South Coast Iceland Elopement | Reynisfjara, Kvernufoss & Skógafoss
There is something pretty special about starting an Iceland elopement at 05h30 in the morning with an entire black sand beach almost completely to yourself.
Erin and Matt travelled from the USA for their South Coast Iceland elopement, and our adventure took us to three of my favourite locations: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Kvernufoss and the mighty Skógafoss.
As always with Iceland, we had a plan.
And Iceland had its own plan.
An Early Morning at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
We had hoped for a beautiful sunrise at Reynisfjara, but instead we woke to a little Icelandic rain. Rather than fighting it, we delayed our start slightly and waited for the weather to settle.
It turned out to be the best decision.
At around 05h30, we walked onto Reynisfjara and practically had this world famous black sand beach entirely to ourselves.
If you have ever visited Reynisfjara during the middle of the day, you will know just how special that is.
The moody conditions were absolutely perfect for photographs. Erin’s white wedding dress looked incredible against the volcanic black sand, while the towering basalt columns, cliffs and Atlantic Ocean gave us that dramatic Iceland landscape I love so much.
No golden sunrise required.
This was Iceland doing what Iceland does best.
Chasing Waterfalls at Kvernufoss
From Reynisfjara, we headed towards Kvernufoss, one of my favourite waterfalls for an Iceland elopement.
Hidden inside a beautiful little gorge near Skógar, Kvernufoss has a completely different feeling from some of Iceland’s bigger and busier waterfalls. The walk into the canyon is part of the experience, with green cliffs surrounding you as the waterfall slowly appears ahead.
We had so much fun exploring and photographing around the canyon, giving Erin and Matt time to simply enjoy the adventure rather than turning their elopement into one long photoshoot.
That is always the goal.
Getting Completely Soaked at Skógafoss
And then came Skógafoss.
There was absolutely no chance we were leaving this one dry.
Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, and when you walk towards it, you very quickly realise just how powerful it is.
So naturally, I sent Erin and Matt straight towards it.
They ran towards the waterfall while the spray absolutely hammered them — and the resulting photographs were EPIC.
We were soaked.
Not slightly wet.
Sopping. Wet.
But when you’re standing underneath one of Iceland’s most incredible waterfalls on your elopement day, you may as well fully commit!
And Erin and Matt absolutely did.
Erin and Matt embraced every bit of it.
The rain, the early alarm, the waterfalls and, of course, getting completely and utterly soaked.
And I’d do it all again tomorrow.
Thank you Erin and Matt for allowing us to be part of your forever day, it was truly a magical morning with the two of you and we will forever be soaked together at Skogafoss!
Until we meet again,
S
Planning a South Coast Iceland Elopement
This is exactly why I love photographing elopements in Iceland.
You don’t need perfect weather. You don’t need blue skies. And you definitely don’t need everything to go according to plan.
An Iceland elopement can mean standing alone on Reynisfjara before most people have even woken up, exploring a hidden waterfall canyon and finishing your day absolutely drenched beneath Skógafoss. This is Iceland, it’s RAW, CRAZY, UNPREDICTABLE and yet breathtakingly STUNNING! This landscape will blow your mind!
For couples looking for an adventurous Iceland elopement photographer, the South Coast offers some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country, all within one incredible adventure.
