How to Elope in Norway

Elope in Norway

If you’re looking for an epic experience for your wedding day surrounded by mountains, wildflowers, fjords, and more than you need to elope in Norway! Norway is a country full of epic hiking locations, unique experiences like swimming with orcas, and deep culture. Imagine staying in a hotel on the ocean in the Lofoten Islands surrounded by mountains. Then exploring monstrous mountains and cliffs that overlook the sea. Not to mention all the activities you can plan afterward for your honeymoon. It’s the perfect place to elope for the adventurous couple.

What’s included in this guide:

• Why you should elope in Norway
• How to travel to Norway
• When to elope in Norway
• Best places to elope in Norway
• How to legally get married in Norway
• Where to stay in Norway
• Activities to include in your elopement
• A full packing list for your Norway elopement
• Meet your Norway elopement photographer

Why You Should Elope In Norway

Norway’s mountains will leave you forever dreaming of returning. They are seriously breathtaking. It’s an adventurer’s paradise with so many amazing hikes. Plus you can stay in cabins right on the ocean in the fjords of the Lofoten Islands. It’s a literal dream. The mountain hiking is so unique with the monstrous mountains and cliffs overlooking the ocean and fjords.

There’s even chances for unique experiences like seeing the Northern Lights dance across the sky during the winter months. Otherwise you can plan your elopement for the summer during the midnight sun. During this time the sun never fully sets and it’s 24 hours of daylight with golden hour and blue hour lasting for a long time. It’s a great way to escape the daytime summer crowds as well.

How to travel to Norway

Norway has multiple airports you can fly into with the most popular being Oslo. If you’re needing to fly to a smaller area like Tromso to get closer to the Lofoten Islands, you will most likely layover in Oslo or another main airport in a close by country.

After you fly into Norway, you will need to rent a car. Renting a car will give you full freedom to travel wherever you want on your own time. Many places are longer drives through the mountains so make sure to account for that in your travel plans.

When to elope in Norway

Norway’s different seasons offer many opportunities for different activities for your elopement. My favorite season however is Summer or Fall. Here’s the breakdown of the seasons below.

Spring: (April – May)

Spring is a great time to explore Norway. The snow is melting, the days are getting longer, and the landscape is turning lush and full of color. The trails can be muddy from snow melt however. It’s a great time to be here but the only downside is snow is still present in the mid to higher elevations so a lot of hikes won’t be accessible. Crowds are lesser as well.

Summer: (June – August)

Summer is hands down my favorite time to be in Norway. The weather is warm and cozy. The landscape is lush green and the mountain sides and valleys are filled with wildflowers. All the hikes are fully accessible and it’s the best time to explore. There are more crowds this time of year but with the long summer solstice days, you can stay out through the night to avoid crowds if you wish and enjoy the best light of the day.

Fall: (September – October)

Fall is my second favorite time to explore Norway. The cooler weather feels amazing to adventure in. The landscape is still very beautiful and there’s less crowds than in the summer months.

Winter: (November-March)

Winters are colder in Norway but absolutely beautiful. If you ever dreamed of a winter wonderland for your elopement day than this is your season. There’s so much charm with the fjord villages and the snow covered mountains. It’s the best time if you want to experience the Northern Lights.

Best places to elope in Norway

Norway is full of incredible locations to elope in. The best part is after your elopement you can continue right into your honeymoon and continue exploring all over the country. Here’s some of the best places I would recommend. I also create completely custom location guides for all my couples when we start planning.

Senja

Senja is a stunning island region near the Lofoten Islands. The landscapes are spectacular here and is home to some of the most iconic mountain peaks in all of Norway! There’s access to amazing places to stay, restaurants, and even beaches. It’s far less touristy compared to the Lofoten Islands as well but still offers amazing experiences like staying on the water at Hamn i Senja. You will be obsessed with your elopement experience in Senja!

Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten Islands have to be the crown jewel of Norway. When you think of Norway, it’s good odds the Lofoten Islands are the images that come to your mind. Fishing villages with red and yellow cabins right on the water like the Eilassen Rorbuer, jagged mountain peaks emerging high above the ocean, and rocky, sandy beaches covering the coasts, these are the characteristics of the Lofoten Islands. Even though it can be busy during the summer with tourists, it’s such an iconic place to explore for your elopement.

