Although these two had been to Iceland once before, they were called back to this magical landscape to have their dreamy Iceland elopement!  Iceland is one of those countries that you can continuously visit and never see the same thing twice, forever!  Seriously folks, I live here and I am still adventuring to new places each day/week!

This winter has been one of the mildest on record for decades.  Typically in March, we have a lot more snow in the mountains and the ground, but for Stacey and Aaron, this was the PERFECT amount!  So come along with me today to witness their beautiful elopement in Iceland!

Ohhhhhhh swoon!  Look at that Iceland wedding dress!

….and Aaron’s tartan suit!

Stacey’s arrival into that sweet little black church gave me goosebumps!

Awww and Aaron’s reaction of seeing his beautiful bride was uber sweet!

Can we hit the pause button for a sec and admire Stacey’s unique Iceland wedding bouquet?!

Every Icelander will tell you that the Snaefellsnes is not only a stunning place to visit but that the peninsula is enchanted!

Don’t worry, even though it’s been a super mild winter, we found a glorious amount of snow to have for some romantic Iceland elopement photos!

Kirkjufell Mountain (and waterfall) is incredibly beautiful when it has a light dusting of snow on it… Making way for stunning elopement photos!

There are many secret places within the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to escape away from tourists… We took a little trip to one of my favorite secret waterfalls for a fun little adventure crossing rivers and such!

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is known to have an abundance of golden sand beaches ready for you to explore!

Ever think about venturing to a shipwreck beach with crazy awesome lava rock formations?!  These two ROCKED IT!

Toasting with bubbles cliffside, is a must do during your Iceland elopement!

When the weather changes in Iceland, it’s just a wonderful opportunity to HUG harder!

…and laugh harder that you have somehow experienced 4 seasons in one day

Take a page out of Stacey and Aaron’s book and make sure you take time to truly enjoy the view too!

As if their day was not adventurous enough, these two opted in on my suggestion of heading down inside of a 8,000 year old lava tube to explore it!  Special Note:  All of these images were taken in 100% darkness!  How cool, right?!

After 10+ hours of awesome adventures, it was time to rest, refresh, and get their second wind for their Iceland wedding reception for two!

It started snowing again so sadly no Northern Lights graced us, but we mocked up a super fun nighttime wedding photoshoot instead for Stacey and Aaron!

© 2017, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Elopement at Hotel Budir appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Their stories.

Their moments.

Their adoration for each other.

Their level of adventure.

Frankly, I’m left speechless and seriously grateful.  We have THE.BEST.CLIENTS.EVER!  To Our Clients: Thank you for choosing us, trusting us, and for having so much freaking FUN!

I haven’t even gotten around to sharing all of this past years amazingness on the blog yet, so keep stalking this space!  …and as we look ahead to this next year, um I won’t even begin to tell you about our 2017 and 2018 clients because I may dare to say some of them are our most adventurous and most unique locations yet!

Then you add into the year’s mix that we (Davíð and I) eloped in the Lofoten Islands and honeymooned in the Maldives, it took the year’s status up a notch too!  So to say it’s been a fantastic year would be an understatement.  Thank you followers for coming along with us!  Today we’re going to share a little fun flashback of our favorite moments from this past year… Enjoy!

In the meantime, I’m anxious to start with our first wedding of the year on January 3rd and days later heading back to the famed Igloo Village for another epic adventure wedding!  Cheers to this being the best year yet!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Adventure Wedding Planners)

The views during our client’s Iceland wedding day adventures left them (and us) speechless!  K+A’s thrilling elopement is one for the books!

Can you imagine proposing in Iceland with all this happening around you?! SWOON!

One of our brides this year strapped on a pair of crampons, tied up her dress, and did some hiking around one of Iceland’s 13 Glaciers for her Iceland elopement adventure! #badass

At the end of the hike, we found our way to a gorgeous ice cave for Iceland wedding photos!

Romantic Honeymoon adventures in Iceland!

Secret Caves + Nordic Wedding Days = Endless Smiles!

Rain during your Iceland wedding day creates MAGIC like THIS for your photos! #lucky

Did you see our adventurous elopement in the Lofoten Islands? If not, go back HERE.

After we eloped in the Lofoten Islands, we waited until I was done with my high wedding season (like end of November) and took a scuba diving adventure to the Maldives!  Follow us on Instagram or on our Your Adventure Wedding blog to see more!

Oh la la the dreamy season of the Icelandic lupines (which is between June 15-July 15th)!

