ICELAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHYTracy & Yam
Iceland Wedding Photography
Whenever we’re involved in some form of Iceland wedding photography – whether that’s a small wedding in the summer, a large wedding in the fall, or a springtime elopement – we’re never more inspired.
Tracy and Yam’s elopement was at one of our favourite venues ever: Hótel Búðir. Since we first started going there in 2011, we’ve come to love being amongst their staff and just the general ambiance of this place. We will never tire of going there, and cannot wait until the next trip.
With Tracy and Yam, we had some remarkable moments while travelling around Snæfellsnes. In particular when we were atop a mountain when all the elements came together for an ethereal moment that took our breath away.
Hótel Búðir and Snæfellsnes
Hótel Búðir sits on the southern edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, facing the ocean with a small black church beside it. The hotel has become one of Iceland’s most sought-after wedding venues, and it is easy to understand why. The setting is remote without being inaccessible, the staff are experienced with elopements, and the surrounding landscape offers more variety within a short drive than almost anywhere else on the island. Tracy and Yam’s ceremony at Búðir had the intimacy that comes from choosing a place with genuine character over a generic event space.
The black church at Búðir, Búðakirkja, is one of the most photographed buildings in Iceland. It stands alone on the lava field with the ocean behind it, and in winter or overcast weather it takes on a solemnity that suits elopement photography perfectly. For Tracy and Yam, the church served as both a landmark and a visual anchor for the early part of their session, and the interplay between the dark wood structure and the surrounding landscape gave the images a sense of place that is immediately recognisable as Iceland.
Exploring the Peninsula
After the ceremony, we spent the rest of the day driving the Snæfellsnes coast. The peninsula is sometimes called “Iceland in miniature” because it contains nearly every type of Icelandic landscape within a relatively compact area: volcanic craters, moss-covered lava fields, black sand beaches, sea cliffs, and the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano that dominates the western skyline. For Iceland wedding photography, this concentration of landscapes means a single afternoon can produce images with dramatically different settings without long drives between stops.
One of the highlights was Djúpalónssandur, a black pebble beach on the western coast where the remains of a British trawler lie scattered across the shore. The contrast between the dark stone, the white surf, and the rusted metal creates a mood that is both stark and beautiful. Tracy and Yam walked the beach together as the waves rolled in, and the wind off the Atlantic added a rawness to the images that feels distinctly Icelandic.
Further along the coast, we stopped at Arnarstapi, a small fishing village with dramatic basalt sea cliffs and natural stone arches carved by the Atlantic. The variety of textures along this stretch of coastline kept the session visually fresh throughout the afternoon, and Tracy and Yam responded to each new location with the same enthusiasm they brought to the first.
Planning an Iceland Elopement
Snæfellsnes is roughly two hours north of Reykjavík, making it accessible for a day trip but far enough from the city to feel genuinely remote. For couples who want to explore beyond the popular south coast, the peninsula offers a quieter alternative with equal visual impact. We have photographed many weddings and elopements across Iceland, and Snæfellsnes remains one of our strongest recommendations. Get in touch if you are planning your own Iceland elopement. Browse more of our Iceland wedding photography: Bree and Mike at Hótel Búðir, a Thingvellir wedding, a South Iceland elopement, and Hallie and Halden in the highlands.
