This Iceland wedding elopement is what boho wedding dreams are made of and so much more! Alexandra and Arik have traveled the world together, but their greatest adventure yet began when they said their vows at the iconic Black Sand Beach in Vik, Iceland!
For bride Alexandra, the reece gown from All Who Wander had everything she needed and more for a wedding focused on nature. The mix of exotic linear lace patterns and floral designs throughout flawlessly complemented the backdrop of the rocky sea stacks on the beach’s shoreline. The dress was as free-spirited as the bride and groom themselves, who climbed rocks, strolled along the beach and posed in front of a picturesque waterfall on their wedding. Their celebration of love was truly “them”, and who would want it any other way?!
Read on to hear more about the newlyweds’ epic wedding day and how Alexandra found the dress of her wildest dreams!
What was the most special memory from that day?
Iceland’s weather is some of the most unpredictable weather in all of Europe. We knew, come rain or shine, we still wanted to get married there. I will never forget how calm, warm, sunny and clear the weather was at our wedding! Once I stepped foot on the beach to meet my new husband, I remember looking around and being able to clearly see the mountain tops, birds in the sky, ocean waves, volcanic cliff edges and the peace of it all.
Once my husband-to-be and I laid eyes on each other – it was an otherworldly experience. It felt like a dream! Many Icelandic people truly believe in elves, trolls and hidden people. I can wholeheartedly say it felt like a few of them put a magical, incredible spell on the beach and each of us that day, we had such a magical experience. I will never forget every detail. You could almost see the fairy dust in the air! Everything about the day was absolute magic!
Tell us about your proposal!
Arik and I have always been drawn to water. Our proposal was on New Year’s and our anniversary; Arik took me to watch the sunset while on vacation in western Florida. We were watching the sky colors dance and change from blue to pink and orange. The water was a vibrant blue, and you could clearly see the seashells and sand dollars twinkling across the ocean floor.
As we were walking on the beach, Arik asked a bystander to take our picture. Luckily, she was very smart, and when she saw Arik kneel, she switched the camera to video mode. We were lucky and captured the whole thing on video! Arik presented a stunning engagement ring to me, and I hardly looked at it because I could only see him, and I told him yes! One of my favorite sunsets EVER!
Describe your bridal style. How did you want to look on your wedding day?
I was hunting for the ideal dress but couldn’t initially find one that screamed “wild adventure” like I wanted. Whenever I went into a bridal shop I told them – “I need to be able to do a full squat in my dress! I need to feel free!” I am an adventurer, and I knew I wanted to be able to move in my dress and be myself.
During my research, I scoured the internet and found All Who Wander. The brand name alone transfixed me. I thought, “This brand is for me!”. I saw the reece gown and instantly fell in love with it. On my wedding day, with my new husband by my side, I used my dress for love and adventure – the way a dress should be treated on a wedding day.
My dress still has the black sand, hay, grass, clay and dirt of Iceland embedded in the fabric, and I plan to preserve it just like that – because it’s the story I chose for my reece gown. I was able to climb, catch it on rocks and drench it in a waterfall, but it kept its beauty and shape throughout the day. I even got a piggyback ride from my husband in it! I felt my complete self in this gown – wild, free and full of love. I am so excited to tell everyone about this brand. Plus, my dress packed very well and laid perfectly on a hanger!
How did you make your wedding personal to your love story?
Arik and I have traveled to nearly 20 countries together. We currently live full time in our van named “Happi” so we knew we wanted a wedding that matched our love for adventure and wonder.
We didn’t have any special colors or a dress code for our day. I told our guests to wear whatever made them most comfortable and loved that so many decided to be barefoot on the warm volcanic black sand of our wedding day! Arik wore a blue suit to compliment his beautiful eyes and I had a wildflower bouquet. Nature was the theme of our wedding, and she gave us some stunning colors as a wedding gift. It couldn’t have been more perfect for us.
Photography: Bettina Vass
Ring: Brilliant Earth
Florist: LunaStudio.is
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Are you still searching for a wedding dress that captures your spirit? Take a look at our latest designer gown collections from All Who Wander, Stella York, Essense of Australia and Martina Liana.