Sneafellsnes Iceland Elopement | Adventure Wedding Photographer

An Iceland Elopement where Megan & Jerry were free to be just as they are.

What did you love most about working with Zakas Photography?
Throughout we may specifically refer to our Brooklyn, October wedding (designated by comments in parentheses). All other comments can either be attributed to both sessions or specifically to our Iceland honeymoon.
Megan: I loved how effortless and comfortable our session was, Steph really took care of everything. (During our ceremony I completely forgot I was being photographed, and yet she was able to capture some of our most intimate moments). Iceland is notoriously unpredictable and trying to make plans can be daunting. Steph was incredibly prepared, watching the weather for us and coming up with options constantly so that no matter what we were faced with, there was a special moment we could have that she would capture for us. I was able to be myself and just enjoy adventuring in stunning parts of Iceland that I never would have found on my own. I never felt like I was working or on a deadline or rushing, we were all just experiencing the day together and having fun. And the photos she captures are absolutely stunning works of art, I feel privileged to be a part of them.
Jerry: I found both my wedding day & our honeymoon shoot to just be filled with fun. I work in the creative world & the whole overall vibe was just natural & focused just how I would want one of my artists to perform, focused on what's important and leaving the technical stuff up to the pro. Steph is a professional photographer, not only because of her abilities and eye but because she kept us SAFE! She never asked anything of us that I thought "well I'm not sure..." Her focus on keeping us comfortable made the concentration on kissing & holding my wife so special, intimate and relaxed. I knew our lives & future together were the most important aspects of our time together with Steph.

How did you personalize your wedding? What about your wedding was most unique?
Megan: (Our wedding was close to spontaneous as far as weddings go; we only began planning about a month beforehand and only nailed down the day and time about a week before. We decided to elope in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, with just our friend officiating and our former boss from the job where we met sixteen years ago as our witness, and Steph of course. We found my wedding dress on the summer sales rack at BCBG and I made my bouquet from a bunch of flowers my now-husband bought for me from Trader Joe's. We did everything to simplify our ceremony and focus on the reason we were there—to celebrate our love for one another. After the ceremony, on the advice of our officiant friend, we took time to ourselves to be alone with one another and do something special; we broke open a geode! I loved the idea of cooperating to do something, with me holding the spike and my husband swinging the hammer, and together turning something plain and ordinary [the solid geode] into something spectacular [the split geode with its awesome crystals inside]. Somehow, without us even noticing, Steph was able to capture this, letting us experience our time together while providing us with the moment captured forever in time. Steph was the perfect complement to our ceremony and spontaneity.)

Anything you would have done differently?
Megan: We both left this blank, so I guess "nothing" is the answer [lol]. Everything was more perfect than I could've imagined.

What details are you most proud of?
Jerry: The photos came back and it was US. Nothing forced, nothing generic, nothing fake. I love how Steph documented & captured our special day. We've been together a LONG time and I can see our long lasting love & deep friendship in the shots, nothing was held... It was just her finding the best angles to go with our easy going nature. There is one specific shot that comes to mind, where Steph asked me to whisper something in Megan's ear, something "only she would know"; it was one of the few directions she gave us on our wedding day and it was a perfect idea. The silliest & most secretive inside joke came to mind & when I whispered it to Megan she held back knowing exactly what I was gonna say and then burst out laughing when I said it.... When those pics came back it was so amazing to see that simple joke that brought us together so many years ago brought to life in a series of photos of that moment.

What particular moment of your day will you remember most?
Megan: (After our ceremony Jerry and I walked off towards the tree-line in the park to break open our geode together. I remember this moment because I wasn't distracted by anything—all that was on my mind was our purpose of spending time together [and finding out whether our geode was filled with beautiful crystals or brown dust]. I felt completely at ease, which is not an easy task for me. Moments like these are why I married Jerry, because I get to be my true self with him, and I enjoy the simple times that we spend together. I know I owe a great deal of this moment to Steph, because she never imposed on us but always captured our honest moments together).
Jerry: (When our dear friend & Rabbi asked Megan to hold my hands she immediately threw the bouquet she had made by hand right into the grass below. We all immediately laughed at the honest eagerness she had to begin the ring ceremony & it was not only special to me, but really incredible how Steph captured that exact moment of laughter we all had. I never want to forget that, and although I never will, I think it is extremely special to have this moment Frozen in time for me to look at on my work desk at any given moment). Megan: The moments in Iceland are strongly imprinted in my mind, but strongest may be the first location we shot near Kirkjufell, where the wind was whipping hail [at one point literally into my eyes because I'm a dork and opened them to try and look at my husband during a gust]. I was ecstatic to be holding and kissing my husband in a beautiful place where we could literally just run around and have fun together. I felt beautiful, not necessarily because of how I looked, but because I was sure I was being myself. I could hold my husband the way I wanted to, smile how I wanted to, flail my arms however I liked, because the point of everything was to be in the moment and let Steph work her magic to capture it.

Best advice for another couple?
Megan: When it comes to Iceland, do your research. We spent a lot of time learning about responsible tourism, driving, weather, safety etc. and it allowed us to relax and enjoy ourselves when we arrived. We also didn't over-schedule our days, which allowed us to adapt to Iceland's ever-changing weather conditions. And you should definitely book the "day-after adventure session" with Steph ;)
Jerry: Don't be overzealous. Enjoy yourself, soak it in! Wear a winter base layer & let Icelandic beauty into your space. Just go with the flow no matter the what, be prepared to have fun. Be YOU and show your love in public!

What was the biggest surprise of your wedding day?
Megan: When Jerry got me with the PoopWar! My husband and I have a running gag with a fake poop where one of us hides it somewhere for the other one to find. We've played this game for years [#poopwars] and the hiding places keep getting more elaborate. This time, Jerry managed to sneak the fake poop along with us to Iceland and hid it right under me during our photoshoot in Snaefellsnes! It was amazing.
Jerry: the Universe conspiring in our favor. Everything from the clear skies on wedding day to the incredible wind on our honeymoon. The fountain was on by the Prospect Park arch in October, I've never seen that and I was born a few blocks away. Steph showed us beaches, volcanoes, glacier streams, mountains, just non stop incredible view after view and all the colors in the sky, the light, the smell... It was all just working in our favor to make something special. We just felt like Life wanted us to feel special & that we were doing the right thing.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Jerry: Dont worry about being photogenic. I'm used to dealing with studio anxiety & stage fright with my artists, and as a producer it is sometimes easier to address it by giving direction, rather than putting it in practice myself. So just be yourself, look at each other, kiss each other deeply & pationately when asked! Have fun & be considerate of each other, share in the moment and celebrate your Union or whatever it is that makes that day special and Steph will take care of the rest. Trust in her, she has a vision & a talent. Give her your best side by showing love and happiness! And know that there is always something just spectacular in the landscape surrounding you all.