TO THE SOUND OF A THUNDERING VOLCANO    

"Would you like to get married next to a volcano spewing hot lava?" "Yes!" Thus began the story of the incredible wedding of Sumarliði and Jón, two young men from Iceland. When their friends from the Pink Iceland wedding agency called them and suggested one of the most unconventional wedding destinations ever, the newlyweds didn't hesitate. Their original, much classier plans were thwarted by pandemic measures, so why not take advantage of it. The spontaneous wedding took place at a time when no more than ten people were allowed to attend the ceremony, creating an intimate counterpoint to the Icelandic couple's engagement. Jón and Sumarliði, after a six-year relationship, got engaged in Paris under the Eiffel Tower, where the national holiday of the storming of the Bastille had just been celebrated, and hundreds of thousands of people surrounded them in the pre-civil war era. Their wedding ceremony, by contrast, was spent in an intimate setting - if the dramatic backdrop of several active volcanoes can be called that. How is it even possible to hold a wedding ceremony in close proximity to the roiling elements? Iceland is known to be dotted with volcanoes, and in the Geldingadalir valley, several of them came to life in early 2021, offering the opportunity to get really close. Moreover, the valley is close to Reykjavik. So the newlyweds and a small crew set off on an hour and a half hike, changed into formal attire in a mobile shelter within sight of the flowing lava, and then exchanged wedding vows in front of the officiant. Nature put on an amazing show for them, including a snowstorm that they braved as they walked, and the snow was then miraculously replaced by the sun before the ceremony. Of the traditional wedding attributes, there was a lapel corsage as well as a cake, which the wedding coordinators carried to the venue unscathed. However, there were no guests, no music and no wedding reception. "We got married to the sounds of a thundering volcano, the rumbling vibrations of liquid lava and our beating hearts," Jón says, and Sumarliði adds: "Getting married in front of Mother Nature's majestic spectacle was a beautiful, breathtaking and terrifying experience. We are now married and can't wait to throw a big party and celebrate our marriage with friends and family!" 

Text: Helena Stiessová | Photo: Styrmir and Heiðdís photography