Romantic Iceland Destination Wedding – Iceland Elopement Videographer

Kevin and Vanna travelled all the way from Florida US to exchange their vows in the wild landscape of South Iceland. I was honored to be their Iceland Elopement Videographer and to film their winter Iceland elopement video. Moreover, I had the pleasure to live this adventure alongside the amazing Iceland wedding photographer Stephanie Zakas and, boy, what an unforgettable adventure this has been! Press play and watch the film right above, then read on to discover the full story behind the film, and some cool behind the scene of this crazy adventure in the land of fire and ice. If you like winter elopements in the snow, as much as I do, don’t forget to watch also my film of an intimate elopement in the Austrian Alps.

Iceland is a stunning place for an Elopement film

The nature and landscapes are amazing along the South Coast of Iceland. The visitor can enjoy nature reserves, waterfalls, beaches, glaciers, lagoons, volcanoes, rocky mountains, and small villages. It is a place with so much energy.

As an Iceland elopement videographer, I have had the chance to visit the south coast of Iceland and travel in the wild beauty of this amazing country in winter to shoot this elopement. From the beautiful fishing village of Vík í Mýrdal to the unique black sand beach in Reynisfjara, and from the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss to the singular beauty of the Glacier Lagoon Jökulsárlón I have seen some truly breathtaking places to get married. I am in awe of how unique and peaceful this part of the planet is.

When you plan to elope in Iceland you always have to consider the weather. It is very variable and can easily change in no time. You may view the sun shining in the sky, ten minutes after experiencing a snowfall. This creates beautiful double rainbows.

Iceland Elopement Videographer: The Story

Kevin and Vanna met in high school and have been good friends until their graduation. They have conducted their lives independently, in two different parts of Florida, for 7 years thereafter. But life has brought them to meet again in their home town and that’s where the magic of love happened. They have been together ever since.

Definitely a conscious couple. They have a beautiful romantic relationship in which both feel committed to a sense of purpose and that purpose is growth. Both individual and collective growth as a couple and as a force to make the world a better place.

Although it is far from being always a perfect linear path, when two people come together with the intention of growth, the relationship evolves towards something much greater than individual satisfaction. The partnership becomes a journey into a loving evolution that allows both partners to expand and grow more than they could alone. This is the case of Vanna and Kevin.

And so they have decided to seal the deal by exchanging their vows of love in an adventurous winter destination elopement in Iceland. Away from tight schedules, wedding protocols, and cookie-cutter traditions. Only with a couple of friends who were their trip companions from the US to Iceland. This is the kind of story that I enjoy documenting as an Iceland Elopement Videographer. Because you get to spend time with the couple and connect on a personal level getting to know them better and understanding their story.

Hunting the Aurora before Eloping

We all stayed in the Fosshotel Glacier lagoon Hotel. This is one of the few hotels in the beautiful icelandic countryside, close to the beautiful glacier lagoon of Jökulsárlón and the diamond beach. The night before the elopement the weather was quite cold but good enough to go hunting the northern lights in the Icelandic country side. And so we did together with the couple and Stephanie, their wedding photographer. We have been lucky and got some amazing pictures and videos of northern lights. I feel that it is really wonderful to create this strong connection with our couples. It is not only about being their Iceland elopement videographer and telling their love story. We get to know each other, become friends and spend some great moments together. This is a true life experience that remains forever in our memories.

The Elopement Preparations

The plan for the day of the elopement was to travel east of the hotel stopping at the glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón, and the Diamond Beach right in front. Then visit a few other characteristic sites along the way for shooting short clips! The ideal spot for the exchange of vows would be underneath Vestrahorn. A spot with a great view and a typical Icelandic landscape.

Be it for an elopement or for a wedding ceremony, I always suggest to couples to spend the moments of the getting ready together. In the same spot and possibly in the same room, to help each other dress. Apart from breaking the ice, this helps the couple live these unique moments together, to be more intimate, and to get closer to one another. This might sound unconventional compared to the more traditional “first look”, but, from my experience as an Iceland Elopement Videographer, it always works great.

Thankfully, Vanna and Kevin are a more unconventional couple, so they followed the idea and helped each other with their outfits during the preps. They also put on their hiking boots together. These boots may look strange combined with a wedding dress at first. But when preparing to elope in Iceland in winter, you should always think about dressing up in warm layers and using hiking shoes.

