Married on a Glacier: Margarita and Jeanine's Winter Helicopter Elopement in Iceland

Five weeks. That is all the time Margarita and Jeanine had between deciding to elope in Iceland and saying their vows on a glacier. They had been planning a traditional wedding until a flight home from Puerto Rico changed everything. What they really wanted was adventure, a true winter wonderland and places very few people ever get to see. On 3 April 2026 they got ready at Hótel Borg in Reykjavík, met in the falling snow, then lifted off by helicopter for a day of frozen canyons, glacier views and a ceremony high up in the snow. Photos by the wonderful Kristina Petra.

The plan: a winter wonderland in half a day

Margarita and Jeanine came to us with a clear wish. They wanted Iceland in winter, deep snow and landscapes that felt untouched, without spending the whole day in a car. With only five weeks to plan, every choice had to count.

A helicopter was the answer. It takes you to places you simply cannot reach by car or even by super jeep, and it gets you there quickly. Instead of a long day on the road, the couple could fly over the highlands, get married on a glacier and still arrive at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in the afternoon, with plenty of time to relax before dinner.

Together with Norðurflug we planned a private flight with three landings: the frozen canyon at Háifoss, a ceremony spot high on Eyjafjallajökull where, as far as we know, no couple had been married before, and a final stop in the snowy lava fields of Reykjanes on the way back. Winter flying always depends on the weather, so we followed the forecast closely and kept the couple informed every step of the way. In the end the weather was on our side all day: soft snow over Reykjavík in the morning and blue skies in the highlands.

Five weeks also meant moving fast with every supplier, from flowers and hair and make-up to photo and film. A small, trusted team made it all come together.

Two brides in white fur look at the helicopter waiting in snowy Reykjavík

1/3 | Aerial view of snow-covered Reykjavík with a snow shower over the bay

1/3 | Aerial view of snowy mountain ridges and canyons in the Icelandic highlands

1/3 | Aerial view of braided glacial rivers across black sand dusted with snow

Getting ready at Hótel Borg

The morning began at Hótel Borg in the heart of Reykjavík, with Margarita and Jeanine getting ready in separate rooms. Margrét Magnús and Ásthildur took care of hair and make-up while the details came together: pearl earrings, a ring, a favourite perfume, black lace boots and handwritten vows waiting on the table.

Then came the first look, outside in the falling snow. Margarita reached out for Jeanine with both hands, and from that moment the two of them barely stopped laughing.

1/2 | Hótel Borg in Reykjavík, the white Art Deco hotel where they got ready

1/2 | Jeanine in a white robe smiling up at her wedding suit by the window

1/2 | Make-up artist adding final touches to Margarita's bridal make-up and hair accessory

1/2 | Jeanine in a white robe having her eye make-up done at Hótel Borg

1/2 | Perfume bottle, pearl drop earrings and a diamond wedding band on black glass

1/2 | Black and white close-up of the sparkling bodice of Jeanine's suit being fastened

Black lace wedding boots, perfume, pearls and handwritten vows on a wooden table

Margarita smiling by the hotel window in a high-neck beaded wedding gown

1/2 | First look in falling snow on a Reykjavík street, both brides laughing

1/2 | Margarita gently holds Jeanine's face as snowflakes fall around them

Jeanine laughing as the two brides hug in heavy snowfall in central Reykjavík

Both brides laughing in white fur coats beside the car in fresh snow

Up and away

At the helipad in Reykjavík the helicopter was waiting. Wrapped in white fur, they climbed in, waved goodbye through the snow-speckled windows and watched the city turn white beneath them. A quick lipstick touch-up, snow boots on, and they were stepping out into deep snow.

The first landing was at Háifoss, one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, half frozen at the end of a deep canyon. It was a fun, adventurous and seriously cold day. At one of the landings we even watched a small avalanche slide down the mountainside. Nothing dangerous, just one of those moments that reminds you how alive these landscapes are.

1/2 | The brides cuddled up together in white fur inside the helicopter

1/2 | Both brides waving through the snow-speckled helicopter windows before take-off

Jeanine filming snowy Reykjavík from the helicopter as Margarita smiles beside her

1/2 | Black and white lipstick touch-up inside the helicopter, hands held tight

1/2 | Margarita in a beaded gown and snow boots stepping out of the helicopter

The brides hugging in white fur at the edge of the snowy Háifoss canyon

Cheek to cheek in white fur and gown above the snowy canyon at Háifoss

In their words

“Some weddings take years to plan. Ours began somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight home from Puerto Rico. [...] We wanted to experience Iceland in the winter and hopefully witness the Northern Lights, which meant we had only five weeks to plan our wedding. [...] The greatest gift they gave us was allowing us to be fully present. [...] If you're even considering an Iceland wedding or elopement, stop searching. There is simply no one we could recommend more highly.”

Margarita and Jeanine, on Tripadvisor

The ceremony on the glacier

Then we climbed again, up onto Eyjafjallajökull. The helicopter set us down in a wide, silent valley of snow, with dark peaks all around and nothing but blue sky above. It is the kind of place you can only reach from the air.

Tryggvi Gunnarsson led the ceremony with warmth, heart and a lot of joy (his open arms say it all). Red rose petals lay on the snow, and Margarita held a bouquet of red roses by Blómahönnun. They read their handwritten vows to each other, with laughter, a few happy tears and the wind in their hair. Then came their first kiss as a married couple, and champagne in the snow, poured by our own Heiðrún.

As we lifted off there was one more surprise. Our pilot had walked the words “Just Married” into the snow, ready for them to spot from the air. You can see it in their film.

1/2 | The brides laughing and pointing from the helicopter after landing on the glacier

1/2 | Helicopter on the snowy glacier with the brides inside and crew beside it

Officiant Tryggvi Gunnarsson with arms wide open, red rose petals in the snow

Glacier ceremony with Tryggvi, snowy peaks behind and Margarita holding red roses

Margarita reading her handwritten vows while Jeanine laughs on the glacier

First kiss as a married couple in deep snow with mountains behind

Pink Iceland planner pouring Moët champagne in the snow after the ceremony

1/2 | The newlyweds drinking champagne with linked arms on the snowy glacier

1/2 | Both brides cheering with a champagne bottle in front of a glacier icefall

1/3 | The brides kissing, two small figures in a vast snowy glacier valley

1/3 | Hand in hand, the brides lean into the wind across the snow

1/3 | Laughing and walking hand in hand across bright, untouched snow

Walking hand in hand towards a glacier icefall under a blue sky

A lone figure crossing the wide snowfield below snow-covered mountains

Margarita kisses Jeanine's cheek beside the helicopter tail in snowy lava

Celebrating at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

The day ended just as the couple had hoped, at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon. After a morning of snow boots and fur coats, they arrived to milky blue water, black lava and snow all around. Kristina took a few last portraits on the walkways over the lagoon, still in their wedding outfits and still laughing.

Then it was time to slow down. They spent the rest of the afternoon at the spa and in the warm water, before a lovely dinner at Moss, the hotel's restaurant. A calm, intimate ending to a very big day.