3 Steps to Planning a Stress-Free Iceland Elopement | Local Iceland Elopement Photographer and Planner

Getting ready to elope in Iceland can be both exciting and overwhelming.

As someone who’s been in the wedding and elopement industry for going on 18 years, I’ve seen both sides of wedding planning- planning a large, conventional wedding and planning an Iceland elopement abroad. I can tell you first hand that planning an elopement is FAR less stressful and WAY more fin than planning a conventional wedding filled with guests the couple typically doesn’t really know, managing family and friends expectations, and paying for shit they don’t even want.

Which, if I were to guess, is exactly why you ended up on this page- because you also decided to say ‘absolutely not’ to planning the big conventional wedding day and ‘yes-so-fucking-lutely’ to the elopement planning, instead.

And now, planning an elopement in Iceland.

So, how do you ensure a stress-free Iceland elopement planning experience leading up to your epic day?

Many couples find that the key lies in properly planning ahead (typically with hand holding and support from yours truly), while still leaving room for spontaneity and joy throughout the entire process. In this blog post, I’ll share most simple three steps to help make the journey to your Iceland elopement an enjoyable one:

• developing an easy-to-follow timeline that fits your dreams for your Iceland elopement day,

• prioritizing what matters most for your Iceland elopement in lieu of prioritizing other people’s expectations,

• and delegating how you gather your Iceland elopement details whenever possible- which is what 50% of my service to you is, I already have the details you need.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to have peace of mind as you plan your Iceland elopement.

01- Developing an easy-to-follow timeline that fits your dreams for your Iceland elopement day

Planning an Iceland elopement can feel overwhelming and stressful, so the first step to having as much of a stress-free experience as possible is to break down your Iceland elopement planning tasks into manageable chunks.

I take this step even further for all of my Iceland elopement couples by doing this for them.

There are so many moving parts when it comes to eloping in Iceland and pulling together a day you want in a country that more often than not, you haven’t been to before or spent less time in than a local (like, me).

The good news is that the pressure is off of you because the timeline for planning your Iceland elopement is not only totally broken down, but also has steps you probably didn’t even think of, yourself! - Already done for you.

There is no reason to put all of this on your shoulders, that’s a pretty large drink of water to ask someone who:

• hasn’t been to Iceland before, or, at least not enough to know the ins and outs like a local.

• hasn’t eloped before, and most likely never eloped in Iceland before to know what steps to break down. This is one of those ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ kind of things.

• just wants to have a good time, sit back, relax, and have a day where they don’t have to micro-manage and be in control. Expecting you to have all the answers, know all of the steps, and be able to do them all is mostly a guessing game.

The best way to make sure everything is taken care of is by having a timeline for when things need to happen and together we will do that. If you wanted to try to DIY this yourself, the steps I suggest are:

• finding trust in the Google Gurus and hope what you’re learning are true.

• breakdown how many months you have until your elopement in Iceland and reverse engineer what you need to finish in what month to hit your goal.

• putting everything in a sharable doc for your partner to help and any family members who want to help you take on the task.

02- Prioritizing what matters most for your Iceland elopement in lieu of prioritizing other people’s expectations.

Even if you have decided to elope in Iceland without any guests, other people’s expectations still find their way into your day. I’ve seen with my couples some ways that other people’s expectations wiggle on in with:

• feeling pressured to invite guests when they really wanted a private experience. Or, inviting more people than they really intended due to family pressures.

• expected to meet family expectations of what style of elopement photographer to hire when the family expectations don’t match the couple’s preferred photography style.
  (You know, the older generation really wanting the super-posed, smile at the camera, look uncomfortable type of photos when you prefer candid, how the day really unfolded, not staring at the camera type photos).

• managing expectations for the way the elopement ceremony is held, when you want an elopement style just standing in front of an epic waterfall but the expectation is that it’s in a building of some sorts with decor and things you really don’t want.

When it comes to planning an elopement in Iceland, it’s important to prioritize what matters most to you and your partner over anyone else’s expectations for a day about you. Don’t be swayed by outside pressures or expectations of others; instead, focus on the things that will make your special day feel meaningful and memorable. After all, eloping in Iceland is a once-in-a-lifetime memory and event, so you want it to be something that when you look back on you won’t feel any regret or resentment.

Consider where in Iceland you want to elope by what kind of atmosphere you would like your Iceland elopement to have – do you prefer a your ceremony to feel more like a traditional ceremony with guests, a Celebrant to run the ceremony, and saying your vows in front of everyone? Or, something more intimate where you’re saying your vows privately so you can say whatever your heart desires without feeling embarrassed or not comfortable being vulnerable in that moment?

Do you want breathtaking Iceland mountain views or a secluded Iceland black beach setting with no tourists?

Truly prioritizing what matters most to you and your partner for your elopement and having the bravery to potentially let some people down can help ensure that your Iceland elopement is everything you had envisioned.

Above all else, remember that this is your moment and something that isn’t just an event to get through but is really a milestone in your life. As cheesy as it is, your iceland elopement is you turning a chapter in your lives and starting your lives differently. Nobody should be able to dictate how it should be enjoyed or impose elopement expectations on you while you’re here in Iceland.

03- Delegating how you gather your Iceland elopement details whenever possible.

Here’s the truth- even if you don’t like delegating, it will help manage your elopement planning stress levels to be able to delegate all of the pieces of the pie. When you are eloping in Iceland, you aren’t just planning an elopement, you’re also planning a trip to Iceland. This trip alone probably has more to plan than the elopement itself. You have to figure out:

• where to stay on the rest of the time you’re here in Iceland

• what you want to see while you’re here in Iceland

• how your elopement will fit into the rest of the plans of traveling around here in Iceland

• and so many more details of just being in a foreign country.

But, the awesome news is that this is 50% of my service with my couples, and the other 50% is being the elopement photographer to capture your day as authentically you as possible.

Instead of needing to delegate everything, you can more or less follow the plan already laid out for you to follow. And, have a helping hand in that other part of the whole ‘planning an elopement in Iceland’ thing, with, the Iceland trip planning part.

By hiring someone who is a professional in this, who has done this hundreds of times before, it will help you take the headache out of this process and keep your energy taps going for all of the adventure to be had once you get here to Iceland.

Your job when it comes to delegating will be between you and your partner on who will tackle the tasks that need to be done with the information given by the professional as they (or, I) can’t book and pay the things for you. So, being able to delegate those ‘final steps’ will help one person not take the whole pie on themselves.

Lastly, enjoy the process of planning your Iceland elopement.

If you’re looking for some support in this Iceland elopement process, reach out t schedule your consult and get your custom Iceland elopement packages created to help you not only have a custom elopement day, but also as less of the stress as possible.

xoxo Steph