So the big questions of the week… Where are you at with your Iceland wedding planning?  Have you sent out Save-the-Dates?

Sending out Save-the-Dates is one of the most sensational parts of destination wedding planning… Who doesn’t love a good surprise?  Shocking your guests with your breathtaking wedding location can be so much fun for all involved!  After all, your friends and family at that point already know you’re engaged and are now just anticipating the big news of where you’ll be saying “I do.”  How fun for them to open up their mailbox to see your Save-the-Date as Iceland!?!  Instant reaction, I guarantee, “Umm, Iceland?  Really?  Why?” Or my personal favorite that Chris and I (and all of our guests) would continually be asked by clients and acquaintances, “So who is Icelandic?”  That one made us laugh every time.  What has been your favorite comment you have gotten during your Iceland wedding planning?

So maybe you are still in the beginning stages of planning your destination wedding in Iceland and you wonder why save the dates are important or if you should even do them?

Our personal and professional vote is that you should, if time and budget allows.  Save-the-Dates serve as the official “kick off” to your wedding day in Iceland.  Your wedding becomes, real!  I know it sounds silly, but you’ll understand what I am saying once you send them out.  From your wedding guest’s perspective, having your save-the-date 8+ months before your Iceland destination wedding date gives them enough time to save, plan for vacation time, book flights and accommodations, daydream about the trip, and it undoubtedly adds to the anticipation of your big day!

So when do you send your save-the-dates out?

To figure out that answer we need to take one step back… Your first step (if you haven’t ready) is to secure your proposed wedding date with your favorite wedding venue in Iceland (or some other dreamy locale if you’re planning locally) this is key to launching the destination wedding planning process.  <Sidebar: If you do not have a specific place in mind to marry in Iceland, do not worry, Iceland Wedding Planner can help you with that!  One of the Iceland wedding planning services (in our Iceland wedding packages) we offer to you are venue appraisals (for your Iceland wedding ceremony, Iceland wedding reception, and host hotel) so you and your soon-to-be can make the right choice contingent on your budget and desired location.>   Once that has been completed then you can let your guests know your unforgettable wedding date!

Our professional suggestion to you would be to pick a wedding date in Iceland that is at least 8+ months away.

Why book your Iceland wedding earlier versus later?

• You will have enough time to reserve your first choice Iceland wedding venue (especially if you want to wed during Iceland’s high tourist season June-August).
• First choice on reserving a host hotel that can accommodate your group size (most hotels max out at 25-ish rooms).
• You have enough time to organize all of the awesome Iceland wedding details you will need to complete your day (Iceland wedding dress, Iceland wedding photographer, Iceland wedding official, Iceland DJ, Iceland florist, Iceland wedding cake, Iceland makeup artist, Iceland hair stylist, etc.).
• Time to handle all of the legal documents and marriage license you need to get married in Iceland.
• Enough planning time to organize an epic post wedding itinerary for you and your guests (Hello, Iceland honeymoon or wedding mini-moon!).  Remember also, your guests not only get to see you get married in an amazing locale but they get to go on a vacation too!  Thus planning early and making it memorable for all involved is important (and helps in creating a better turn out).  A perfect way to engage your guests is to have a specific post wedding itinerary that they can be part of.  <Note: As Iceland wedding planners, we can help you plan out the logistics this.  This feature is included in our Iceland wedding planning package.>
• Gives you time to savor the wedding planning process, send out awesome Iceland save the dates and create an Iceland wedding website!

Unfortunately, Chris and I did not have time (see our previous post here) to send out save the dates to our guests while planning our April Iceland wedding.  Instead, we just full out shocked our guests with our Iceland wedding invitation!  Luckily though, we now get to live vicariously through our incredible Iceland wedding clients.  To give you a real life wedding example: Meet one of our remarkable clients –Tiffany & Brian.  They are a really inspiring, thrill-seeking, incredibly cute and exciting couple from Saskatchewan, Canada.  These two are so much fun that Chris and I seriously wish they lived closer!

These two have kindly allowed us to share some of their dazzling Iceland wedding details we are creating for their October 2014 Snaefellsnes Peninsula wedding.  Originally, they contacted us when they were ~21 months away from their desired wedding date (totally an ideal amount of time to plan your Iceland destination wedding).  They decided to email their save-the-dates –how fun, right?  They compiled their guest list as you would typically but ensured they also had each guests email.  They wrote a short note, bcc’d each of their guests, added their wedding website, and then attached a digital file of their Iceland destination wedding save-the-date!  Voila!  This route can be a wonderful way to save within your budget as save-the-dates are on average $1.50 each printed plus postage.  That being said, I am pleased to share with you their gorgeous Iceland Save the Date along with another fun example from one of our 2013 other local bride and grooms.

Below you’ll find some useful information for you to ponder about as you plan your Iceland destination wedding and create your own save-the-dates.

Items to include in your destination wedding Save the Date:

• Your full names.
• Your awesome destination wedding date.
• Where: Include the country and/or city you have decided to hold your destination wedding in.
• Wedding website (this is a wonderful tool to share information with your guests on your engagement, photos, travel plans, accommodations, day of schedule, menu, activity itinerary, registry, etc).
• Colors – Incorporate your wedding colors if possible.
• A fun tagline or statement to open with.  A few examples follow: “To the Land of Fire and Ice!,” “Love + Adventure = A Wedding in Iceland!,” “Pack your bags!  You’re invited to the wedding of…”  “It doesn’t matter how, just get there!”  Or how about a super exciting quote maybe from a literally sensation like Walt Whitman? My personal favorite: “I give you my love, more precious than money. I give you myself, before preaching or law. Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?” –Walt Whitman
• Then consider either emailing to your guests or have them professionally printed.  Try to send out when you are 8 to 24 months away from your big day, if possible.

Planning a destination wedding in Iceland takes time and patience to plan fully (unless you are eloping in Iceland with no guests or very few).  Specifically, if you are planning to have guests join you for your epic Icelandic wedding adventure then please contact us!  Chris and I have been in your shoes and know it can be overwhelming because of the lack of resources.  Luckily, we have spent time building wonderful relationships with the very best people and vendors in Iceland that will all come together to make your destination wedding in Iceland easy and flawless.  We’d love to hear from you and make that happen!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

© 2002-2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

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