Icecold in Iceland

In late February, I headed to Iceland for snowy wedding photos. From Schiphol Airport I took the plane to Reykjavik.

I remember the one security guard at the airport looking at me madly because of the clothes I was wearing. ‘Are you perhaps going to a cold country ma’am?’ – To which I said, wearing a thick winter coat, snow boots and a thick sweater, “Yes, otherwise it would be a bit ridiculous wouldn’t it?

The man at Security could not really laugh at my joke, but well – I understood him.

All the flights leaving at that same time were going to the south of Spain, or to the other side of the ocean. Judging by the outfits of my fellow travelers at Schiphol Airport, everyone was going to warmer places.

Anyway…I was sweating my ass off in my clothes!

Not my first time

Iceland, that was not my first time. I had been there about six months before, when I attended a horse photography workshop with photographers specialized in horse and dog photography. 

That was really out of my comfort zone, but I learned a lot. I learned to see things differently, which in turn contributed to my wedding photos. Fun to do once, but definitely not my new niche. I’ll write a little more about it in another blog!

That summer doing horse photography, I fell in love with Iceland. With the way of life, the nature, the people – everything. It’s a pity that going to Iceland costs a lot of money. 

Snowy wedding pictures are a dream

Before I left for Iceland I had my doubts: how would I be able to work in that cold? And my equipment, could it handle those freezing temperatures? But, they were on my bucket list: wedding photos in the snow.

It was freezing cold in Iceland, at least for me – we are not really used to winter weather in Belgium. It was the British Rebecca of Rebecca Marie Weddings who was in charge – she has been a destination wedding planner for several years and has a lot of experience. We stayed in a beautiful luxury apartment in the center of Reykjavik – a great base for wedding photos in Iceland.

Little sleep

After about six hours of sleep, I set off early in the direction of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, to the Búðakirkja in Búðir, a well-known iconic church if you’re looking for images of Iceland. It was a good two hours and a half drive, in a stunning deserted snowy landscape. Truly the end of the world. Meters of snow all around me, it actually made me quiet. A bit like a fairy tale. I remember getting out of our van and telling Rebecca that it made me a little emotional: the silence, the peace and solitude.

The little church is remote, in the middle of nowhere – an incredibly magical place in the snow, ‘t is one of the most photographed places in Iceland, by the way.

The cherry on top for me anyway was the magical white snowy landscape, combined with the bride’s white dress, and the groom’s black suit. Color pictures in black and white I would call it … I had never had the opportunity to photograph anything like this before.

Wedding pictures in Iceland for Rosie en Rahi

Wedding planner Rebecca brought Rosie and Rahi with her from London. A young British couple who would model at the Búðakirkja.

Under her dress, by the way, Rosie was wearing thermal clothing, and she wore sneakers with thick wool socks. None of it showed in the pictures, right? Although we were treated to bright sunshine during the photo shoot, it was really freezing. An open plain, a little wind….

In the distance in the water there were also quite a few seals swimming. Unfortunately, they were already a bit too far away to photograph.

I love the contrast between Rahi’s black suit, and Rosie’s iconic white dress at the black church. A fairy-tale picture.

The church where we photographed is covered with tar pitch, which keeps the wood from decaying quickly – hence the black color. It was originally built in 1703 and rebuilt in 1848. By the way, there are only three black churches left in Iceland, although I don’t think they can be found in Belgium or the Netherlands.

Barely any tourists

Iceland in winter: hardly any tourists are there. Wedding photos in Iceland are popular these days, but even in winter there are bitterly few candidates for photoshoots in the snow. 

We ran into a few tourists, but you can count them on two hands. Not only the cold weather plays a role for that absence of tourists, but certainly the cost.

Nowadays it is popular to go to Lapland on vacation in winter: also pricey – but nothing compared to Iceland. The Far North is more catered to tourists, and various excursions. This is less so in Iceland in winter.

A long day

We took Rosie and Rahi’s wedding photos in three different spots. In Iceland, everything is a bit further away, so you can often be in the car for quite a while.

Our driver Jon was a pleasant guide, taking us to the different photo spots and occasionally telling us about life in Iceland. After an 18 hour. work day, we were back in Reykjavik.

Tired, but excited. With a memory card full of beautiful wedding photos in the snow. After a hot shower I dove into my bed, because after 6h of sleep I had to get out again: for Lauren & Jamie’s wedding photos. But that … is a blog post for another time.

One thing is for sure: weddings abroad are hard work. Long days, short nights and you have to have good adaptability. But for me it is still the best job in the world!

Are you still looking for a wedding photographer in Iceland? Or would you like wedding photos in the snow? Evelien Geerinckx Photography would love to go with you!