Sunnmøre

If you’re looking for a location with massive fjords like Geirangerfjord than the Sunnmore region is it! You can spend all day explore beautiful winding roads through the fjords and take ferries across channels. You can even rent kayaks to explore in the fjords. There’s so many hikes to explore if you want to roam around in the mountains as well. Alesund is the largest city in the area and offers access to amazing restaurants and hotel to stay at if you want a mix of the city life as well.

Jotunheimen National Park

Jotunheimen National Park is known for its massive mountains. According to norse mythology it used to be home to the giants. Aside from the epic mountains, its packed full of waterfalls, glaciers, rivers, lakes, and valleys. There’s also several cabin to cabin hikes so you can really adventure into the backcountry here. If you’re a couple that loves outdoor hiking adventures in the mountains, then this might be the place for you!

Jostedalsbreen National Park

Do you love glaciers and want to explore them on your elopement day? Then you definitely are wanting to choose Jostedalsbreen National Park. Almost half the park is covered by the Jostedalsbreen Glacier, which is the largest mainland glacier in Europe. Jostedalsbreen is an amazing place for hiking and viewing wildlife as well. You can’t go wrong with eloping here especially if you want to explore glaciers.

How to legally elope in Norway

Norway is a very strict country to try to legally get married in. My personal advice for all my couples that are wanting to elope internationally is to do a symbolic ceremony. You might be asking yourself, what is a symbolic ceremony?

A symbolic ceremony is where you get legally married before or after your elopement day in your local area. There’s a few different options for this. You can go to a courthouse, you can have a mini backyard ceremony with your closest people, or if you’re religious get married by your pastor.

This allows you to take care of the legal paperwork at home so you don’t have to stress for months over figuring out if you’re doing any of the international paperwork right. Plus it can cost a decent amount of money. This way you don’t have to stress over anything, aren’t restricted to the country’s regulations, and you can enjoy your elopement day wherever you want to explore.

Where to stay when you elope in Norway

Airbnbs

If you want your own space where you can cook your own meals and make it feel more like home then Airbnbs are a great option. You can also find some unique Airbnbs to stay at fisherman cabins on the ocean. Just be sure the area you want to explore offers Airbnbs and I always recommend staying in or near the place we will be exploring.

Hotels

Hotels can be found all throughout Norway. There’s tons of amazing choices to choose from as well as unique options. In the Lofoten Islands you can stay at amazing cabins like Eliassen Rorbeur right on the ocean inside a fjord with the mountains surrounding you. What a dream!

Activities for when you elope in Norway

Here’s a full list of options Norway has to offer to include on your elopement day or the days surrounding it:

• Backpacking deep into the mountains
• Rock climbing
• Explore glaciers
• Hiking the many trails
• Photography
• Chase waterfalls
• Search for wildlife
• Mountain biking
• Geocaching
• Horseback riding
• Swimming
• Boating/rafting
• Stay in a hotel on the ocean fjord
• Golfing
• Picnic in the valley
• Skydiving
• Paragliding
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Helicopter ride
• Spa day
• Stay in a mountain cabin
• Anything unique to your relationship

A full packing list for when you elope in Norway

You’re going to need to be prepared for your adventurous Norway elopement. Even during the summer months it can be cool exploring the mountains and weather conditions can vary. Here’s a list of items you should pack.

• Passport, driver’s license, and other ID you need
• Light puffy jacket, rain jacket, and lightweight layered clothing
• Hiking boots and plenty of socks
• Water bottle
• Snacks for flight
• Headlamps
• Sentimental items for your elopement
• Vow books
• Wedding rings
• Light gloves
• Dress pants, suit jacket, belt, pocket square, and anything you want to wear
• Wedding dress, earrings, necklace, leggings for under dress
• Marriage license (if applicable)
• Bathing suits
• Light gloves/hand warmers

Meet your Norway elopement photographer

Hey I’m Marcus, your Norway elopement photographer! I’ll be your go to resource for when you elope in Norway. Throughout my years of planning landscape photography trips and elopements, I’ve learned how to find the most breathtaking locations. I help all my couples with all the logistics from places to stay, where to go, what to pack, and so much more. I’ll help you plan an adventure of a lifetime. If you’re ready to plan your dream elopement contact me here or fill out the inquiry form below.

If you’re looking for more information about eloping, checkout these blogs below.

• How to Elope in Austria
• How to Elope in Norway
• How To Elope in Switzerland
• Sedona Elopement
• Palisade Head Elopement