Vanna looked like a Greek goddess wearing her amazing crown. Florals were a creation of þórdís zophía. A wonderful person full of creativity and, undoubtedly, my favorite florist in Reykjavik Iceland.

The weather in Iceland is a surprise

After they got ready, we realized that we would have to COMPLETELY change course and literally change every plan we had. The sun was shining outside but there was a severe bad weather warning on the phone: A snow blizzard would hit the entire country from the east.

Iceland Elopement Video

The wind, rain, and snow can arrive in no time. This is why you should always enquire with an experienced Iceland elopement videographer and destination wedding photographer when planning to elope in Iceland. Apart from filming your special day, they can help you organize your wedding or elopement in the best locations in Iceland while avoiding bad surprises from the weather. And they can provide you with an alternative plan B in case of something unexpected. Together with Stephanie, we decided to change plans and to head West, instead of East, to avoid the blizzard and have more time to our advantage.

Vanna and Kevin are an adventurous couple so they embraced our plan B with enthusiasm. They knew that they should trust the expert knowledge of their photographer and Videographer in Iceland. We had to re-book hotels in Reykjavik one day earlier than expected, and so we did before embarking on this adventure.

Travelling to avoid a snow blizzard

We headed out to Hnappavellir with a lovely winter sunshine in the morning and moved west along the South coast, driving away from the storm that was slowly pushing in on us. The temperature was dropping and dropping fast. But Vanna and Kevin were very brave to walk in the snow in subzero temperatures.

We wanted to shoot in various places along the south coast but we all knew that it was only a matter of time before the storm was above us. Given the circumstances, we had to improvise and think where would be the best place for Vanna and Kevin to have their ceremony and exchange their vows. Stephanie proposed to stop at the Canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur. An amazing landscape for the ceremony. But after a short visit for location scouting, a local Ranger informed us that the areas were closed for flora rebuilding. As a destination elopement videographer, when hiking in nature, I respect the landscape and stay off areas that could damage nature. Indeed, LNT (Leave No Trace) should be a top priority when planning your adventurous elopement in wild nature.

The Elopement Ceremony

The weather kept changing very quickly and soon the sky got covered in heavy clouds. we decided to pull over to a unique landscape close to the basalt stone ground of Kirkjugólf, a protected natural monument. The couple exchanged their vows on a secret little hill that we had discovered on the spot. It was very cold with subzero temperatures and with clouds and wind starting to become very threatening…

Kevin and Vanna were very brave to cope with the cold and seal the deal with their personal vows. The whole experience has been an amazing adventure that we were all happy to share with each other. That’s why we love filming intimate and adventurous weddings and elopements. Outside of protocols and stereotypes, the couple is free to express their love and raw emotions making each and every event personal and unique. As every love story should be…

All pictures and video thumbnails that I have used in this gallery to tell the story are parts of the wedding film. But the full picture gallery for the couple has been created by the amazing photographer Stephanie Zakas. She is a great person and friend and a true Iceland expert. Book us together if you want to have the perfect Iceland Photo – Video team!

Your Iceland Wedding Videographer

The film has been awarded Best Wedding Film in the 21st Collection Awards by the Inspiration Photographers Association. One of the most important professional associations of wedding photographers and videographers worldwide. Once again, as wedding videographers, we do not aim at winning contests and awards in the first place. But when our films get recognition from individual viewers worldwide, this is a clear indication that we are on the right track as storytellers. Because people are connecting with the story that we tell.

I feel blessed to be an Iceland wedding videographer and to travel to iconic places telling love stories of amazing couples, like the couple of Vanna and Kevin. For a wedding in Iceland or an adventurous elopement, couples love to pick places like Dyrhólaey Cliffs, the Black Sand Beach (Reynisfjara) near Vík, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, or the Diamond Beach nearby. Church & hotel Búðir Snæfellsnes. Seljalandfoss, Skógafoss, and Kvernufoss waterfalls are also very popular locations for a proposal or a wedding in Iceland.

Are you eloping? Do you plan your wedding? I would love to be your wedding or elopement videographer in Iceland. Check out some other destination elopements I have filmed in the Austrian Alps, Morocco, Santorini, and Crete in Greece, and get in touch. My passport is always ready. Let’s start planning your special day together!