The Complete Guide to Planning your Arctic Wedding in Swedish Lapland

This is your complete guide to planning your Arctic wedding in Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is an incredibly beautiful place to get married with both accommodating and fiercely intimidating climates. So when deciding on an Arctic adventure wedding or elopement, there are lots of things to think about. Here are my top tips for starting your arctic wedding or elopement planning journey in Swedish Lapland.

Should I say “I do” with my wedding planner?

Choose a local planner who knows and loves the areas and has local connections. Local vendors provide the best and most authentic service. Put money directly back into the local economy, and help keep all these places amazing, beautiful and thriving. Most importantly, choose someone you like! You’ll spend lots of time talking, so make sure you connect with each other. This is an intimate and special day, you need to feel comfortable.

You can book a chat with me here to see if we connect.

What’s the best airport to fly in and out of for my wedding in Swedish Lapland?

There are two major domestic airports in the far north, Luleå and Kiruna. You can get a connecting flight to either airport from Stockholm on both SAS and Norwegian Airlines. The airport you choose depends on your wedding adventure. The airports are about 4.5 hours apart and some of the best locations in Swedish Lapland lay between them. Book a free chat with me! I’m happy to help with travel questions.

Can I drive in Swedish Lapland?

If you’re planning on renting a car, think about how far you want to drive. Winter driving up here is challenging, with narrow highways and lots of truck traffic and wildlife. Every drive takes longer than you think it will. However, it’s always possible to arrange a local driver or transportation if you’d rather sit back and enjoy the scenery, just make sure you do this well in advance. In addition to being remote and beautiful, the volume of taxi drivers (for example) is not as high as the big city. In Kiruna, if you don’t book in advance, there actually just might not be one available on that day. Train travel is very popular here and there are regular trains running overnight from Stockholm to Riksgränsen.

What is the best accommodation for a wedding in the Arctic?

For a beautifully curated cabin by the lake in Liehittäjä and food to swoon over, try Huuva Hideaway. If sleeping cold is your dream, try an Ice Suite (like the one designed by the Prince of Sweden!) in Icehotel 365. Want a secluded cabin camp that you arrive to by dogsled? Well Fjellborg Arctic Lodge is your best spot. Feeling rustic and adventurous? Try a traditional Goahti where you wake up and feed the reindeer with Nutti Sami Siida.

Whatever you choose, you should avoid any room changes on the wedding day. That main seem obvious, but there are so many wonderful sleeping arrangements to try up North that often couples want to do it all on their wedding day. Not having to switch rooms on the day of your ceremony helps the day remain calm and smooth. 

What legal paperwork does Sweden require to make my marriage official?

You’ve been swept up dreaming of your Arctic wedding in Swedish Lapland. The last thing you want to think of is paperwork. I can help!  You will need a Certificate of No Impediment from your home country. Make sure you request this early from your local office. Different countries have different processing times. But don’t request it so early that it’s expired by your wedding or elopement day! Documents like this have a 6 month expiry date in Sweden. You’ll also need copies of your passports and birth certificates. Once you have this, I can help decipher all the Swedish paperwork that you need and get it quickly processed by my contacts here with the Swedish Tax Agency. You will be worry free on your wedding day that your marriage is legal.

All types of marriages are welcome in Sweden and Arctic Weddings of Lapland is extremely happy to help couples of all backgrounds commit to each other and celebrate their love.

Should I bring Swedish currency with me?

It is definitely not necessary. In fact, Sweden works almost completely on cards and digital transfers. Since COVID, many stores won’t even accept cash at all.

How has COVID impacted destination weddings in Swedish Lapland?

The government of Sweden’s approach to COVID is widely known. The recommendation is still to stay home if we or family members have symptoms. At the peak, there were caps on gatherings of people, which affected larger wedding parties. Very few things were a requirement here, but the Swedish people generally take government recommendations as requirements and follow them. The overall feeling in the country is quite different if you’re coming from a country that has had severe and lengthy lockdowns, and this might catch you off guard that life is seemingly normal here. You can rest easy knowing over 87% of the population has been vaccinated and boosted twice. I would recommend still checking your own countries exit and entry requirements before traveling.

What kind of clothing should I bring for my wedding day?

This is the kind of question that truly deserves it own article, but to answer here: LAYERS! Lots of different layers. Whether you’re wearing a wedding dress or a suit, one (or two!) sets of thermals underneath will make sure anytime you spend outside (hello winter wedding photography!) is enjoyable and that you’re able to be present. Having an Arctic wedding in Swedish Lapland means being prepared for all temperatures. Staying warm means focusing on how happy you are with your choice to plan your wedding in the far north instead of the cold.

Being present is the most important thing. You spend so much time and effort planning and getting to your wedding day, I want to take the rest of the stress out it. If you’re thinking about an Arctic wedding, but still have lots of questions, book a free chat here! I love to talk about all things Arctic and weddings.

Much love,

Lisa