As an Iceland elopement photographer, nothing compares to Iceland—a land of glaciers, waterfalls, and landscapes straight out of a dream.
With that being said, when planning an elopement in Iceland, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of staying flexible. When in Iceland, it’s best always to expect the unexpected, whether it’s bad weather, a road closure, or travel hiccups.
Rather than trying to fit everything into a rigid timeline, what’s actually more important is leaving room for changes to the original plan. That’s what happened during Ande and Taylor’s Iceland elopement, and despite the changes we made to their timeline, it was still a beautiful, memorable day full of adventures for these two.
Read on to learn more about this couple’s Iceland elopement and how we embraced a flexible timeline for their celebration.
Ande and Taylor’s Epic Iceland Elopement
Ande and Taylor planned an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime elopement in Iceland, and their day was packed full of adventure, swoon-worthy scenic views, nature, and heartfelt moments.
One of the biggest takeaways from this Iceland elopement was the importance of having a flexible timeline. Although we had a perfect day planned, we were able to make it even more perfect through flexibility and backup plans. Sometimes the most magical moments are the ones you never saw coming!
Planning an Iceland Elopement
For Taylor and Ande’s elopement, I worked with Valerie of Forever Awaits. They specialize in wedding design, planning, and coordination, and they are absolutely amazing! I had so much fun working with them, and they come with a glowing recommendation from me!
We did all of the planning virtually. Valerie has insane research and crafting skills, which were so helpful when it came to creating the perfect elopement timeline and day for these two. One of the most important parts of the day for the couple was to see puffins. Because of this, we made sure to prioritize finding a puffin colony when making their timeline.
Remember, if there’s anything specific you want to do on the day of your elopement, make sure you let your photographer know so we can make it happen for you – when we work together, the possibilities are endless!
Research for Ande and Taylor’s Iceland Elopement
Together, Valerie and I got to know Taylor and Ande super well, and then with my previous experience in Iceland and Valerie’s exceptional planning skills, we figured out everything for these two so they could have the elopement of their dreams. The week before Ande and Taylor’s elopement, Valerie and I scoped out all the locations to make sure our research was aligned.
Valerie also assembled a color palette full of earthy, natural, deep greens and blues, handmade all the florals (bouquet for Taylor, bouquet for Taylor’s daughter Lynn, pocket square florals for Ande), and coordinated decor for the picnic – I did say she was incredible, right?
Not only was it super fun working with Valerie, but it also really helped working with someone who is amazing at what they do, and to bounce ideas off of to create a day for Taylor and Ande that they’ll be looking back on happily for years to come.
Background on the couple
“We met in 2010, in a World Religion class at the local community college in Greenville, South Carolina. Both of us were fairly recent transplants, after time in the military (me-AF, grew up in Southern California/ Ande-Army, grew up in Pennsylvania), we formed a study group to be able to spend more time together and get to know each other more.
Pretty soon, we were inseparable. We started dating in January of 2011. We spent 2.5 years together and had our ups and downs. We broke up in 2013, both needing to learn things about ourselves and just in general. Ande was my first queer relationship. We tried to be friends for a while, but it didn’t go well. So we decided to cut ties in 2015. I moved to 3 different states over the years. We found out that we both had kept loose tabs on each other in our time apart.
In 2022, Ande reached out to me, and I threw my phone across the room. There were a lot of emotions. I didn’t respond, so Ande reached out again, with a much more heartfelt message, and I responded a few days later. We started texting and just never stopped. We met up about a month later, in Atlanta. By then, I had moved back to Greenville, but Ande moved to Charleston, so we decided to give our relationship another shot.
After a little over a year of texts, phone calls, and as many dates as we could get in, Ande moved back to Greenville and in with me. It has been about a year now, and we are finally together and in a really good place. I’ve never had a kinder and patient partner. Even when I test their limits. Ande is so supportive and enthusiastic about any hair-brained idea I have.” – Taylor
Ande and Taylor’s Elopement in Iceland
Here’s a behind-the-lens look at Ande and Taylor’s Iceland elopement:
Getting ready
Ande and Taylor’s elopement day started off peacefully and slowly, with a beautiful, sunny morning. They woke up in their igloos and wanted to have a chill, laid-back morning to take in the surroundings while getting amped up for their big day! Ande, Taylor, and Lynn all shared coffees at the Igloo, sat and chatted, then got ready for the day.
While exploring the Igloo area that morning, we discovered an adorable picnic table that was calling our name, which led to the first pivot of the day.
Rather than having Icelandic hot dogs on the way to the ferry, which was the original plan, we decided to postpone our ferry ride until later in the day and relocate our picnic from the Westman Islands to the Igloos. It fit the vibe for that morning, and everyone was just feeling like it was the perfect time for charcuterie!
Then Ande and Taylor took some time to write their vows into their custom vow books at the picnic table after we finished eating.
Adventures and timeline changes
Once they were ready, we headed to the ferry, which was a fun new experience for the couple! We sat up on top of the ferry, taking in the ocean and island views, and soaking in the sunshine.
