• Log in
    Out.comFashionEntertainmentDesignLifestyleTravel & NightlifeOut ExclusivesNewsPrintWeddingsVideo
    ADVOCATEPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    Email NewsletterSubscribeSubscriber Services
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Out MagazineOut Magazine
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    Gay Couple Marries in Front of Erupting Volcano

    Donald Padgett
    | 04/27/21

    Gay Couple Marries in Front of Erupting Volcano

    Gay couple in Iceland get married in front of a volcano.

    A gay couple in Iceland threw the hottest wedding ever when they exchanged vows and rings in front of an erupting volcano. According to reports in The Observer and elsewhere, Sumarlidi and Jonsi had planned on a traditional ceremony before the global pandemic sent the lovers into quarantine, but with the help of Pink Iceland, the couple were able to marry in front of one explosively magnificent background.

    "It was beyond perfect, a day we'll never forget," Sumarlidi said.

    All photos by Stymir & Heiddis / Pink Iceland

    Design Muses

    The pair met in 2015 and live together in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik. Jonsi had proposed to Sumarlidi on Bastille Day in France in 2017. They had planned to marry in a public ceremony with friends and family in attendance until the quarantine cancelled their plans. But with the help of Pink Iceland, the pair were able to get married, in a less traditional setting but with an explosively magnificent background.

    14 Signs He's Actually Into You (and Not Just Being Polite)

    Of course, getting married in front of a volcano came with some unique logistical and safety issues. Birna Hronn Bjornsdottir of Pink Iceland (@PinkIceland) explained they had scouted numerous locations for the wedding, but the main deterrent proved to be poisonous gasses.

    "Mother Nature is in charge," Bjornsdottir told the BBC. "So one of the security measures was to have a gas measurement type of thing with us at all times."

    Nice Sleeves

    Sumarlidi told Queerty via email the plans were "very last minute" as a result and they had only four days to make all the arrangements. Then there was a 90-minute hike in full protective gear through a snowstorm just to reach the volcano. The pair added "the hike was fun" but the snowstorm "stressed Sumarlidi out as he was terrified of freezing to death once he'd changed into his wedding suit."

    Touring the US National Parks

    The wedding party soon learned they had nothing to fear as the clouds parted and blue skies appeared just in time for the two to exchange vows.

    Travel

    "As we were about to start the ceremony, a wall in the crater burst and a slow river of neon-orange lava flowed past us as we said our vows, exchanged our rings and got married," the pair revealed.

    11 Excellent Reasons to Date a Fem Guy

    Video of the event prepared by Kaco Films (@KacoFilms) shows an almost surreal setting for the marriage, with rivers of red hot lava flowing from the erupting crater in the Fagradalsfjall mountains roughly 20 miles from Reykjavik on the Reykjavik Peninsula. Volcanic activity is common in Iceland, but the region's relative accessibility, spectacular eruptions, and lava flows have turned the volcano into a tourist bonanza.

    Moodboard Fire island Fashion

    "In simple terms, Iceland is one big volcano," Thorvaludur Thordarson, professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, told The Observer, adding this particular volcano is "very approachable, people can get reasonably close and still be safe."

    Peter Berlin

    The Icelandic Tourist Board said more then 5,000 people visit the volcano on busy days, including Sumarlidi and Jonsi. They pair wished they could have invited more friends to share in their dream of a wedding, but the rushed nature of the event and Mother Nature herself made that impossible.

    Omar Sharif Jr.

    "We couldn't invite anyone to the volcano, and we didn't tell anyone until the day after," Sumarlidi told The Observer. "The whole thing feels like a dream."

    RELATED | How This Gay Couple Honored Their Ancestors at Their Brooklyn Wedding

    Latest Stories

    Kim Cattrall; Sarah Jessica Parker
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Kim Cattrall Confirms 'And Just Like That' Cameo, Says 'Happy Pride'

    14h
    These 35+ Steamy Pool Pics From This Year’s White Party Will Get You Soaked!
    Events
    Badge
    gallery

    These 35+ Steamy Pool Pics From This Year’s White Party Will Get You Soaked!

    15h
    Mistress Isabelle Brooks; Heidi N Closet; Trixie Mattel
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's How Much Money 'Drag Race' Queens Spent to Compete on the Show

    18h
    Fredy Alanis
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Remember the Gay Guy Who Went to the ER After Sucking a 10-Inch Penis?

    19h
    Pride Gear Roundup: The Essentials For Every Parade & March
    Lifestyle
    Badge
    gallery

    Pride Gear Roundup: The Essentials For Every Parade & March

    19h
    All the Celebrities Who Came Out As LGBTQ+ in 2023 (So Far)
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    All the Celebrities Who Came Out As LGBTQ+ in 2023 (So Far)

    21h
    These LGBTQ+ Celebs Got Engaged in 2023 (So Far)
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    These LGBTQ+ Celebs Got Engaged in 2023 (So Far)

    May 31 2023 5:53 PM
    ted cruz
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Ted Cruz Condemned Ugandan Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws & the Internet Was Shook

    May 31 2023 4:28 PM
    Out Magazine May/June 2023 Party
    Can't Cancel Pride
    Badge
    gallery

    equalpride Celebrates 'Can't Cancel Pride' at Out's Latest Cover Party

    May 31 2023 1:35 PM
    Matt Pappadia
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    Yes, Gay 'The Circle' Hunk Matt Pappadia Has an OnlyFans

    May 31 2023 12:37 PM
    Shaun T; Scott Blokker
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    'Insanity's Shaun T Launches Sexy New Underwear Line For the Gays

    May 31 2023 11:33 AM
    16 LGBTQ+ Reality Dating Shows & Where to Watch Them
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    16 LGBTQ+ Reality Dating Shows & Where to Watch Them

    May 31 2023 11:13 AM
    Yvie Oddly Drags 'Drag Race' Producers, Speaks Out on Insider Details
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    Yvie Oddly Drags 'Drag Race' Producers, Speaks Out on Insider Details

    May 30 2023 4:41 PM
    Gus Kenworthy; Joel Kim Booster; Luke Macfarlane
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    10 Celebs Who Have Talked About Being on Grindr

    May 30 2023 3:50 PM
    18 LGBTQ+ Shows That Got Canceled in 2023 (So Far)
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    18 LGBTQ+ Shows That Got Canceled in 2023 (So Far)

    May 30 2023 11:33 AM
    Anthony Bowens
    Fashion
    Badge
    gallery

    Anthony Bowens Stars in Savage X Fenty's Sexy New Pride Collection

    May 26 2023 11:38 AM
    Boomer Banks Reveals Which 'Drag Race' Queen He Hooked Up With (and How)
    sex
    Badge
    gallery

    Boomer Banks Reveals Which 'Drag Race' Queen He Hooked Up With (and How)

    May 26 2023 10:29 AM
    Here's How Hollywood Reacted to the Loss of Tina Turner
    Celebs
    Badge
    gallery

    Here's How Hollywood Reacted to the Loss of Tina Turner

    May 25 2023 1:24 PM
    matt bomer and jonathan bailey
    Television
    Badge
    gallery

    Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey Look Historically Hot in 'Fellow Travelers'

    May 25 2023 1:10 PM
    LA Pride 2023 lineup
    Music
    Badge
    gallery

    LA Pride 2023 Announces Full Official Lineup of Performers

    May 25 2023 11:44 AM