Iceland Elopement by Van: Jeremy and Rachelle, Photographed by Troy Moth

When Jeremy and Rachelle sat down to plan their wedding, the venue, the menu and the guest list quickly felt overwhelming. Then Rachelle asked a simple question: "Why don't we get married in Iceland instead?" A few weeks later they were living out of a van on the island's roads, with no fixed itinerary and one plan only: to marry wherever the place felt right. Fine art photographer Troy Moth flew in at the end of their trip to capture it.

Couple holding hands beside blue ice floating in an Icelandic lagoon — Jeremy and Rachelle beside ice in an Icelandic lagoon. Photo: Troy Moth

An Iceland elopement instead of a big wedding

What they chose is often called an elopement: a small, private wedding with few or no guests, where the budget goes on the journey. Iceland suits the idea well. Its open landscapes, bright summer nights and fast-changing weather make a natural backdrop, and a van gives the freedom to wait for the right moment.

For Jeremy and Rachelle, skipping the traditional celebration had a practical side too. The money they saved paid for a photographer to join them at the end of the trip and document what they had found.

Couple walking across open ground towards distant Icelandic mountains — Walking across open ground towards the mountains. Photo: Troy Moth

Travelling Iceland by van on the Ring Road

Most van journeys in Iceland follow Route 1, the Ring Road. At 1,309 km it is the longest ring road in Europe and passes through almost every region of the country except the Westfjords. It was completed in 1974, when the Skeiðará bridge opened across the glacial sands of the south-east; before then, travelling from Vík to Höfn meant a long detour north through Akureyri.

Best season: late spring to early autumn, when the road is snow-free and the nights are short or bright.
Driving tips: expect single-lane bridges, blind summits and sudden wind gusts, especially in the rural east.
Winter: Route 1 gets top priority for snow clearing, but passes such as Hellisheiði, Holtavörðuheiði and Öxnadalsheiði can close in storms.

Check the road and weather services every morning before setting off: conditions in Iceland can change within hours.

Couple standing among moss-covered lava rocks in Iceland — Among moss-covered lava rocks. Photo: Troy Moth

Glaciers, waterfalls, horses and hot springs

The couple spent their days hiking over glaciers, walking behind waterfalls, exploring moss-covered lava fields, playing with horses and soaking in hot springs. Those are the classic ingredients of an Icelandic road trip.

The horses are a story in themselves. The Icelandic horse descends from ponies brought by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, and the Althing banned horse imports as early as 982 AD. Any horse that leaves Iceland may never return. Small but strong, usually 132–142 cm at the withers, the breed has two extra gaits: the smooth four-beat tölt and the fast flying pace, used in racing at up to about 48 km/h. Around 80,000 live in Iceland today.

Couple beside an Icelandic horse in a sunlit field — A countryside pause with an Icelandic horse. Photo: Troy Moth

Couple standing beneath a rainbow across a broad valley — A rainbow over a broad valley. Photo: Troy Moth

Vows at the ruins of an old church

One day they came across the ruins of an old church. According to the story they were told, it was the only building to survive a volcanic eruption long ago, because the lava flow split and passed around it. Jeremy and Rachelle knew at once that they had found their place. They exchanged vows there in private, with only the landscape as witness, swapped rings and went back to the van to carry on travelling.

Couple beneath a waterfall dropping between mossy rock walls — Beneath a waterfall between mossy rock walls. Photo: Troy Moth

Couple standing in an outdoor pool below green Icelandic slopes — In an outdoor pool below green slopes. Photo: Troy Moth

Couple silhouetted behind a waterfall in warm evening light — Behind a waterfall in warm evening light. Photo: Troy Moth

Couple on a black-pebble beach facing sea stacks — On a black-pebble beach facing sea stacks. Photo: Troy Moth

Troy Moth's photographs

Troy Moth is a fine art photographer who left the fashion industry to live in a cabin in the woods, and his pictures favour wide spaces and small human figures. In this series the couple are often a pair of silhouettes against ice, sea stacks, rainbows and low sun, which lets Iceland's scale do the talking. The session took place as the trip drew to a close, so the photographs are a portrait of their journey as much as of the wedding itself.