An unforgettable elopement at Vestrahorn | Taylor & Heather
Behind the adventure: planning a magical elopement at Vestrahorn
This was another elopement for the books and one we could tick off our wishlist! An elopement in east Iceland and at the Vestrahorn: a mighty mountain with a mirroring black sand beach. What a day! We loved every single moment of preparation and the day itself. Taylor and Heather reached out to us at the end of July. We were in Iceland then, and as always are timezones a little struggle. I sent the wrong time for an initial video chat and the tone was set: what a funny and cool couple! The call itself was bubbly and funny and soon enough, we found ourselves finding an email that we were ‘the chosen ones’ to photograph and help plan this incredible day.
The choice was made quite soon: this would be an autumny elopement, to be planned in October. In this season, the weather can be unpredictable, but at the same time, it’s a shoulder season. This means that there aren’t that many tourists in the country which gives you the possibility of having some beautiful locations all to yourself. T&H had some ideas and visions for their day: it had to be a little active and adventurous. Northern lights would be a big plus to see. So, to the drawing board, Tim went!
Did you know that in that head of him, there are MILLIONS of ideas and locations? I’m always in awe of how he plans for that part! He is the one with all plans A, B, C and so on so that we’re never stuck because of the weather.
Speaking of plan A, B and C…
We always think of backup plans. We don’t want to use them, but our past experiences have shown us again and again that during elopements, not all things go according to plan (in that view it isn’t very much different than a ‘regular’ wedding). We help you prepare for this and take care to adapt to these situations 🙂
For Taylor and Heather, we also needed to shift some things around in our schedule and where we planned a hike, we switched to a road trip visiting various waterfalls and driving a road which was an F-road in the earlier days.
Start of the day: sunrise at Jökulsárlón
When you want a sunrise like no other, you have to wake up early! Around 5:45 AM we arrive at Hótel Jökullsárlón where the couple has slept and has been getting ready for their special day. We meet for the first time in real life, drink a cup of coffee and wipe the sleep from our eyes. While we’re there, getting the couple ready, we talk about how the day is going to go: as you read, our initial plan was to hike, but to get the best weather possible we need to switch some things around. Funny fact: in Iceland, the weather can change in less than 15 minutes and can be totally different every few kilometres! We opted for an amazing road trip as a possibility, which was totally not on the itinerary we had made before. The reason? We rode that route the day before and it is quite unique for the time of year that this scenic road is still open and the views are AMAZING! After some brainstorming, T&H decided that they preferred doing that, as opposed to hiking a beautiful canyon. We flip over the plan and when we’re ready, we get into the car on our way to Jökullsárlón to see the sunrise and take beautiful pictures during it.
During elopements, we love driving our couples: it gives us a moment to share information about the landscape and country. For you, as a couple, it gives you a day of just enjoying the views without worrying about whatever. You can nap, see whatever this insane country has and connect with each other and with us! The vibes are always relaxed: you do whatever you want.
Freezing cold, empty stomachs, and caffeine
While Tim snaps the cutest pictures, I’m busy making sure the couple is warm, cosy, and safe. At Diamond Beach, I’m your wave-watching sidekick, keeping an eye on those sneaky sneaker waves, and handing over your warm coats between poses. It’s all part of the magic!
Picture this: glaciers glowing pink in the soft light and pastel skies that feel like a dream. This is what we’re witnessing! It’s breathtaking, but let’s be real—cold like this is no joke. Iceland isn’t just cold; it can be next-level cold. Think about your usual winter layers, then add four more, and you’re getting close.
Here’s the trick: keep your energy up! Your body works overtime in these temperatures, and without fuel, it’s like trying to run on an empty tank. On my first trip here, I learned fast: half a loaf of bread and five layers were my survival kit! For couples, it can sometimes be a surprise just how challenging the cold can be, especially during a photo shoot where we ask you to take off your coats to show your wedding attire. But don’t worry—when the chill starts to bite, we’ve got you covered: you get your coat back, do some jumping jacks with us and we continue the photoshoot after you’re warmer again! In preparation for all of this, you can buy layers of clothing with Merino wool in it. This kind of fabric breathes, but also keeps you warm. A lot of our past couples swear by Merino leggings!
