We’ve always known that going to Antarctica would be the trip of a lifetime, but for some of our travellers it’s even more special than that . At Swoop, we love helping people who want to get married in Antarctica, and recently, we helped Trevor and Madeleine from Colorado to make their dreams of a polar white wedding a reality. They joined our Antarctic Fly & Cruise Safari to spend an amazing week on Quark’s World Explorer expedition cruise ship and exchange marriage vows in the most spectacular location imaginable.
We caught up with them to find out what eloping to Antarctica is really like, and if they have any tips for anyone else dreaming of a White Continent wedding.
Dreaming of a polar elopement
Why did you want to get married in Antarctica?
We got engaged in 2024, with the goal of eloping and having a private ceremony somewhere dramatic and beautiful. We’re big outdoors, cold weather people. We’ve been to Alaska and Norway, but had seen some pictures of the Antarctic Peninsula from other people who had been there. We have a goal of crossing off all seven continents, and the expedition-style nature of the cruise really appealed. So we were like ‘Let’s do this!’
How did you plan the wedding?
When we connected with Otto at Swoop, he gave us a real jolt of excitement about the planning, and how keen he was to work with us as a younger couple on a particular budget. We had long conversations about our plans and what we were trying to achieve. He worked closely with Quark about what was possible, as well as giving advice on how polar conditions can be very unpredictable so we would need to be flexible once we were actually in Antarctica. We then worked with Alexandra in Swoop’s Customer Experience team who made sure everything ran smoothly right up to the moment we joined the trip.
What did you expect from the wedding process?
Our main thing was wanting to have the ceremony on land—on Antarctic snow—and to have it private, with just the two of us and someone from the expedition team to say a few words. And of course, we wanted a photographer there to capture it all.
When we joined the ship, we met with the Expedition Leader and the team who briefed us about what they could do and what our preferences were for when we’d have the ceremony. We told them a bit about our lives, why we were there and what it meant to us. In our heads we thought they’d just put us in a little spot, have a guide say a few words and then bring the photographer over. But until that point I don’t think we appreciated how much would go into making it all run smoothly.
The big day on the ice
How did your Antarctic wedding day go?
The night before the wedding, we were told the ship was going to Danco Island, and that the weather was good and they thought it would be the perfect spot. We spent the evening practising getting our waterproofs on with the tuxedo and wedding dress.
That morning, the weather was great. They put us on the first zodiac. When we landed, Chris the expedition photographer was waiting for us, and Tansy the ship’s doctor, who officiated the ceremony. They had a place set off to the side, above a penguin colony and away from where the other passengers were having a regular landing.
Tansy had written a lovely script. The ceremony was about 30 minutes but we were there for about an hour and a half with photos. There was a lot of taking our jackets on and off. Because Tansy was a doctor she was really strict about making sure we kept warm. Wedding dresses aren’t really made for Antarctic conditions!
Chris liaised with the Expedition Leader about how the landing was going for everyone else, and somehow managed to arrange for us to have a private zodiac tour. Everyone was cheering when we came down to the beach, it was so much fun. They took us to the other side of the island and Chris took lots of photos – the shots of us in the zodiac are the ones that really stand out for us.
When we got back to the ship, the crew had champagne waiting for us, but honestly, we just wanted to jump in the shower to warm up and have some hot food. We ended up skipping the excursion that afternoon. We’d had a lot of excitement, so we just wanted to relax and enjoy the moment. We’d just had a wedding ceremony in Antarctica!
Dressing for success
How did your wedding outfits cope with Antarctic conditions?
Madeleine bought her dress about a month before we booked, so we already knew what the limitations were and what alterations it would need. But there was definitely some anxiety about how everything would fit. We both brought waterproof ski shells, and Madeline had puffer pants so she could roll the dress up to her midsection and then zip up her jacket – that was how she got from the ship on to the zodiac and then on to land. Of course, you have the muck boots as well.
There was a tarp set down at the spot where we did the ceremony, so she was able to take the waterproof pants off. When she was wearing the dress, she also had a really thick pair of leggings underneath, otherwise she might have passed out from the cold.
What was the biggest surprise about Antarctica?
Everyone talks about the unpredictable weather. I’ve been to places where the weather can change on a dime, but I don’t think I truly appreciated how lucky we were until we were waiting for the weather to change for our flight to join the ship. We got a little worried at one point: would end up doing it on the deck of the ship? People say that Mother Nature is the real expedition leader, but it was amazing to see how the Quark team worked around everything. They said ‘this is a fantastic day, we should do it today rather than wait.’ They were like that for the whole trip.
Words for would-be wedding planners
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to get married in Antarctica?
Definitely choose a warm dress, or accessorise with a nice shawl! And guys should plan extra layers to go under their suits.
But it’s really all about taking the opportunities as they come. Antarctica is unpredictable. If the weather isn’t so great but that’s the day that your expedition crew says might be the best day, listen to them and take the day. You’re really not going to look back and say ‘I wish this or that could have been better.’ The whole thing is such a privilege. You’re going to a place that not that many people get to go to. You could probably have a small room and call up everybody around the world that got married in Antarctica and still not be able to fill it.
What were your other Antarctic highlights apart from getting married?
Going kayaking was the other big highlight, without a doubt. Just the quiet of being out there on your own with the ice, slicing through water. We also got pretty near to some humpback whales, which was also on Madeleine’s bucket list.
But some of the other moments are quieter. Just having breakfast and looking out over the ice and seeing a couple penguins jumping in the water and swimming – it was so peaceful and beautiful that I just started crying happy tears.
Antarctica felt like the closest place we could go to to touch the sort of magic that you can’t always experience in the world. We just felt so blessed that we got to be there and experience everything that we did, in the way that we did.
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