As soon as we arrived at the islands, we took a brief drive to the beluga whale sanctuary, which was both adorable and informative. We then went to the puffin colony (but not without stopping to pet some Icelandic horses on the way).
We hiked the entirety of the colony and did not see a single puffin!!! Which is one of the things we based the entire day around!
At this moment, my wheels started turning, and I knew we would have to pivot once we got to the mainland because I had the perfect place in mind to take the couple to make their puffin wish come true.
As we left the puffin colony, I ran this by the couple, and we decided to move their ceremony to this new beach as well, rather than have their ceremony on the islands. I had my fingers crossed that we’d see puffins at the following location.
However, visiting the puffin colony was not a total loss. The views from up on the cliffs were absolutely stunning, and as we were scanning for puffins, I saw a pod of 6-7 orcas swimming in the ocean!!! That was pretty magical.
So, we headed back to the ferry, had some burgers during our cruise back to the mainland, and once we arrived, we pivoted and headed to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach near Vík. The drive there was the only time we had rain during the day, and we saw sooooo many rainbows. Things were fully cleared up by the time we arrived at the beach.
The ceremony
We explored the beach, and Ande and Taylor decided they wanted to exchange their vows and rings in a cave tucked behind the famous basalt columns on the beach.
They read their vows and exchanged rings, and as they emerged from the cave as a newly married couple, a group of puffins swooped out and flew around/above them! It was soooo magical, like a personal congrats to them from the puffins.
When we took portraits along the beach and headed to Vík to explore, we ended their epic day getting crepes before heading back to the Igloos for the day. I adored being a part of Ande and Taylor’s day and getting to experience Iceland in a way that I hadn’t before!
Ande and Taylor’s Iceland Elopement Timeline (+ the Importance of Flexible Timelines)
After hours of research and planning, Ande and Taylor’s timeline on the day of their elopement ended up requiring some last-minute adjustments on the day itself.
However, everything ended up working out perfectly, as we had backup plans ready in case of any hiccups along the way.
I was grateful for Ande and Taylor’s flexibility, as sometimes, no matter how much you try, things simply just don’t go according to plan (especially on an international adventure), and that’s totally okay!
Ande and Taylor’s Original Timeline:
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Getting Ready at Aurora Igloo, Hella
10:15 AM – Leave Igloo and head to N1 Gas Station (Hvolsvelli, Iceland)
10:30 AM – Arrive at N1 for some Hotdogs/Food
11:00 AM – Leave the Gas Station and Head to the Ferry at Landeyjahafnarvegur,861
11:30 AM – Arrive at the Ferry (Check in and get the car loaded)
12:00 PM – Enjoy the Ferry Ride to Westman Islands (Going to Heimaey)!
12:45 PM – Arrive at Westman Islands
- Whale Sanctuary
- Beach for Ceremony & Picnic
- GOTT Restaurant
- Puffins Storhofdi Colony
*Backup Plan: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Vík*
06:15 PM – Ferry Departure Back to Main Land of Iceland
07:00 PM – Beach Photos on the Mainland by Ferry
07:30 PM – Head to Seljalandsfoss for some epic waterfall pics
Ande and Taylor’s New Timeline:
09:00 AM – Getting Ready/Coffee/Slow Morning at Aurora Igloo, Hella
10:30 AM – Charcuterie Picnic & Writing Vows at Aurora Igloo, Hella
12:15 PM – Depart for Ferry (Herjólfur)
12:45 PM – Arrive at Ferry (Herjólfur) in Landeyjahöfn
01:10 PM – Ferry Departs Landeyjahöfn for Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)
01:50 PM – Ferry Arrives at Westman Islands
02:00 PM – Beluga Whale Sanctuary
02:45 PM – Drive to Storhofdi Puffin Colony
03:00 PM – Explore Puffin Colony
04:30 PM – Depart Puffin Colony and Return to Ferry
05:15 PM – Ferry Departs Westman Islands for Landeyjahöfn (Late Lunch on Ferry)
05:50 PM – Ferry Arrives at Main Land
06:00 PM – Drive to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
07:00 PM – Arrive at Reynisfjara and Explore
07:15 PM – Vow and Ring Exchange Ceremony in Cave at Reynisfjara
07:30 PM – Portraits
08:00 PM – Drive to and Explore Vík
08:45 PM – Stop for Crepes for Dinner in Vík
09:00 PM – End the Day and Return to Igloo
Ready to Plan the Elopement of a Lifetime in Iceland?
I hope you found this info about eloping in Iceland and creating your perfect Iceland timeline helpful!
Also, if you want even more information on Iceland, I’ve got the resources and answers you’re looking for.
For a guide to on how to elope in Iceland, go here, or if you want to learn more about planning a timeline for your Iceland elopement, check out my blog post here.
Now, all you need is the perfect Iceland elopement photographer! Whether you want to hike a glacier, say your vows under the spray of a waterfall, or dance down rainbow-painted streets (or all of the above!), I am here for it!
And I’ll take some great photos for you as well, of course. To learn more about my Iceland elopement experience, go here, or you can get in contact with me here.
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