Wedding at Idöborg: a photographer’s guide

A wedding at Idöborg takes place on a private island in the Stockholm archipelago, where the reception space Ögonblicket seats up to 180 guests and the island has just over 90 beds, so a party of up to around 90 can stay the whole weekend. You arrive by boat, and the crossing becomes part of the wedding.

What separates Idöborg from most venues around Stockholm is that you rent the whole island for a weekend, with the reception hall and the other spaces for two days. That removes much of what usually chafes during a wedding day: no closing time set by the next booking and nobody driving home.

This guide covers what is actually on the island, how you and your guests get there, how a weekend usually runs, and what the boat crossing does to your schedule. The facts about the island and the prices come from Idöborg’s own website, and where I could not find a source I say so.

If you are planning from abroad and still comparing venues, there is more in the guides to wedding venues in Stockholm and Ellery Beach House, another waterside option closer to the city.

What Idöborg is

Idöborg is a privately owned island in the Stockholm archipelago, run as a gathering place with a restaurant, accommodation and event spaces. It sits a little over an hour from central Stockholm, and guests spend that hour on a bus and a boat.

The first thing you see on arrival is the large white Art Nouveau villa on the island’s highest point, with its green roof. According to Idöborg’s history page, it was built in 1909 by Gustav Pott, who owned Stockholms Skofabrik, a shoe factory, and a large share of the islands in the area. The house sets the tone for everything else.

Pott was a keen sea bird hunter, and between 1910 and 1914 he had a network of wooden bridges built between Idöborg, Idö, Lilla Kovilan and the neighbouring islands. It is the kind of detail that tells you something about the place: somebody wanted a great deal here, for a long time.

The island has had several eras since. Torsten Kreuger owned islands in the area, there was a boatyard period, and later the business was built up as a course and conference venue before it moved towards weddings, yoga and Strandbaren. The full history is on Idöborg’s own history page.

This guide is written by me, Karin Lundin, a wedding photographer based in Stockholm. Further down the page I share what it is like to photograph here. Planning a wedding and want to talk? Get in touch and we will talk.

Ögonblicket and the other spaces

The reception space is called Ögonblicket, which means the moment, and it holds up to 180 people. It was built with weddings and events in mind, and it shows: the floor plan is made for dinner, dancing and an evening that carries on, and professional sound and lighting are included in the package.

Outside it there is a large wooden deck built for ceremonies, looking out over the water and the sunset. Having the ceremony and the party in the same place removes the travel block from the day entirely, which is the single biggest simplification a venue can offer you.

Strandbaren is the other space to know about. A common arrangement is to book it for the evening before, for drinks, dinner and the sauna, as a gentle start to the weekend. Beside it there is a sauna with panoramic views, a bathing jetty and a sand beach.

Accommodation is spread across hotel rooms, cabins and glamping cabins, just over 90 beds in total. That covers a mid sized party but not 180 guests, so expect some people to leave on an evening boat if you fill the reception space.

What does a wedding at Idöborg cost?

Idöborg publishes its prices for renting the island. The price includes the reception hall and the other spaces for two days, 90 beds with made beds and towels, and departure cleaning. You choose food and drink from Idöborg’s menu, and those choices drive the total. VAT, minimum guest numbers and other terms are in Idöborg’s booking terms, so ask for them before you book.

Period	2027	2028
November to March, weekend	from 165,000 SEK	from 165,000 SEK
April and October, weekend	from 195,000 SEK	from 195,000 SEK
May and September, weekend	from 265,000 SEK	from 265,000 SEK
June to August, weekend	from 265,000 SEK	from 285,000 SEK
June to August, Tuesday to Thursday	from 195,000 SEK	from 215,000 SEK

How you and your guests get there

The island is reached by boat. Waxholmsbolaget line 17 runs from Stavsnäs to Idöborg and costs 104 SEK for an adult and 64 SEK reduced, according to the timetable on Idöborg’s site. Stavsnäs is reached by bus from Slussen in central Stockholm, so guests without a car can make the whole trip on public transport.

There is also a boat taxi service from Stavsnäs, and many wedding parties use it because it lets you set your own departure times. Ask Idöborg what they recommend for your group size.

The boat is the part that needs the most planning, and it is also the part that does the most for the feeling of the day. Put the departure times on the invitation along with the address. A guest who misses the boat misses the whole ceremony, so spell it out.

Build margin into the schedule on both sides of the crossing. Weather affects archipelago traffic more than it affects a road, and a delayed boat pushes everything after it. There is more on how margins work in the guide to a wedding day timeline.

Ways to use the island

The first row is what makes Idöborg what it is. If a full weekend is what you are considering, the reasoning behind how the parts fit together is in the guide to choosing a venue in Europe.

What to ask before booking a wedding at Idöborg

• What is included when you rent the whole island, and what is charged separately?
• How many of the 90 or so beds can we use, and how do they split between hotel rooms, cabins and glamping?
• Which boat options do you recommend for our group size, and do you book them or do we?
• What happens to a ceremony on the deck if it is windy or raining?
• How late may the party run, and where is the accommodation in relation to Ögonblicket?
• Can we bring our own caterer and our own DJ, or is there a preferred list?
• When does the last boat leave for guests who are not staying over?

The last question is the one most often forgotten and the one that causes the most quiet anxiety in the evening. If the last boat leaves at a fixed time, part of your party will be watching the clock instead of being present, and it shows. Knowing the time in advance lets you either book a later boat taxi or plan the evening around it.

Ask about deliveries too. Flowers, the cake and everything else has to travel on the same boats as the guests, and that logistics chain is worth going through with the venue early.

