Aimie & Kyle’s Two Day Iceland Elopement: From Kirkjufell to Kerlingarfjöll
If there is one thing I have learned from photographing elopements in Iceland, it is this: Iceland will always have the final say.
Aimie and Kyle travelled from Ireland for an epic two-day Iceland elopement in August, and originally, there was one rather extraordinary event we hoped would become part of their story, the total solar eclipse on 12th August.
Unfortunately, Iceland had other plans for us.
But that is part of the magic of choosing to elope in Iceland. You arrive with a plan, but you also arrive ready to embrace whatever this wild little island decides to throw at you.
Sunrise at Kirkjufell
We started ridiculously early on 12 August at one of Iceland’s most recognisable mountains: Kirkjufell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Our mission was simple, beat the crowds. Especially as they were predicting over 100 000 people for the solar eclipse. We wanted to get a head start.
And we absolutely did.
For more than an hour, we practically had Kirkjufell to ourselves. The conditions were beautiful, the mountain reflected perfectly in the water, and Aimie and Kyle did what they would do for pretty much the entire two days: laugh.
These two NEVER stopped laughing.
Every now and again Aimie would come out with one particular line that had all of us in absolute stitches. Those are the moments I love photographing most, the stuff you cannot plan. The ridiculous comments, the genuine laughter and all those little moments that happen between the enormous Icelandic landscapes.
Búðir Black Church & Arnarstapi
From Kirkjufell, we continued exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, heading towards the iconic Búðir Black Church.
Surrounded by lava fields, mountains and enormous Icelandic skies, Búðakirkja is such a beautiful location for an Iceland elopement. We photographed around the little black church before wandering towards the coastline, slowing everything down and simply enjoying where we were.
From there, our Iceland elopement adventure continued to Arnarstapi, with its dramatic basalt cliffs, rugged coastline, sea stacks and incredible views across the Atlantic.
This part of Iceland is made for couples who want their wedding day to feel more like an adventure than a traditional wedding.
Eventually, we called it a day because another ridiculously early alarm was waiting for us.
An Iceland Highlands Elopement at Kerlingarfjöll
The following morning, we headed deep into the Icelandic Highlands to Kerlingarfjöll.
And that road?
Let’s just say it was an adventure all by itself.
It was bumpy, rough and slightly questionable at times, but we had one goal: get there early enough to experience Kerlingarfjöll before anyone else arrived.
And somehow, we did.
Standing there at sunrise with Kerlingarfjöll completely to ourselves was one of those experiences I will never forget. I think everyone was still stuck in the Solar Eclipse traffic!
Steam rose from the geothermal landscape around us. The mountains were covered in incredible shades of brown, orange and gold, with little patches of snow still clinging to their peaks.
And there, amongst all of it, were Aimie and Kyle.
Two tiny humans in one enormous Icelandic landscape.
THIS is why I love photographing elopements in Iceland.
Aimie and Kyle, thank you for laughing your way across Iceland with us. I honestly hope our paths cross again in the future and it was really an honour to be part of your Iceland Adventure. Until we meet again!
S
Dreaming of Your Own Iceland Elopement?
An Iceland elopement doesn’t have to fit into a traditional wedding day. It can stretch across two days. It can mean waking up before sunrise, driving ridiculously bumpy Highland roads, changing plans because of Icelandic weather and exploring places that barely feel real.
Locations like Kirkjufell, Búðir, Arnarstapi and Kerlingarfjöll offer completely different landscapes and can turn an Iceland elopement into a genuine adventure.
Give me those steaming mountains, ridiculous roads, early alarms and tiny humans amongst enormous landscapes any day.
