Elizabeth and Brian’s Iceland elopement was two unforgettable days in the Arctic — two brave lovebirds who had never really travelled outside the US before, let alone to Iceland. That made their intimate wedding for just the two of them feel even more meaningful. Elopements in Iceland are always unique, and it felt like a privilege to be part of this one. Unlike a big wedding where couples are pulled in every direction, here it was just the four of us sharing time, joy, and adventure together — with Stina Kase as my second shooter.
Their ceremony took place inside a stone cave on Reynisfjara black sand beach, near Vík in South Iceland. Reynisfjara is one of the most dramatic ceremony locations in Iceland — towering basalt columns, crashing Atlantic waves, and dark volcanic sand stretching into the distance. Light rain mixed with warm sun between the clouds, creating the kind of moody, cinematic atmosphere that Iceland is famous for. The couple wrote their own vows and were married by Tryggvi Gunnarsson. The wind was so strong you could barely hear the words, making it feel like the most private elopement ceremony in the world — but one photograph really does tell a thousand words.
After the ceremony, they celebrated with wedding cake from a plastic box and champagne from plastic cups — proof that simplicity can feel more luxurious than any five-star reception. Our first lunch stop was Halldórskaffi in Vík, where we enjoyed local Icelandic food before starting a nearly 700-kilometre journey towards Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon along Iceland’s famous Ring Road.
Moss-covered lava fields, roaming sheep, and shifting showers kept us company as every turn in the road revealed a new landscape and a new story. The drive from Vík to Jökulsárlón is one of the most scenic stretches in all of Iceland — vast black sand deserts, glacier tongues reaching down from Vatnajökull, and an ever-changing sky.
That night we were incredibly lucky to witness the northern lights near Jökulsárlón. Full-colour auroras are usually strongest in the north of Iceland, so catching them dancing across the sky in the south felt like the universe was celebrating with us. Northern lights on your wedding night — it doesn’t get more magical than that.
The next morning we headed into an ice cave near the glacier lagoon in a modified super jeep. Ice caves in Iceland are among the most extreme and beautiful places you can visit — each one forms naturally in autumn and melts completely by spring, meaning the cave we walked into that day exists now only in photographs and memory. The blue light filtering through ancient glacial ice created an otherworldly setting for some of the most striking portraits of the trip.
Throughout the journey, Elizabeth carried a handkerchief from her grandmother in the pocket of a coat that once belonged to her great-grandmother — a small but powerful connection to her family’s legacy. On the way to the glacier lagoon, we stopped at Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon to open letters from friends and family, each one filled with love and good wishes. It was one of those quiet, deeply personal moments that make elopements so special.
Driving back towards Reykjavík, we visited Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss — two of the most iconic waterfalls in Iceland — watching the water thunder down as the last golden light of the day faded. These two days captured everything that makes an Iceland elopement unforgettable: wild landscapes, unpredictable weather, raw emotion, and a love story written into the scenery itself.
In Elizabeth and Brian’s own words:
