Natalie and Jeff’s midnight sun elopement on a far away island Sørøya in Northern Norway was nothing short of amazing. Every little detail was intentional and unique, something that made their elopement day extra memorable.
Planning an overseas elopement isn’t an easy task. But planning a legally binding wedding ceremony (post-pandemic, when the boarders have just got opened) within a short timeframe is even harder. However, it didn’t scare the couple away, and they decided to proceed with the very real legally binding wedding ceremony in Norway.
Deciding on a midnight sun elopement location in Norway
Midnight sun is a phenomenon that occurs north of the Arctic circle (and south of the Antarctic circle). For a period of time during summer the sun doesn’t set in these areas, resulting in 24 hours of daylight for a couple of months. Midnight sun looks like a very long sunset, just without the setting part. And you can enjoy mild and beautiful sun rays many hours in a row.
After looking at different options, Natalie and Jeff chose an island hidden far away in the North – Sørøya. There are several good reasons to choose Sørøya as a destination for an adventure elopement. The island is very secluded and you won’t meet crowds of tourists. You can be quite sure to have privacy during your elopement ceremony. There are plenty of spectacular landscapes: cliffs, lakes, mountains, caves and waterfalls. In summertime there are reindeers walking around everywhere and a big variety of birds! The island is wild and beautiful, and along with the midnight sun for a big chunk of summer it’s creating a perfect frame for an elopement in Northern Norway.
Experiencing midnight sun for the first time
We arrived at Sørøya the day before the elopement, and gorgeous midnight sun greeted us there. We went on exploring around the island for a bit and took some photos in casual outfits.
Sand ceremony
On the morning of the elopement day Natalie and Jeff stayed together in their airbnb and helped each other to get ready for the day. We’ve planned the main part of the elopement adventures to be in the evening and night. But it was nice to have some activities planned for the daytime too. Therefore we went outside where Natalie and Jeff had a sand ceremony. They have picked two glasses with sand of their favorite colors and filled up an hour glass where green and blue sand got mixed together. The sand ceremony represents two individuals creating a new union and family together.
After the sand ceremony bride and groom had some time for themeselves, and we met up again in the evening. We wandered around and took some photos at a couple locations before we headed to the ceremony place.
Elopement ceremony at midnight
One of the reasons the couple wanted to have a ceremony at night was the possibility of having two wedding dates overlapping each other. Do you wonder how they made it happen? Their celebrant Eva, the mayor of Hasvik was very accurate with timing. She timed her speech in the way where Natalie said her “I do” and got her ring on at 23.59 on the June 11th, and Jeff said his “I do” at 00.01 on the June 12th. Thanks to that little detail they’ll be able to celebrate their wedding anniversary on both dates in the years to come!
Although being on duty, Eva (the celebrant) was also babysitting her grandson, so she has brought him with her to this elopement celebration. Guess if there was an available role for him too? He turned out to be the ring bearer for the night and it was a big honor for a young guy! The joy was even greater when he discovered that the ring box looked like a snitch from Harry Potter books!
Midnight sun didn’t show up that night for Natalie and Jeff’s elopement, but it didn’t bother them. After the ceremony they had a picnic nearby and shared their wedding cake while fog and rain started rolling in.
To wrap up that awesome day(s) Natalie and Jeff went into the sea and read their vows to each other while experiencing a refreshing foot bath. Then they sealed the deal with a champagne pop! That was one hilarious adventure elopement in Northern Norway, even without the midnight sun!
Elopement vendors
- Photographer – TS Foto Design
- Hair & makeup artist – Kreativ frisør
- Picnic food – Uno catering
- Wedding cake – Dalia’s kaker
- Wedding bouquet & floral arrangements – Mester Grønn Alta
Are you interested in planning your own elopement in Norway? Just click the button below to contact me, and I’d be happy to help you in your planning process!