After a quick warm-up back at the car with sugary snacks and hot drinks, we’re ready to tackle the next adventure so off we go, walking towards the glacier lagoon. In the water, we witness massive ice blocks floating in the icy water. Seals pop up with their curious and big eyes and we see an iceblock turn over to show its deep blue colours! We capture some more pictures before we head back to the carpark, where it’s getting busier: all tourists have woken up and are visiting right now! We drive towards Höfn, ready for some brunch and our next location: Vestrahorn.
Brunch, views and vows at Vestrahorn
When you arrive at the viewpoint, you will be greeted by a chunky and friendly labrador. He belongs to the Viking Café where we will grab a bite as brunch. We enjoy the sun and blue skies and then it’s time to head over to the viewpoint: the ‘bumps’ of volcanic sand that are in front of the beach and the mighty mountain. Being married in the US, Taylor & Heather have decided to do a symbolic ceremony where vows and rings are exchanged. We stay in the background, capturing those touching moments. Luck is on our side: when we move towards the beach, we notice there is nearly nobody around us! We take our sweet time, no hurry is needed. The sun shines, the temperature is comfortable and we are having a lot of fun.
Let’s hit the road!
After that, it’s time to hit the road again! Tim has taken over the wheel from me, the roads will get a little more challenging at some point. We see Taylor and Heather relax in the back seats and we chat a lot about life back home. Together with them, we also figure out some information about landmarks we see and listen to music. Whenever we see a nice spot, we park the car and hop out to explore! This is a MASSIVE benefit of road-tripping: we see so many nice spots and you can stop whenever you want to. Time flies by, it is already time to head back to the hotel for dinner. Driving through fjords and insane landscapes, we sit back and relax. We keep an eye on the KPI index, but the northern lights sadly don’t show up this night. It doesn’t matter, Iceland for your elopement never disappoints and is always unique because of its landscapes! On the last night in Iceland for all of us, we also keep an eye out because the prediction for northern lights is getting higher. At a distance, we coach T&H to a dark spot where we can let them fulfil their dream: seeing the mighty greens up high in the sky. And even though we are in a highly light-polluted area next to Keflavik airport, we also spot a very strong aurora and even after all those times we were privileged to see this, we still squeal with pleasure!
Heartfelt Words from Heather and Taylor
Once we get back home and deliver the gallery, we receive these kind words from Taylor and Heather:
“We wanted to let you know that we had a chance to go through all the photos and we could not be happier. We’ve been on the road as we moved at the end of December, but we had an opportunity to share them with both of our families and it was an incredibly special thing. It literally brought Heather’s mom to tears. Everything is amazing but some highlights from us include the wave shot from Jökulsárlón, the reflection pictures from Vestrahorn, and of course the main waterfall shot (everyone tells us it looks fake). We also love the ceremony because it really feels like you captured our relationship in the candids.
[…] As we told you in person, it was exactly what we wanted. Now we know you can’t control the weather and guarantee everyone blue sky and an empty beach like we got, but we do know that any couple will get the full Tim and Juuls experience: great company, a deeper understanding of Iceland, and excellent photos!
Wishing you guys only the best,
Heather and Taylor”
Vestrahorn: the perfect spot to end the season
We had an absolute blast! With this elopement, our 2024 season in Iceland was concluded. The fact that we planned this elopement with the couple in a very short time span (less than a month!), made it even more amazing because it shows you exactly how awesome elopements are. Depending on your wishes and vision, it can be planned in even a week or less if you want! As stated at the beginning of this blog, an elopement at the Vestrahorn was one of our bucket list locations to shoot at. The contrasty look of this spot is beyond words and we absolutely loved the fact we could take another couple on this adventure! For 2025 and onwards, we have little space in our calendars to photograph your elopement. It is best to inquire as soon as possible whenever you think we might be the right photographer for you. We can’t wait to speak to you!
Want to know more about planning your elopement in Iceland? Read our blog here:
