Eloping with No Rules: Shawna + Jess

What a rush you feel when you don’t follow the rules sometimes, right?! Maybe a bit naughty, invigorated, or high on life even! Either way, choosing to go your own way for your wedding can feel like that. After all, societal or familial pressures can be very real. But if you muster up and stand your ground, you may be on your way to eloping in Iceland! And the beautiful thing about that is there are no rules to follow… Just adventure awaits you!

Shawna & Jess

Let me count the ways, we adore Shawna and Jess… Firstly, they met on a mutual friends ski trip but it took two years for them to reconnect. Sometimes it takes a spontaneous dinner invite to ignite things! Secondly, from their careers to their passions, these two are UBER impressive! Not only all that but they love hiking, camping, rafting, traveling, etc. Thirdly, Shawna and Jess vibe at a very high level of energy which we resonate with for sure! Fourthly, they wanted a day of experiences that emulated how they like to travel and action pack their days. But still have quite moments in-between to be in the moment with each other whether they brought guests or not.

Eloping with No Rules

Originally Shawna and Jess were scheduled to get married in July of 2020. But life happens along with everyone’s first pandemic. After several changes, these two decided transitioning to eloping in Iceland instead of an adventure wedding with guests was the best choice for them. Therefore, their magical day finally happened on October 29th 2021 and magical it was!

The morning began in Vik Iceland, with our teams wedding photographer capturing all of their alternative details. To illustrate, how bad ass is a blue wedding dress, painted combat boots and coat, plus Jess rocking outdoor gear instead of a formal suit?! No rules for eloping, bring it on!! After a quick first look and exchanging day of gifts, these two were on their way to eloping!

Blizzard Wedding Ceremony

Late October weddings can have all kinds of weather conditions. Heck, you might even experience all four seasons in one day while eloping in Iceland just as Shawna and Jess did! Firstly, the deeper you go into the highlands this time of year you can expect snow… Maybe even blizzard conditions! Secondly, as these two professed their unconditional love for each other in front of this stunning waterfall the blizzard-like conditions transitioned to rain. But they just laughed and smiled through it. After all moments like that just adds to the story of the day. And you may or may not get that “I survived my wedding day” feeling at the end 😉

River Waterfall First Dances

Frankly, river waterfalls might be the most underrated type of waterfalls. But they are marvelous especially when you bust out some first dance moves!

Lunch & Love

Can you imagine a more perfect place to have lunch than at a highland waterfall in Iceland? Especially if you’re eloping in Iceland, adding on a luxury lunch experience can really make you feel special. Also, it can help slow down the day too if it’s action packed. For example, you sit down with your partner, pop a bottle of bubbles, toast to your newlywedded bliss, bask in the view, and savor every single second of this EPIC moment! Following the picnic these two spent time exploring the place from all angles…

Dusk Glacier Explorations

Next on Jess and Shawna’s day of eloping with no rules, they wanted to witness the beauty of the famed mountain from Star Wars Rogue One. Following enjoying that beautiful backdrop they wanted to experience Mýrdalsjökull glacier. But there was a race against time as the sun was tucked behind massive layers of clouds and was setting shortly too. However that excitement just added to the adventure. Meanwhile, these two discovered an ice cave and a stunning ice valley which was the remainder of a once massive ice cave in 2019.

Styled Elopement Table in Iceland

Golly! We love when eloping couples want to add on a styled table! For instance, the theme of Jess and Shawna’s table was a combination of travel opulence with natural undertones. Add in a delicious dinner and a traditional Iceland wedding cake and they were set, right? Sure, if they wanted the adventure to end then but our Iceland Wedding Planner team didn’t! Read on to find out what happened next…

Iceland Elopement Nighttime Photos & Film

Ending the evening with nighttime wedding photos in Iceland is one of our favorite things to photograph! From the challenging weather conditions to how we light and setup everything it’s such a freaking fun time!! Especially when other creatives join you in the adventure… Veiled in Motion enjoys the nighttime shooting experience too! After all it’s all about the MAGIC.

In conclusion, make sure you don’t miss Jess and Shawna’s Iceland wedding film below. I may or may not have watched it 10 times, just this week! 😉 Lastly, if you’re considering eloping in Iceland and these newlyweds no rules elopement has left you inspired, feel free to contact us!