Ever think about getting married in Iceland in April?  These two give you a ton of reasons to!

The guests that often attend our weddings in Patagonia!

How gorgeous is this Nordic adventure wedding in Norway?!

A secret waterfall wedding in Iceland, always makes my day!  Let’s flash back to Tim and Antonia’s epic Iceland wedding day, shall we?!

This shot was taken during daylight hours but it was so dark and mysterious in this deep canyon that we brought in our own love and light during this November Iceland elopement!

Did you know there are several waterfalls throughout Iceland that you can explore behind?

.

Iceland wedding portraits in a 1,500 year old lava tube, anyone?!

Rainy Iceland wedding days with us are FUN!  Remember how hardcore these two were?

So so so much about Abby and Derek’s Iceland wedding day I loved!

The Icelandic landscape can change in a blink of an eye!  One of my favorite “Mars” looking areas!

Romantic Iceland couple’s sessions are becoming a new fave too this past year!

Iceland wedding proposals in front of ice caves?! #yesplease

We love when couples embrace the idea of exploring together on their wedding day like these two did during their Iceland elopement!

This November wedding in Iceland used every second of the daylight!

Can you imagine having this entire lighthouse on the most Southern tip of Iceland ALL to yourselves?  This amazing couple did for their Iceland luxury elopement!

Interested in an intimate Iceland wedding overlooking these gorgeous sea cliffs? Cassie and Kyle held a beautiful adventure this year!

Can I even begin to talk about Christophe and Mary’s 100+ Iceland wedding day?!

Amy and Israel had such a fun wedding in Southern Iceland!

I miss Jen and Jeff, did you see their Iceland wedding?

One of my favorite “how we met” stories gets awarded to Joe and Katie!  They had SUCH a dreamy elopement in Iceland!

Super secret lava tube cave wedding in Iceland! Did you catch Sheena and Todd’s daring day?

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Wedding Planner 2016: Year End Review appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Your adventurous, avid travelers, and are seekers of moments, not things.  You yearned for an EXPERIENCE, not just a wedding day, right?

< Enter in the idea for a destination wedding >

Then the brainstorming began of where would have endless adventures, dynamic landscape for wedding photos, and be affordable for the majority of your wedding guests…

< Enter in Iceland >

Then you stumbled upon the idea of having an adventure wedding in Iceland… BRILLIANT. DONE. SOLD.  Woohoo!  Now that you’re planning a wedding in Iceland  with guests (and not eloping in Iceland), you need to devise a plan so that your Iceland wedding day is going to go down as: THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR.  So how do you do that successfully with or without an Iceland Wedding Planner?

Step 1:

Create a wedding website with useful information that makes it easy for your guests to make the decision to come (IE, Why you chose Iceland for your destination wedding location, Accommodation Room Block Information, Rental Car Info, Things to Do, How to Drive in Iceland, What to Pack, What to Wear to an Iceland Wedding Day, Best Hot Springs, Your Iceland Wedding Day Schedule, Pre/Post Wedding Itinerary, Gift Registry, etc).

Step 2: 

Get Your Guests EXCITED to come!  How?  Send a little “gift” with your invitation (like a map of the island, Icelandic candy, etc).

Step 3:

Send a newsletter update via email at the 9, 6, 3 and 1 month away marks to formally connect with your guests (also helps you track your room block information, meal choices, and reminds your guests that you care about them having an unforgettable time when they come to your Iceland wedding!).

Step 4:

Take your honeymoon 3-6 months after your wedding in Iceland so that you can design an epic pre and post wedding adventures WITH your guests in tow.  After all, you CHOSE Iceland for some fantastic reasons, so show them the best of the island (your way)!  Even if many your guests are not as adventurous as the two of you, they will live vicariously through you and feel honored to participate at different points.

Step 5:

When your guests check in to your Iceland wedding hotel, have welcome bags for them (either have the front desk give to each guest at time of check-in OR ask your fabulous Iceland Wedding Planner or Hotel if they can put them into each guests room).  Iceland Wedding Welcome Bags can have things in it like… Water, Tissues, Antacids, Tylenol/Advil, Hangover Kit, Hand Lotion (check out Soley products), Hand Sanitizer, Pepto-Bismol, Breath Mints, Shout Wipes, Chapstick, Eye Mask and Earplugs (if getting married in Iceland during summer solstice), Snacks (peanuts, cliff bars), Umbrella / Rain Poncho, Local Icelandic things like (dried fish jerky, licorice, chocolate, a wool item, map, or other awesome party favors).

