Having your Iceland elopement in the wintertime is definitely one of the most magical ways to enjoy Iceland’s landscapes covered in snow.

This guide on “How to prepare for winter elopement in Iceland” helps you to choose the right wedding dress for the low temperature and suit, how to dress warmly for your elopement day, why to have extra travel time during winter, how to drive safely, why to schedule your photos to daylight, what winter activities you can do during your visit in Iceland.

Winter wedding dress

There are many types of wedding dresses that can work in the snow, BUT there is a big difference. Is it a wedding dress that keeps you warm at + 5 Celcius and then at -10 Celcius? If you're doing your wedding dress shopping in bridal stores, I would recommend telling the store where you will be eloping so they can help you find the wedding dress with the right material. I also recommend getting proper layers to have under your wedding dress just to keep you warm and also under the groom's attire.

Tips for wedding dress and attire.

The long-sleeved wedding dress doesn’t only keep arms warm but also hides skin redness from the cold.
For attire, good materials are tweed or wool because they are from heavier materials.

How to dress warmly for winter elopement.

Forget your high heels. Seriously I mean it. If you're planning to have your wedding portraits taken in the snow or having some winter activities, don’t wear high heels. Even snow will be thick and good to walk on, there can be ice type which we call black ice in Iceland. This ice type is the one where people slip the most and can break their ankles fast. I can’t even count with my fingers how many times I have slipped because of black ice or because of any different type of ice. Secondly, it’s super cold and that’s why high heels won’t cover you and you can get frostbite. With proper winter boots, you can stay warmer and move more safely. I recommend checking shoes that are waterproof and have a texture at the bottom that would help you not to fall on ice.

Invest also in hand and toe warmers, scarves and layers, and don’t forget about your head and ears!

If you really want to invest in good clothes (jackets, trousers, sweaters) to keep you warm in Iceland, check Fjällräven. These are the products I love the most and keep me happy and warm, haha! Remember: there is never bad weather, only bad clothing! You can also look at Fjällräven’s clothing list I have made.

I also recommend having wool since it really is a good material to keep you warm :)

If you forget something to pack with you, one good place to shop for winter clothes in Iceland is Icewear.

Extra travel time

It’s good to add extra travel time on your elopement day because cars can break from coldness or there can suddenly be roads blocked from the snow and there would be no option to get around it easily. If you happen to drive in the dark while having snowflakes falling, this mix can easily make eye tricks to believe and see things that aren’t really there and the roads can always be slippery.

Not all roads will be open during wintertime in Iceland. For example, there is no access at all to the highlands. Sometimes even the Ring road can be closed depending on how much snow has fallen and if no one has yet cleared the snow away. Mostly the weather is worse in the North part of Iceland but it’s always super important to be prepared while travelling in Iceland during wintertime.

Iceland’s snowstorms are something you need to take seriously. When snowstorm warnings have been given many parts of the Ring road can be closed for example closing the road to leave from Reykjavik or Vik. Just early winter 2020 a tourist group was lost because of a snowstorm and they had to wait for their rescue for hours. The snowstorm was so strong that the rescue team needed to reach them by walking since it was too dangerous to access by car. Here is a very good example video of what a snowstorm can be.

To check snowstorms and weather alerts, a very good site is Safetravel.is It gives all the tips on driving in Iceland, information about the outdoors in Iceland, weather and road conditions. You can also let them know where you are travelling and order weather alerts to your phone in the area. The form to submit your travel is at this link: https://safetravel.is/travel-plan

How to drive in Iceland in winter

If you are going to drive in Iceland during wintertime and rent a car, this section is for you.

As mentioned in the text “Extra travel time” it’s almost a must to add extra time to driving and to drive slowly on the roads. Even if the roads would be clear from the snow and you would love to put more speed, please don’t do it. Firstly it’s illegal to drive outside the speed limits and secondly, the road can still be icy and slippery and it would lead to an accident.
Always check road conditions before starting to drive. The official site to check the road conditions is road.is There are 115 webcams along the road network of Iceland giving a view from about 360 different angles. The images from those webcams are refreshed every 10-20 minutes.
I highly recommend checking the condition of the road while travelling since it can still change upside down even if it would be lovely weather when you leave.
Remember to check the tier conditions before leaving with your rental car.
Most of your driving will be done on Ring road (since there is no access to the F-roads). Most of the time it can be easy to drive.

Schedule your wedding photos for daylight; we don’t have that much light.

During wintertime, we have specific hours of daylight in Iceland Around December the daylight can last for 4 hours and in the northeast part of Iceland, it can be less! From January the daylight starts growing from 6 hours and by the middle of March, it’s already 11 hours in some parts of Iceland. Because of this, you need to choose which month you will elope in Iceland, and know about how many hours of daylight you will be having.

To see the daylight hours, you can check this article.

Contact to talk about your winter elopement

Iceland elopement packages

Winter activities in Iceland

Chase the northern lights
Explore the ice caves
Hike across Vatnajökull, Europes largest glacier
Try activities in the snow: snowmobiling
Warm-up in Sky lagoon or in natural hot springs

Why consider having a winter elopement in Iceland

The prices for car rental and accommodations are lower.
There are fewer tourists and a better chance to visit popular places without big tourist groups being on the spots.
The snowy landscapes are just so beautiful!

Winter storms in Iceland

If you plan to have your Iceland elopement in January or February, it’s a must to plan extra days for your travel and plan B and C days for your elopement. From January 5th to 6th of January 2022, the worst storm in a decade hit Iceland. There was no travel option outside of Reykjavik and roads were closed. Icelandair also cancelled flights to Iceland.

Extra travel tip: the weather changes a lot this time of the year and with only a couple hours of notice. It’s good to submit your travel plans to safetravel.is and let them know where you are traveling to and the route you will be taking and expected time to arrive to your destination. If something happens on your trip and they don’t hear from you, they will start their rescue journey. They will do it for example if you get stuck in the snow or can’t process it because the snow makes it too difficult to drive. Safety first, always <3