Island light and what it does to the pictures

An island has water on several sides, and that is the single biggest difference from a mainland venue. Water throws light back from below, which fills in the shadows under the eyes and makes faces read more evenly. The same couple photographed in a forest clearing and on a rock by the water look different, and the difference comes from the light.

The second thing is that the sky is open. No treeline takes the sun early, so the evening lasts longer here than at a venue surrounded by woodland. The deck at Ögonblicket faces the sunset, which means the best hour of the day is directly outside the reception space.

The downside is the middle of the day. Open water and pale rock throw a lot of light around, and a ceremony at one o’clock on a clear July day is hard and squinty for everyone involved. If you want to marry outdoors in the middle of the day, ask for a spot with shade.

A wedding at Idöborg also gives you something that is hard to find on the mainland: a horizon with no buildings on it. That lets a couple sit small in a large frame and still carry it, because nothing else is competing for attention.

Season and weather in the archipelago

The archipelago season is short and intense. June through August is what most couples picture, and it is also when the boats run most frequently. If you want a Saturday in that window you need to be early, because free weekends go quickly.

Wind is what separates an island from a garden. There is nothing to slow the air down over open water, and a breeze that feels pleasant at the jetty can be noticeably stronger up on the deck. Veils, napkins, place cards and anything light on a table behave differently here.

Rain is manageable but has to be decided in advance. Ask what the alternative to the deck is and agree when the call has to be made. A decision taken in the morning costs nothing; one taken when guests are already seated costs twenty minutes and some of the mood.

Bear in mind too that archipelago weather can turn faster than the forecast. So have the plan settled and avoid building a schedule so tight that fifteen minutes of slippage topples it.

A photographer’s perspective

My name is Karin Lundin and I am a wedding photographer based in Stockholm. I have photographed at Idöborg, and an island changes the rhythm of a wedding day.

The clearest thing is that the guests arrive on the same boat. Everybody lands together, nobody drifts in, and the day gets a shared beginning. That arrival is one of the best things to photograph across the whole weekend and it simply does not exist at a venue people drive to separately.

The second is that nobody leaves early. When the party sleeps on the island, the restless departure mood at eleven disappears and the evening carries on at its own pace. The late frames are different when nobody has a train to catch.

Light is the third. An island has water on several sides, which means an open sky and long evenings without a treeline taking the sun early. The deck faces the sunset, so evening portraits are literally outside the door.

My practical advice concerns the boat again: make sure the photographer travels on an earlier crossing than the guests. It sounds obvious and it gets forgotten, and a photographer arriving with the party misses both the preparations and the arrival itself.

Want to capture the day on film as well? I often work alongside Nordvér Films. On an island it is worth putting the photographer and the filmmaker on the same boat and the same schedule, because neither of us can nip back for something we forgot.

Key takeaways

• Ögonblicket holds up to 180 people and has a wooden deck built for ceremonies, facing the sunset.
• The island sleeps just over 90 across hotel rooms, cabins and glamping cabins, so a full party of 180 cannot all stay the night.
• A wedding at Idöborg can take the whole island for a weekend, with the spaces for two days, which is the format that sets it apart from mainland venues.
• Waxholmsbolaget line 17 runs Stavsnäs to Idöborg for 104 SEK per adult. A boat taxi is also available and lets you set your own times.
• Put boat times and the address on the invitation, and find out when the last boat leaves for guests not staying over.
• Leave margin before and after the crossing. Weather affects archipelago traffic more than it affects roads.
• Sound and lighting are included in the reception package.

Frequently asked questions

How many guests does Idöborg hold?

The reception space Ögonblicket holds up to 180 people. Accommodation is smaller than that, just over 90 beds, which means a full party cannot all stay the night. Ask Idöborg for exact figures for your own layout.

How do you get to Idöborg?

By boat. Waxholmsbolaget line 17 runs from Stavsnäs and costs 104 SEK for an adult, 64 SEK reduced. Stavsnäs is reached by bus from Slussen in central Stockholm. Many wedding parties instead book a boat taxi from Stavsnäs so they can set their own departure times.

Can you rent the whole island?

Yes, the island can be rented for a weekend, which gives you the reception hall and the other spaces for two days and 90 beds. That is the format that makes Idöborg different from most venues around Stockholm.

What does a wedding at Idöborg cost?

Renting the island in 2027 costs from 195,000 SEK per weekend in April and October, from 265,000 SEK per weekend from May to September and from 165,000 SEK per weekend from November to March. Tuesday to Thursday in June to August costs from 195,000 SEK. The price includes the reception hall and the other spaces for two days, 90 beds and departure cleaning, while food and drink are extra.

Can we marry outdoors?

Yes. Ögonblicket has a large wooden deck built for ceremonies, looking out over the water and the sunset. Because it sits open towards the sea, wind is worth planning for, so ask the venue what happens in poor weather before you commit.

Is there accommodation on the island?

Yes, just over 90 beds across hotel rooms, cabins and glamping cabins. That covers a mid sized party. For a larger wedding some guests will need the evening boat home, so decide early who is prioritised for the beds that exist.

What else is on the island?

Strandbaren with its restaurant, a sauna with panoramic views, a bathing jetty and a sand beach. A common arrangement is to book Strandbaren for the evening before, for drinks, dinner and sauna as a calm start to the wedding weekend.

How old is the villa?

The large white villa with the green roof on the island’s highest point was built in 1909 by Gustav Pott, according to Idöborg’s history page. Pott owned Stockholms Skofabrik and much of the surrounding islands. Between 1910 and 1914 he also had wooden bridges built between Idöborg and its neighbours.

Planning a wedding? I am happy to talk about how your day could look in pictures. Get in touch and we will talk.