A unique wedding

Share your love with family and friends in an unusual wedding in Jukkasjärvi. The unique location, the ice, the snow, and the ethereal surroundings make Icehotel quite possibly one of the best places imaginable for a winter wedding. With an in-house wedding coordinator, we will help you plan the wedding of your dreams. 

weddingdresses hanging on the door to Icehotel
Photo Rebecca Lundh
Wedding couple under magic green northern lights at Icehotel Sweden
Photo Asaf Kliger

Wedding Destination Ideas

Lapland is a truly spectacular wedding destination for those searching for an alternative that offers intimate, unique location and stunning landscape for an outdoor ceremony, reception or wedding photography. 
 

Winter wedding destination

Our Ice Ceremony Hall returns to the river in spring, but love is eternal. Reborn in a new guise each winter and hand carved by carefully select designers, it is ephemeral and one of the most unique wedding locations that you can find.

'The ephemeral element adds to the sensation – when no architectural memento exists, the memories and the vows exchanged are especially cherished.'

Youtube video image
newly weds walking out from the ceremony at Icehotel
Photo Asaf Kliger

Quick facts about the Ceremony Hall at Icehotel

  • The Ceremony Hall opens in December every year and stays open until April when it begins to melt back into the river.
  • Each year is a new design, made by artists hand-picked by Icehotel.
  • It has capacity for 35-40 guests.
  • Civil or religious ceremonies.
  • Beyond weddings, it can also be used for other spiritual occasions such as vow renewals or blessing ceremonies.
  • Other options for your ceremony include any of 35 the hand-carved, themed art suites, or the spectacular main hall with its chandeliers and ice columns.

Outdoor wedding inspiration for all seasons

Nestled on the bank of a quiet stretch of the Torne River, enveloped by depths of pine trees reaching for the sky, Jukkasjärvi offers so many inspiring, romantic venues for an outdoor wedding ceremony. Hotel accommodation for you and your guests, amenities and a reception venue for the party is nearby as Icehotel is located in the heart of the village.

 
Outdoor wedding ideas
  • Fall wedding under the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis
  • Mountaintop wedding, overlooking the Arctic Torne River making its way through endless forests
  • On the jetty of a secluded wilderness camps under the glow of the Midnight Sun
  • By the warmth of the bonfire on a starlit winter night with the huskies as your witnesses
  • In a rustic tipi decorated with birch, pine and reindeer hides
Newly weds dancing
Photo Rebecca Lundh
Wedding couple outside Icehotel
Photo Asaf Kliger

Getting married at Icehotel

Around 80 ceremonies are held at Icehotel every year, most of which are winter weddings taking place between December and April. The events range from elopements to bridal parties of up to 50 guests. Whereas many of our couples prefer our hand-picked wedding packages, we also offer the possibility to tailor the wedding to your wishes. No matter which option you choose, you will be in the safe hands of a personal wedding coordinator who has the local knowledge and vendor partners to guide you through all the important decisions for your big day.

Winter wedding dress code

Snowmobile suits or traditional wedding attire, you decide! A general advice is to think warm and wear layers. All guests who stay at Icehotel get complimentary outer clothing on loan that we recommend your guests to wear during the ceremony.

What about make-up and hair?

You have the option to book a warm room to prepare hair and make-up, getting dressed and store cold sensitive belongings like camera equipment and the bridal bouquet. You can also use the heated service building, Dressing Room, adjacent to Icehotel, which is open and staffed 24 hours during winter. 

Wedding bride
Photo Rebecca Lundh

When to get married - Lapland seasons

Winter wedding

Icehotel is located 200 km within the Arctic Circle and in the heart of Swedish Lapland. Our seasonal shifts are dramatic, and in fact, the indigenous Sami people divide the year into eight seasons. Winter lasts from November until early May, overlapped by the Northern Lights season which runs September - April. During the harshest winter months, temperatures in the -20 to -30 C are not unusual, while April has flown under the radar as a strong contender for late winter trips with long, sunny and mild days ideal for skiing and snowmobile excursions with outdoor lunch.

Summer and fall weddings

The Arctic summer and fall landscapes are equally spectacular. June, July and August with its bright nights and mild summer temperatures will keep you dancing until morning and vouch for avoiding heat rashes and sweat stains on your guests’ party outfits. At 200 km above the Arctic Circle, the romantic glow from the Midnight Sun ensures 24-hour daylight between May and early August. Nature and wildlife are at their most active, offering a playground for you and your guests to go for wilderness adventures like whitewater rafting or hiking in one of the nearby nature reserves.

  • A country-side wedding in the rustic Jukkasjärvi village church. Dating back to the 1600’s, it is the oldest of its kind in the entire region.
  • Get a beautiful contrast and the best of two worlds during the summer months with a wedding amidst pristine natural ice inside Icehotel 365, followed by a reception in the warm summer sun.

Come late August and September, the landscape is transformed into a cascade of red and orange, and as the nights get darker, the northern lights start making their reappearance.

tipi tents in the snowy landscape
Photo Asaf Kliger

Contact us to start planning your romantic adventure today.

 

How long to stay for

If you are planning a destination wedding to Icehotel or elsewhere in the Arctic Circle, we recommend you plan for you and your guests to stay 2-3 nights minimum. Allowing an extra day at the destination before The Big Day gives some room to recover from jet lag and potential flight delays that are not uncommon for international guests traveling to Lapland.

