Article by Maya Vukovska
You have decided to finally give up the carefree bachelor’s life and tie the knot in 2023, but you don’t want to do it the traditional way - with hand-written invitations closed with a wax seal, an open-air chapel in the botanical garden or at the beach, with candy wedding favors, and a five-foot white cake "as seen in Vogue"...
Here's a piece of advice from someone who is not planning of getting married soon - that's me!), but if I absolutely must, I know the most stunning place for the purpose. It lies just below the Arctic Circle between 64 and 66 degrees North, the capital city is exactly halfway between New York and Moscow, it’s about the size of the state of Ohio, and the average temperature in summer is 54 F.
And that place is Iceland.
Why get married there, you'd probably ask. Actually, the right question should be, Why NOT get married there?
The gay island
Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is at the top of the list of the gay friendliest cities in the world. The Gay Pride is like no other you will ever attend. Everyone is gay for a day - even the mayor!
Iceland has one of the most progressive legislation in the world, which caters to the rights of all sexualities. Same-sex marriages have been legal since 2010, with ZERO members of the Parliament voting against the bill! At that time, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was Prime Minister of the country - she was the world’s first, openly gay politician holding that office.
Since the population on the island is tiny (350, 000 people), don’t expect a huge gay party scene. But this doesn’t mean that the Icelanders have a dull nightlife. There’s a small gayborhood in downtown Reykjavik, based around the Kiki gay club, which gets very busy on weekends mainly because of its notorious drag shows. Although Kiki is the only gay bar on the island, one can see gays not only there, but literally everywhere, and around the clock.
How to get there and when to get there
There are several daily flights to Keflavik International Airport from North America operated mainly by Icelandair. From New York, the flight takes only five hours. Prices are reasonable, and if you are resourceful, you can find flights for less than $200.
What's the best time of the year to get married in Iceland? In the Nordic countries, people joke that there are only two seasons - a green winter, and a white winter. And I'd say both seasons have a lot to offer. In astronomical summer (June-August), you can combine the happiest day in your life with photographing the Midnight sun, soaking in the world-famous Blue Lagoon Spa, snorkeling in Silfra (a rift formed in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge), and going for crazy super-jeep trips to the highlands. Plus, you can get married outside, without having to wear thermal underwear!
Believe it or not, the pros of getting married in winter are even more: For one thing, it’s less expensive. You can explore inside a glacier or a cave, do snowmobiling, and last, but not least you have the incredible Northern lights!
How much does it cost?
A civil ceremony costs about $80. If you opt for an outside ceremony in the beautiful scenery, there’s an additional fee. Many couples are interested in pagan ceremonies performed at some of the epic cave locations not far away from the capital.
If you want to have a proper reception for family and friends in the city, keep in mind that the average cost of a wedding meal in an ordinary restaurant (WITHOUT wine!) varies from $63 to $85 per person. Most alcohol is imported, making it quite expensive, so, if you’re not planning a sober wedding, you should consider alternatives. Or you can ask your rich guncle for financial help in exchange for naming your firstborn after him.
Law and order
One of the reasons why so many foreign couples decide to get married in Iceland is because the bureaucratic part is significantly reduced. What further facilitates the process is that the documents they need to submit prior to the wedding can be not necessarily in Icelandic, but also in English. Though Iceland is a Lutheran country it is open to people and wedding ceremonies of all religions. For those who are non-believers, or who don’t want to deal with paperwork, there’s an excellent option to have a symbolic wedding.
Some gay couples choose to make their union legal in Iceland because same-sex marriages are not allowed in their countries. Others - because the pictures they’ll take there will look great on their Instagram. But what really makes this Nordic country such a perfect wedding destination is that the whole society welcomes with open arms everyone, whether they are queer or not, ministers or truck drivers…
