The myths surrounding eloping in Iceland.
Myth number 1: Iceland is too expensive a place to get married.
It's no secret that Iceland is an expensive country. It's still possible to travel there on a low budget and get married there! Eating out and getting gas to your car is expensive but having money saved before going to Iceland can help you a lot.
Here are tips on what you can do:
Make a budget and go what are the things you really need for your elopement, depending on will you have a low budget or do you want to invest in your elopement.
Start by looking at possible flight routes, car rental companies, Airbnb places to stay, how long you would stay in Iceland, what vendors you will need for your elopement, where will you be getting your wedding dress and suit, and the cost of getting legally married in Iceland.
You can always prioritise things. Have a date night together where you sit down and talk about your elopement budget. Each one of you will write down your top 3 priorities for your elopement day. And these can be anything. After this combine your top 3 options together as one. What are your combined priorities for your day?
Myth number 2: My marriage won't be legal when I get back to Us.
Yes. Your marriage will be legal in Us when you return there. Any couple from any nationality can get married in Iceland and Iceland also welcomes same-sex couples. If you wish to get married in Iceland, you need to be over 18 years old and to submit all the paperwork you need to make it legal in Iceland. You can see the needed paperwork from this blog post: How to plan your Iceland elopement.
The best part is that you can have your ceremony almost anywhere in the lands of Iceland as long as they are public. If you find private land, you will always need the landowner’s permission to have your ceremony in her or his land.
Myth number 3: Anyone can be the officiant and make the marriage legal.
You can get officially married in Iceland only by an officiant who is legitimately licensed in Iceland and the person is Icelandic. Those who can legally marry you in Iceland are:
Humanist Organization
Ordained Icelandic religious pastor
Icelandic civil officer
Ásatrú Goði
Myth number 4: I don't need a backup plan for my elopement day
When in Iceland, you will always need a backup plan for your elopement day. The weather can change quickly but it can also be gone just as fast as it arrived. It's good to have an indoor option as a backup. There has been a lot of situations when it’s been too cold or we have had a yellow weather alert and needed to postpone the elopement to the next day or even to new locations in the country.
Myth number 5: You don’t need insurance when your elopement is abroad.
I always recommend people who plan to elope in Iceland have insurance. You will really need travelling insurance and I recommend checking how your insurance covers if you get Covid in Iceland and need to be in the hospital.
Myth number 6: Couples that elope abroad don’t have their friends and families with them.
Some couples who elope in Iceland do elope secretly and have a “just us” experience but there are many couples that want to have their closest family members with them. Destination elopements is an unforgettable way to spend quality time with you your family and friends, celebrate your marriage and spend holiday time together.
If you are thinking about eloping with your family and friends, here are a couple of tips I would like to share with you:
Don’t compromise. There will always be people having their opinions on how you should have your wedding even if you would be eloping. Don’t fall into this rabbit hole and don’t start planning your day based on other expectations.
Split up the day. What are the moments you want your family and friends to be part of? Would they be part of the ceremony and then just the two of you exploring Iceland for the photos? Will you re-join them for an elopement dinner?
Include them in moments. What are the moments you want them to be part of besides just the ceremony? Perhaps at getting ready and maybe even having a first look with your family or they will see your first look with your soon-to-be husband or wife?
Consider the ceremony location. What is the access to the location and would every family member be able to get there?
Don’t forget about transportation.
You might need to consider some small compromises if you are planning to have your family with you on your elopement day and coming all the way till Iceland.
Never let the planning get out of control. Is the focus on you as a couple or will it turn quickly into the needs of your quests?
Myth number 7: My officiant won’t speak English.
English is very well spoken in Iceland and all the officiants and pastors I suggest to my couples speak English better :)
Myth number 8: When I elope in the summer, it will be warm and sunny.
One of the biggest myths is that when a couple plan to get married in the summertime in Iceland, it will be sunny and warm all the time. It can be that and with a 90% chance, it won’t be that. Iceland’s summer temperature is maxed at 15 Celcius (which is 59 Fahrenheit) but mostly just 10-13 Celcius (50-55.4 Fahrenheit). Yes, there can be very lovely days in Iceland during summer but also a big chance to have rain on your day. The more you are prepared for Iceland’s all the time changing weather situation, the better!