This day is an ideal time for you to plan some activities for the group to get to know each other and offering your family and friends the chance to experience what the destination has to offer. Most our guests choose to depart with the mid-day flight, allowing some time in the morning for a healthy breakfast and perhaps a short walk in the fresh air to recover from the party before it’s time to head for the airport.

Important note; when getting married in Sweden you are required to have a written consent from the local authorities. Your Icehotel wedding coordinator handles all the administrative work and books your appointment, but you’ll need to schedule a few hours for this before the ceremony can take place.

Fun wedding activity and favor ideas for your guests

Planning a joint activity helps breaking the ice and gives you a chance to hang out with everyone - a great way to start off the wedding. Or, surprise your guests with a memorable gift from the destination to bring home with them. Here are some ideas real Icehotel wedding couples have done in the past:

  • Earn your sauna master diploma. The Jukkasjärvi sauna ritual is a private group activity for up to 20 people and guides you through the ten steps to sauna like a true local, including birch tree whipping each others arms and backs, singing tribute to the sauna spirit, rolling in the snow and, if you can brave it, take an ice plunge in the river.
  • Ice sculpting competition. Challenge your family and friends to get their creative juices flowing and make their very own ice sculpture. Each person gets a table-ornament size block and a chisel and 2.5 hours. Ice sculpting is a real conversation starter and fabulous introduction to experiencing Icehotel and the art adorning the suites. Surprise your guests by showcasing their pieces as table decor at the reception dinner.
  • Reindeer racing. Get a glimpse of the life as a reindeer herder and try racing a reindeer round the track. Reindeer reach speed up to 60 km/h. Afterwards, try hand-feed the calves in the enclosure and enjoy a lunch in a traditional tipi.
  • Chef’s table welcome treat. The Veranda at Icehotel Restaurant is an intimate event venue with a personal chef that is ideal for private events such as sampling menus, afternoon tea, champagne breakfast or luncheon.
  • A personalized, pop-up ice bar for the reception will be the definitive watering hole also serving as the ultimate photo op for your guests. No need for that photo booth!

Lawfully wedded…

International couples getting married in Sweden are legally required to get a written approval by the local authorities in order to be wed by a religious or civil officiant. Your wedding coordinator handles the correspondence with the Swedish authorities for you, but you will need to provide Icehotel with a “Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage” from your local registry office and copies of native passports and birth certificates 12-14 weeks before the wedding date in order for us to start the process of getting your permit ready in time.

We will help you to arrange an appointment for a mandatory physical meeting with the local registrar in Kiruna to formally apply for the marriage certificate which is required by Swedish Law. This can be done at latest in the morning of the wedding day. For this appointment they are obliged to bring all original documents to show to the registrar.

Do you offer civil marriage ceremonies?

Yes, we offer civil weddings in the Ice Ceremony Hall, in the majestic Main Hall or other places in and around the hotel. We assist you with a wedding officiant for civil ceremonies.

wedding ceremony in the ceremony hall made of ice and snow
Photo Asaf Kliger
Bride with bouquet
Photo Rebecca Lundh

What about same-sex marriages?

Same-sex marriage in Sweden has been legal since 2009, following the adoption of a new, gender-neutral law on marriage. Sweden was the seventh country in the world to open marriage to same sex couples. Icehotel welcomes all couples who wish to get married in our Church or at any Icehotel venue.

Proposal and honeymoon destination for adventure lovers

If you ask us, there is no better way to start of your new journey as a married couple than with a romantic adventure. The Arctic is one of the best places in the world for active people looking for a romantic and alternative honeymoon vacation, or destination to pop the question.

girl with wedding Ring on her nose
Photo Asaf Kliger
Winter bouquet
Photo Rebecca Lundh

Best experiences and ideas for honeymoon and proposal trips

  • Start off your stay with a dog sled transfer from the airport to Icehotel. The huskies meet you right outside the arrival gates and your luggage is safely transported to Icehotel while you take the road less traveled through dense birch forests and over frozen rivers (75 min journey).
  • A night in the wilderness. A rustic cabin, candle lights, sauna, starlit skies and nothing but the peaceful silence of nature. Your host looks after all the practical details such as keeping the fireplace going, preparing your three-course dinner and preparing the sauna for you. If you want to go all in, d-i-y tenting is readily available in Sweden thanks to ”Allemansrätten” (we strongly recommend extensive preparation and research before heading out on your own in the Arctic).
  • A message of love unscripted in ice. Choose from a selection of motives or create your very own personalized message on an iceogram and have it delivered as a surprise in your room or waiting at your dinner table at Icehotel.
  • Snowmobiling. Feel the adrenaline rise as you cuddle up close and wrap your arms around your ss as you head into the wilderness.
  • Making snow angels under the northern lights.
  • Arctic Deluxe. A trip to the Arctic is not complete without experiencing a night in Icehotel. Don’t worry about the cold; we have warm polar expedition sleeping bags – even bags especially made for two. If you opt for one of the four Jauvre suites available all year round, you have the luxury of an en-suite, heated bath, sauna and relax room directly connected with your room through an airlock. Oh, and did we mention local spa products and champagne served in ice glasses are included?

 

 

 


 

Wedding PHOTOS by Asaf Kliger

 

 

 

 


 

Wedding PHOTOS by REBECCA LUNDH

 

 

 


 

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