USD $4000 for half a day.
Wedding cake and picnic
Having a beautifully arranged picnic and a wedding cake outside can be such a beautiful experience on your big day! The cost of the picnic will depend on the location, amount of people etc. and would start from around USD $1000. Wedding cake costs around USD $12 per person.
Special experiences
Iceland is an amazing place for unique adventures that are only available in few places in the world and I would highly recommend you to incorporate them into your wedding day or honeymoon.
You could consider a glacier hike, ice cave tour, helicopter tour, kayaking between icebergs, snowmobile tour, super Jeep tour and so many other activities!
If you would like to include a private glacier or ice tour in your wedding day, it would cost around USD $1500. If you’d like to go on a glacier hike hike on a regular group tour during your trip the prices start from around $70 and $150 for ice caves per person.
Budget breakdown by elopement style
Mini/budget elopement
- Flights from the US for 2: $1000 – 2500
- Hotel for 4 nights: $500 – 1500
- Car for 4 days: $300 – 700
- Photographer: $4000
- Officiant: $730 (or free if no officiant is needed)
- Hair & makeup: $430 – 1500 (or free/DIY)
- Florist: $50 – 250 (or free/DIY)
Total: USD $5730 – 11,680
Adventurous elopement
- Flights from the US for 2: $1000 – 2500
- Hotel for 4 nights: $600 – 2000
- Car for 4 days: $300 – 1000
- Photographer: $5000 – 12,000
- Officiant: $730 – 2500 (or free if no officiant is needed)
- Hair & makeup: $430 – 1500 (or free/DIY)
- Florist: $250 – 500 (or free/DIY)
Total: USD $7580 – 22,000
Luxurious elopement
- Flights from the US for 2: $1000 – 2500
- Luxury hotel for 4 nights: $4000 – 15,000
- Car for 4 days: $800 – 2000
- Photographer: $6000 – 15,000
- Videographer: $6000 – 15,000
- Officiant: $730 – 2500
- Hair & makeup: $430 – 2000
- Florist: $250 – 4000
- Wedding planner, reception: $10,000 – 40,000
Total: USD $29,210 – 98,000
Is an Iceland Elopement Worth the Cost?
Personally, I definitely believe that an Iceland elopement is worth it! There’s no other place in the world like Iceland that can offer glaciers, hot springs, Northern Lights, volcanoes and eruptions, ice caves, 10,000 waterfalls, otherworldly landscapes – and all of it packed into one small island where most of the places are easily accessible. If you love nature and if you want your photos to look as impressive as possible, Iceland is definitely the right place for you! And as you can see above, you can elope in Iceland very inexpensively.
In comparison, people typically spend around USD $30,000 on a traditional wedding in the US. For this amount of money you could have a luxury elopement in Iceland that’s fully tailored to you, your dreams and your vision.
Ready to Start Planning your Iceland Elopement?
I’m a local elopement photographer in Iceland and I also do most of the planning for my couples. If my photography style resonates with you, I would love to hear from you so I can tell you more about how dreamy we can make your elopement together!
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