How To Plan An Elopement Wedding In Norway

14th December 2020

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Elopements are, in my opinion, the most perfect way to get married. You are intentionally choosing to have a day that is intimate and meaningful to you both. A day that is filled with adventures and epic scenery as you start this new chapter in your lives together. Now that you and your partner have decided to elope in Europe and you’re considering Norway as one of your top choices, what are the next steps? What should you do? Which plans do you need to make? I’ve created this little guide on how to plan an elopement wedding in Norway to help guide you through the next planning stages.

How To Plan An Elopement In Norway

Norway is a fantastic place for you and your partner to elope in. It is a fantastic country with lots of endless possibilities and many amazing sceneries. Some of the most dynamic and historic landscapes are found in Norway. This is one place that you and your partner would surely love to elope in. So, how do you elope in Norway?

How To Get To Norway

For anyone based in the EU, there are no visa requirements for Norway. Norway is part of the Schengen area, which means borderless travel between Norway and other Schengen countries. If you’re coming from outside the EU or the Schengen area, you and your partner may have to apply for visas to travel to Norway. United States citizens can travel to Norway without having to obtain a Schengen visa for a maximum of 90 days. You can find out more information about whether you need at travel visa at The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website.

When To Visit Norway

When planning your elopement in Norway, it’s good to have a think about what time of year you want to visit, and what sort of weather you are hoping for. The months of June, July and August are preferred by most travellers, as these are the months where you can experience the long summer days, mild temperatures and the midnight sun. May and September are usually seen as the shoulder season in Norway, where tourism is lower (and prices are generally cheaper) but temperatures are still fairly mild. In the summer Norway has amazing hiking, as well as being a climber’s paradise.

Winter in Norway can be cold, especially up in the arctic regions of the north. But if you are dreaming on a winter wonderland elopement with skiing, snowshoeing or dog sledding, you’ll fall in love with Norway in the winter. Whilst winter days are short and cold, from September until April there is chance of seeing the incredible northern lights, with peak aurora season from December to February.

Travelling To and Around Norway

Most international flights will come into Norway’s main airport in Oslo, however some short-haul flights from European carriers also fly into smaller cities around the country. With over 50 airports, travelling by air around Norway is efficient and pretty easy. You can access even the northernmost regions including the Lofoten Islands by air. SAS, Widerøe and Norwegian are the three largest domestic airlines in Norway.

Once you arrive, travelling around Norway is generally straightforward and efficient, whether you choose to use the extensive public transport networks or hire a car. However you decide to travel, you’ll experience amazing scenery throughout your trip.

The public transport system within Norway is extremely efficient. Norway has a railway network that runs from Kristiansand to Bodø. This well-developed network serves both regional and local trains. Travelling by bus is also efficient due to the presence of local bus services in every town and city. There are lots of express coaches for longer trips. Buses can be quite useful when it comes to transporting you to remote towns where there are no train connections.

Boats and ferries can carry both cars and passengers to even the most remote locations in Norway, such as the incredible Lofoten Islands. You can get to coastal villages and isolated islands using this mode of transport.

Roads arond the fjords in the Lofoten Islands in Norway by Wild Connections Photography

Legal Requirements For Getting Married In Norway

When it comes to how to elope in Norway, some legal requirements need to be met if you want your ceremony to be legally binding. It is possible to get married in Norway as a non-resident, but as with most countries, some paperwork does need to be submitted to the authorities in advance. Since 2009, same-sex marriages are also recognised in Norway. You can find details on what the legal requirements are on the Norwegian Tax Authority website. I highly recommend working with a wedding planner to assist you with the documentation if you decide you want to have your legal wedding in Norway.

If you’d rather not have to worry about paperwork, many couples choose to sign the legal papers in their home country before or after their trip. This option means that you are then free to create an elopement day that is completely unique to you. Some couples choose to hire a humanist celebrant to officiate over their elopement ceremony, while others choose to hold a simple, intimate vow reading alone in a breathtaking location. And the great thing about doing it this way is that you get to pick ANY location you want – on a cliff, overlooking the fjords or on a mountain top. There are so many options.

Epic Locations To Elope in Norway

1. Hardangerfjord

Get to see beautiful fjords as you elope in Norway. Hardangerfjord is by far one of the prettiest places to see fjords. It is an easily accessible place that’s close to Bergen. Eloping in Hardangerfjord from May to September is perfect.

2. Lofoten Islands

Lofoten offers adventures throughout the year. During the summer you can experience hiking, climbing and kayaking under the midnight sun. Or experience skiing from summit to the sea and the aurora borealis during the winter months. The Lofoten Islands have everything, from quaint colourful fishing villages to dramatic mountains rising from the ocean, so no matter when you decide to elope, you’ll have so many amazing photos of your adventure.

See Christina & Dustin’s Winter Elopement In Lofoten

3. Geirangerfjord

This amazing location has breathtaking views. You could elope here from mid-May to mid-October. It is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Geirangerfjord has deep blue fjords that overlook mountains. It can also be a perfect place for you and your partner if you’re into kayaking and camping.

4. Kjeragbolten

The Kjerag mountain on the Lysefjord offers an incredible hike from May to September. The 6-hour, 11 kilometer hike with a 800m altitude gain isn’t for the faint hearted, but the iconic views from the top are well worth the effort.

5. Setesdal

This region is just as great for hiking and climbing in the summer as it is for skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

6. Senja

Far above the arctic circle lies Norway’s second largest island Senja. Here you’ll find dramatic mountains rising from the ocean. In the summer it’s the perfect spot for kayaking and hiking. In the winter you’ll find amazing skiing and husky sledding, as well as a chance to see the northern lights.

7. Aurland

A stunning area in Norway’s west fjords, home to some of the most calm and tranquil waters and lush green hillsides.

8. Stryn

Situated on the Nordfjord, this area is famous for its deep lakes, blue glaciers, towering mountains and green valleys.

9. Vesterålen

Even further north than Lofoten, this archipelago is a year-round home to whales, including orcas in the winter months.

10. Svalbad

If your dream is as wild, remote and rugged as it gets, then Svalbard is the place you want. It’s also the home of polar bears, arctic foxes and many reindeer.

11. Telemark Canal

This is a historic canal that covers 65 miles. For the perfect elopement, the end of this fjord trek can be just what you need. Get to enjoy a cruise on the historic riverboat between June and mid-September. Regrettably, this location is only open from mid-May to mid-October.

12. Lindesnes Lighthouse

This is Norway’s southernmost point. At Lindesnes Lighthouse, you can experience epic weather with strong winds. You can also rent a private apartment that’s miles away from people to spend intimate time as newlyweds.

Lofoten Norway Elopement Wedding in Winter - Wild Connections Photography

Norway Wedding Planners

Want some help planning your epic elopement adventure in Norway? One of the biggest reasons couples choose to elope is because they find the idea of planning a big traditional wedding stressful. But even planning an intimate elopement can be stressful if you don’t know where to start. Hiring an elopement planner can help relieve the burden of planning and make your elopement the stress-free experience you are dreaming about.

I work regularly with the wonderful Nadia from Amulet Events who specialises in bespoke destination elopement planning across Europe. Nadia and her travel partners help take care of the logistics so that you don’t need to worry about anything.

Faroe Islands Elopement Inspiration by Wild Connections Photography

Norway Wedding & Elopement Photographer

If you are looking for a photographer to capture your adventurous elopement in Norway, you’re in the right place!

I’m Cat, a multi-award-winning adventure wedding & elopement photographer based in Europe. Because I specialise in outdoor weddings and adventurous elopements, it means you’ll get a photographer who can keep up with you on the trails or the ski slopes. I believe your elopement day isn’t about just standing around and taking pictures. It’s about exploring an incredible location and having the most epic day of adventure that you could ever dream of. Being an elopement specialist means that I understand why you’ve chosen to get married in such an intimate and meaningful way. And because I’m an avid traveller and adventurer, I’m used to working in some pretty remote places and in wild weather conditions. I’m here to help you have the most incredible elopement day EVER and I’ll be there in the background capturing every moment as you have the best day of your lives.

Norway Elopement Packages

My Norway elopement packages are about so much more than just photography. You’ll get unlimited support from me from the moment you reserve your wedding date. I’ll guide you through the whole process of planning your elopement in Norway, helping you to find the most epic locations for your ceremony and your pictures, connecting you with other vendors and helping you create a timeline for the day so that you can have the experience you want, without having to worry about when the best light is, or how long to plan for different parts of your day. My Norway elopement packages start at €10,000 for a full day and include all my travel expenses.