A Multi-Day Elopement Adventure Exploring the Faroe Islands

Bailey and Joseph ended up getting legally married back at home but kept hoping they would still be able to travel to the Faroe Islands for the elopement adventure they had been dreaming of. After waiting for about two years, their dream finally came true!

Ready to plan your own elopement adventure in the Faroe Islands? Let’s start planning your elopement here. 

About This Faroe Island Adventure

“They ended up spending not just their elopement day together, but three days exploring the Faroe Islands. We hiked and explored many of the different islands that make up the Faroe Islands, traveling by car, boat, bus, and lots of hiking. During those three days, I’ve never seen so much sun in the Faroe Islands. We had clear blue skies and sunshine for almost the entire time – which casts the Faroe Islands in a very different light to what people often see of them, with their fog and moody skies. Don’t worry though – there was still plenty of wind to keep things interesting.

Bailey and Joseph were awesome. They had a super laid-back attitude to the day, especially having postponed it for two years running due to the pandemic. So they just wanted to go out, have fun and explore for their elopement. They didn’t really care for going to the most famous locations, but just wanted to head out into the islands and stop whenever we came across something pretty – which was around almost every corner! On the day, we ended up doing a small hike and then driving around and just exploring the different towns and villages, meeting locals, sampling the food (including whale blubber) and just having fun. We had no schedule or plan to follow, we just went wherever the adventure took us.” [Cat, the photographer]

LNT at the Faroe Islands for Your Elopement

“While you don’t need permits to have your elopement in the Faroe Islands, depending on the locations you want to visit, you may need permission from local landowners. Most land in the Faroe Islands is privately owned, mostly by local farmers, even the land that has hiking trails on it. Some owners are happy to have the hiking trails cross their land and do not charge anything for it. But for some of the more popular trails, such as Lake Leitisvatn (the famous floating lake) and Mykines (main puffin colony island) hiking fees have been introduced to help support trail maintenance, and in some cases, locations can only be accessed if you hire a local hiking guide.

Other areas that are famous on Instagram, such as the the iconic village of Saksun, have fences and signs up asking people not to cross them. It can be possible to still take photos here, but you need to contact the landowners, and sometimes pay a small fee. Full details of which trails are restricted can be found on the Hiking Faroe Islands web page.

The weather in the Faroe Islands can be pretty wild too, so it’s important to dress and prepare appropriately. Wearing lots of layers, including having high quality waterproofs on standby, is essential. It’s also really important to wear waterproof hiking boots with good tread, as the ground can get very wet, muddy and slippery. Keep away from cliffs, as strong gusts of wind can come out of nowhere and believe me when I say that they can really knock you off balance.

It’s also important to keep a distance from the wildlife, especially sheep and bird colonies by staying on the marked trails and not flying drones near to where birds are nesting.” [Cat, the photographer]

Learn more about leaving no trace during your elopement.

Top Tips for Eloping at the Faroe Islands

“Plan your visit to the Faroe Islands for at least 3-4 days and keep flexibility in your schedule, not just for the day of your elopement, but also the days surrounding it. The weather can change every five minutes, so prepare to just go with the flow and change things around. If the weather is really bad, sometimes flights cannot land. In 2019, I had an elopement where some guests had to arrive a day later due to weather delays, so make sure you, and any vendors or guests who are also flying over for your elopement have at least a day either side of your elopement date in case you need to move things around.

It is possible to have a legal ceremony in the Faroe Islands as non-residents, and the process is relatively straightforward too. These civil ceremonies take place in Torshavn, in the gorgeous old town. If you don’t want to have a civil ceremony here, but like the idea of an officiant for a symbolic ceremony, there is now a Humanist celebrant who creates wonderfully personal ceremonies.

Prepare for the weather to be WILD, and embrace it. For Bailey and Joseph’s elopement, this was the first time I’d ever experienced a completely sunny day in the Faroe Islands. However, even though the sun shone all day, the wind was cold and super strong. Your clothes will almost certainly get muddy, but that’s part of the adventure!” [Cat, the photographer]

Learn how to elope here. 

Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the Photographer:

“In one of the villages we visited, a local school teacher came over to us and invited us to come inside his house, which was one of the oldest houses in the village. While inside, he offered us some local delicacies, including dried fish and whale blubber. Watching Bailey’s face as she tried some was priceless, as she didn’t want to offend them, but also found it pretty disgusting.

I also loved the hiking that we did together the day before and the day after their elopement day. There were so many spots that they wanted to explore, and instead of trying to fit everything into one day, we had three whole days to explore. On the days either side of the elopement, they chose some slightly longer hikes and got to see so much more of the Faroe Islands than if they had just planned for the one day for their elopement.”

The Details We Love From This Day

“I love that there weren’t really any details for the day. Bailey and Joseph looked fabulous in their wedding outfits, but they didn’t focus on other details. Instead, their focus was on things that made their trip a memorable experience, like staying in a great hotel and having an amazing dinner on the evening of their elopement. And most importantly, finishing the day in the Mikkeller pub drinking craft beer and playing Cards against Humanity.” [Cat, the photographer]

Reminder: The Art of Patience When Eloping

“Bailey and Joseph had to reschedule their elopement in the Faroe Islands twice during the pandemic. The first time, just a week before they were due to fly out. During two years of reviewing travel restrictions, they came close many times to choosing a different location and going somewhere that was easier to travel to with all the restrictions. I encouraged them to hold out for the Faroe Islands since I knew how excited they were to visit, to be patient, and not to compromise on their dream, as it would happen eventually. It was a painful two years of waiting, but they both agreed that in the end, they were so happy they waited and stayed true to their original dream of the Faroes, as it was everything they hoped for, and more.” [Cat, the photographer]

Vendors 

Photography | Wild Connections Photography
Hotel | Hotel Foroyar 
Dinner | The Tarv Grillhouse 
Pub | Mikkeller

Photos From This Elopement Adventure