Reykjavik Wedding Elopement, Iceland ♡ Olivia & Troy

A look at Olivia & Troy’s simply stunning Ellidaardalur Reykjavik wedding elopement, Iceland.

“Sasha travelled to Iceland to photograph our wedding and she was amazing! Before the day, she contacted us several times to clarify details and gather lots of information about us and our plans. She met us to go over plans and asked us for shot requests/ ideas we’d like to try out. The build up to your wedding is stressful and photography was something I never stressed about at all as I knew it was in such good hands!”

When Olivia & Troy were deciding on when & where to have their wedding, they went with a less conventional approach of having a destination wedding abroad in Reykjavik, Iceland 🇮🇸. They specifically chose a chilly spot as they both apparently hate heat 🔥!

To be honest, this wedding was a real challenge to shoot, as pretty much everything that had been planned… didn’t go to plan 😆. Thankfully, Olivia & Troy were one of the most laid back and relaxed couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting for. The day could have easily become memorable for all the wrong reasons. However, their upbeat and chill attitudes were the ultimate dictators of the day. And what a wonderful day it turned out to be.

The initial plan was for both the bride & groom to-be to get ready in the centre of Reykjavik. They would thereafter travel separately over 2 hours to get to their ceremony location of Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, in the South Coast of Iceland. After the wedding in front of the waterfall backdrop, there would’ve been more travelling. We were then going to make our way back to Reykjavik for the evening reception. The plan was to make stops for photographs at some of the most stunning scenic locations Iceland has to offer along the way. HOWEVER. During the morning of the wedding, a massive snowstorm had forced the highway officials to close off any roads leading out of Reykjavik 😱.

This meant that the entirety of the day’s plans had to be changed (with the exception of the evening do at Skolabru restaurant). So while Olivia & her bridal party continued to get ready, the wedding planner worked hard finding alternatives.

Olivia wore a beautiful long, white gown from Elite Bridal. Her hairdresser sister styled her hair and makeup, and her long, blonde hair looked gorgeous down, with a few loose curls and a chunky braid wrapped around. The snow queen look was finished off with snowflake earrings, fluffy wellies and a gorgeous deep red coat.

The bridal party were just about finished and drinking some bubbly. The wedding planner then got in touch to say that she had found a real gem in the city centre. It was a park called Elliðaárdalur, which required everyone to take a little walk from the carpark to the ceremony spot. A little walk was a bit of an understatement, as it was more of a 30 minute trek! Everyone waded through deep snow in the park and woodland. All the while we were in the middle of a snowstorm 😆! The exception to this trek on foot was Nana, who was pushed gallantly through the snow by Troy himself, bless.

The ceremony spot was stunning! What a find. We were on top of a mini-cliff beside a river and waterfall. Everybody huddled together, waiting for the bride to arrive. When Olivia appeared, Troy’s face said it all ❤ It was a really touching moment. Despite the cold, blustery winds and snow, the entire ceremony was perfect.

After the ceremony everybody made their way back to their vehicles. We stopped briefly for a few group photos in the park, and Olivia & Troy for their traditional bubbly, before everybody left to go back to their hotels to freshen up – the snowstorm had drenched us all!

Everyone met back up again later on at Skolabru restaurant in Reykjavik centre. They all looked a lot toastier than the last time I saw them. It was a lovely, intimate wedding party, filled with Olivia & Troy’s nearest & dearest. As there wasn’t any chance earlier on in the day, the newlyweds & I went out for a little photoshoot. The snow had stopped coming down at that point and the city looked nice & peaceful. It was a lovely end to an eventful day.

Facing so many adversatives on such a special day could have made for a LOT of stress. However both bride & groom came out beaming, which to me, really speaks volumes about their relationship ❄💙.

Notes from the happy couple:

What are you most looking forward to on the day?
“The whole experience of the day – it’ll be an unusual day, like an adventure.”

Why do you like natural wedding photography?
“We’re not good at posing or being romantic!”

Kind words:
“Sasha travelled to Iceland to photograph our wedding and she was amazing! Before the day, she contacted us several times to clarify details and gather lots of information about us and our plans. She met us to go over plans and asked us for shot requests/ ideas we’d like to try out. The build up to your wedding is stressful and photography was something I never stressed about at all as I knew it was in such good hands!

On the day, Sasha was prompt and professional but very friendly. Lots of things went wrong on our day and Sasha was really patient about it and made the best of a bunch of bad situations. Our whole family was really impressed with her and none of us ever felt like we had a camera pointed in our faces. In fact, we couldn’t even remember certain photos being taken.

We received our photos after a few weeks and they were great! She got photos of our whole wedding party and documented every part of our whole day. Despite all the issues on our wedding day that completely changed the plans we made with her, she took beautiful photos and captured the day in a great light. She definitely made the most of the time and we have hundreds of beautiful photos to show for it! (May I also say that her photos are very flattering!)

I honestly can not recommend Sasha enough! I’ve recommended her since and will continue to do so. She is friendly and fun, which helps her to create a great atmosphere on the day and her photography is beautiful. She is a very talented lady!
Thank you Sasha (and Nathan)!”

♡

Venue : Hilton Hotel | Ellidaardalur Park | Skolabru Restaurant
Bridal Gown : Elite Bridal
Groom Suit : Skopes
Hair & Makeup : Ruffles