When you think of Iceland, what comes to mind? Vikings, volcanoes and geysers – oh my? It’s likely that weddings didn’t cross your mind, but it did for Iceland fanatics Jennifer and Jordan. And when they began mapping out their dream wedding and realized what they truly wanted was to enjoy every moment of their special day without feeling rushed, an elopement surrounded by the wild beauty of Heimaey Island fit the bill.

“We have friends that felt their wedding day was rushed,” the couple says. “We wanted to soak in as much of our day as possible, an elopement is a perfect remedy for that. Part of a destination wedding is the ability to keep it small and have less to worry about.”

Most of the couple’s family members were understanding, and Jennifer and Jordan made sure to FaceTime with family on the day of to help them feel included. 

“Everyone wound up feeling happy and included, so we suggest doing that,” the couple says.

Having been to Iceland before and deciding on an intimate celebration, Jennifer and Jordan felt confident enough to take on the planning and coordination for their wedding away. While they admit the process was a bit time-consuming (especially when it came to navigating websites in a different language), the couple tells us it was well worth every minute. 

“We traveled light and went with it,” the bride says. “We got to explore and made sure to take part in a lot of self-care activities.”

A favored stop along the couple’s Icelandic pampering journey was the Sky Lagoon, a serene, oceanside geothermal lagoon overlooking the deep blue waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. 

Luckily, the planning process turned out to be almost as serene! In fact, Jennifer serendipitously found several of her wonderful vendors through Instagram hashtags. And, with a small number of guests, finding hotel rooms in walking distance to the couple’s accommodations was no sweat.

“And we were all able to fit in a 9-passenger van so that helped significantly with transportation especially on the day of our wedding, it was nice keeping everyone together,” Jennifer says.

By taking a minimalist approach to their ceremony and relying on the beauty of Iceland to replace decor, the van actually turned out to be the only thing the couple had to rent (talk about a chill wedding day)! 

“I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our love than by adventuring together to a place we both loved,” says the bride.

Vendors: Photographer: Angel Sheree Photography; Ceremony Site: Lupine Fields; Florist: Flowers By Monika; Vow Books: Ox & Pine; Hair & Makeup: Margret Magnusdottir; Gown Designer: She Said Yes Dress; Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse