Destination weddings are one thing but a destination wedding in Iceland?! That is a whole other thing! The far off country full of unbelievable scenery and adventure, was perfect for this couple. In fact, it took them all of 24 hours to pull the trigger on what would become their super cool, incredible Iceland elopement. (They said “I Do” in front of a waterfall!!) You will hardly believe your eyes as you scroll through portrait after portrait of John & Gabi in front of waterfalls and on rocky beaches, all captured by Studio 29 Photography. The pair shares what this special day meant to them below, reminiscing on every magical moment.
John says, We realized that we didn’t want a traditional large wedding and began brainstorming places for small ceremonies and elopements. Iceland was the #1 destination on my bucket list and Gabi found an article about Iceland destination weddings and Pink Iceland about a month after our engagement and proposed the idea. It took about 24 hours before we became hooked on the idea.
Once we decided on Iceland, the overall theme became so easy because of the breathtaking beauty of the country. We knew we wanted to be outside at a waterfall and the landscapes and colors and flowers of the country would essentially make the schematic decisions for us. The other wonderful thing about our choice is that we got to show our friends and family the parts of our relationship that we cherish the most: exploring new places, the beauty of nature, and spending time with family over the 3 days of the wedding. The trip gave many of our family members an opportunity to take a trip somewhere they’d never imagine (and a few had never left the country before).
Our wedding planner, Eva Maria, picked the beautiful “Secret Waterfall” in South Iceland and it only took one photo for us to be on board. The bouquets and reception flowers were all indigenous wild flowers from the countryside.
Gabi says, There was something really special about embarking on the adventure that is marriage while being on a literal adventure with all of our family and friends. The excitement and joy that we felt was something that we saw reflected in our families’ and friends’ eyes as we toured the country. Several of the people who came had never been abroad before, or hadn’t been abroad in decades, so it truly was an adventure for everyone. I’m so glad that we made these lasting memories as a family.
Something that made our ceremony very special to me was our vows. We wrote our own vows. A few days before we departed for our trip, John wrote down several things that he promises to me in our marriage, and I wrote down several promises to him. We came together, and we picked out the 5 vows which held the most meaning to us as a couple. The vows were sweet, deeply personal, and hold a great deal of meaning to us.
One of my favorite memories from that night was looking out the window and seeing an entire herd of Icelandic horses running by. This is the kind of natural beauty that Iceland offered – a kind of wild beauty that could not be planned, but that was everywhere we looked.
Beautiful!
Location is so gorgeous!
I can’t get over this backdrop!
This scenery is so stunning!