From its lava fields to giant glaciers, Iceland is a country unlike any other. Over the past few years, social media has played a huge part in putting this location on the map for tourists and creatives alike.

To put the size of Iceland into perspective, the population of the entire country is approximately 350,000, which is the same size as the city of Honolulu, Hawaii. While they might have the same population, the size of the two drastically differ. Honolulu only consists of about 68 square miles, and is just a fraction of the island of Oahu, while Iceland consists of about 40,000 total square miles, making it the most sparsely populated location in all of Europe.

Thanks to the variety of landscapes and the endless exploration options, many adventurous couples have chosen Iceland, and more specifically Southern Iceland, as their elopement destination. After years + years of travel worldwide, we get how intimidating it can be at times to plan a wedding or elopement in a foreign country. When should you go? How do you choose your photo locations?

If you’re a photographer or event planner traveling to Iceland, keep on reading, friend. We’ve got you covered!

When to go: When traveling to this gorgeous country, be prepared for incredibly long summer days, and incredible short winter days, while the overall environment is surprisingly temperate. The short days and tough temperatures of the winter months make it challenging, but not impossible to visit! The winter is when you’ll get to experience the Northern Lights, which is on many travelers’ bucket lists, but you’ll be limited to about four hours of daylight per day. This can make sight seeing difficult and driving conditions hazardous depending on the weather.

If you’re looking for a more relaxed trip to Iceland, summertime is prime travel season. The days are incredibly long, and the weather is in its prime. Please remember that since the country is sparsely populated, and this is peak season, many popular locations will book up. Prepare for your trip well in advance by booking cars and accommodations as early as possible.

Event planning: We highly recommend booking a local wedding planner to help with all the ceremony details. We can do as much research as we possibly can as foreigners, but the locals’ knowledge of the landscapes and culture are unmatched. This ultimately saves you time and energy, while also gaining knowledge you would be unable to find anywhere else. Sometimes your planner will even have access to locations and resources that aren’t available to the regular tourist, which makes for memories unlike any other.

Where to shoot: The biggest thing to keep in mind when planning an elopement or intimate session in Southern Iceland is the area’s popularity. Many of the iconic photo spots are known for their beauty, but are visited by everyone, especially in the summer months. Oftentimes you’ll be sharing your spot with many other tourists, and that could make for an interesting and not so intimate ceremony.

We recommend collaborating as a photographer, planner, and couple to choose a location that not only is beautiful, but reflects the couple’s sense of adventure, as well as the atmosphere they want for their ceremony. We promise, there is a location in Southern Iceland for every adventurous soul.

Car rental tip: When renting a car, top off your gas tank before any long stretch of driving. Many areas are largely undeveloped so you have to be strategic with fill-ups, as you could go for miles without seeing a gas station.

If you take one thing away from reading this article, we hope it’s this: We encourage each of you planning, preparing, and exploring this beautiful country to do it safely and ethically. Do your part to pick up your trash and leave nature exactly the way you found it. Please remember that we are observers, merely experiencing all the world has to offer. We want to preserve this country, and leave it as it is for decades to come!

These tips don’t even begin to scratch the surface of all Southern Iceland has to offer. If you’re interested in learning even MORE from a team of artists who have traveled to Iceland time and time again, then we have the resource for you:

Meet the Southern Iceland Location Guide.

This guide is designed to take you step by step through all the information you’ll need to plan a shoot, elopement, or wedding ceremony in Southern Iceland. We’ll walk you through what airport to travel to, housing accommodations, wedding vendors, specific shoot locations, experiences you can have once there, and more!

Forget searching the internet for hours upon hours hoping to find the right info. We’ve got it all in one place, and it’s ready for you to take it and run.

Are you ready for your next adventure?

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