Step 6:

Hold a “Welcome” Dinner or Cocktail Hour the day before your Iceland wedding day.  It gathers and focuses people.  Plus, it builds the anticipation of embarking on your adventure wedding day in Iceland!  Have a signature drink, either Icelandic (or American) appetizers OR a full sit-down 3 course meal.  If doing appetizers and drinks only, I suggest a 5-6pm timeframe.  If doing dinner, then start at 7pm (30 minutes per course).  NOTE: It’s important for people to GET SLEEP, so be mindful of this.

Step 7:

At the beginning or end of the welcome event pass out a physical Timeline Card/Schedule to each guest.  This is critical so that everyone is fully aware (no excuses) of when and where they need to be.  No one wants to be “that guy/gal” who shows up late, holds everyone up, or ruins an itinerary.  Set your guests up for success (and less stress) by communicating the schedule to them.  See here or here for an example Iceland wedding timeline card.

Step 8:

Allow us to design a full day adventure for your Iceland wedding day.  The landscape is unforgettable and being able to explore it with your guests is unlike anything they will EVER experience.  Imagine yourself saying “I do” at a private waterfall with zero tourists, discovering secret caves, marveling over massive glaciers, green mountains, trekking through canyons, and secluded black sand beaches with stunning rock formations!  Say what?!  Um yeah, seriously.  Your guests will be left speechless by the end of the day.

Step 9:

Seat your wedding guests during your Iceland wedding ceremony.  Nothing worse for a guest than having to stand through a ceremony in the cold/wind/rain, etc.  So be kind and courteous to their needs since they came all that way!  See HERE for more information on that topic.

Step 10:

Have an Unplugged Wedding Ceremony.  Why?  See our previous blog post HERE to understand better.  It encourages your guests to be PRESENT and in the moment WITH YOU.  Your guests may be miffed for a hot second but in the end, it will prove to have a larger impact on them, I promise.

 Step 11: 

Keep Guests Comfortable.  If going forward with an adventure wedding in Iceland, then you need to make sure (if you haven’t hired us as your Iceland Wedding Planner) there are scheduled bathroom breaks, a bathroom on the bus, or you have porta potties in tow.  Also be sure to have lunch and/or snacks available to your guests throughout the day (IE, fruit, snack sized chips, cliff bars, waters, sodas, etc).  This will avoid anyone getting “hangry.”

Step 12:

Have a scheduled “bail out” point if needed during the day (if your guest list includes any children under 10, over 70 years old or just in general less adventurous fair weather folks) AND a designated “rest” time between the adventure portion and the reception dinner.  At least an hour is needed for guests to be able to rest, refresh, and catch a second wind.  They will thank you later for this!

Step 13:

Introduce your Iceland wedding guests to some cultural elements!  Craft your wedding menu to have some local delicacies such as the following: Mushroom Soup, Icelandic Meat Soup, Langoustine, Scallops, Arctic Char, Reindeer, Lamb, or Skyr Cake.  Adding in an Icelandic Wedding Cake is a fun option as well!

Step 14:

Save any speeches or toasts for after the main course.  Toasts are best enjoyed by everyone on a full belly.

Step 15:

Have an open bar (unless there are sensitive circumstances as to why you cannot).  It’s not very pleasant for a guest to have travelled thousands of miles to find out their “friends” cannot buy them a glass of wine or a beer.  But know it’s okay to have curved limits like stating on the bottom of your menu “Beverages: Sodas, Coffee, Tea, Beer, and Wine” which implies cocktails or hard liquors are on the guests’ dime.  Or telling the hotel it’s okay to have an “open bar” if bottles or 30-year-old whiskies, etc are not included.  Just be tactful about it and not tacky to save a few bucks.

Step 16:

Be sure (if you have not hired us as your Iceland wedding photographer) you specifically ask your Iceland wedding photographer to take candid and posed photos (of the couples).  It’s a nice keepsake for you and the couples to have and remember later!

Step 17:

Schedule some post wedding day awesomeness for you and your Iceland wedding guests.  Maybe an activity like Inside the Volcano? Glacier Ice Climbing or Hiking? Horseback Riding? Scuba or Snorkeling between the famed tectonic plates?  Or how fun would it be for you all to caravan with walkie talkies throughout the Golden Circle and end the day in some secret hot springs?!  It would be an unforgettable end to your wedding events!

Step 18:

Send “thank you” notes to your guests regardless of them sending you a gift or not.  That simple.  If they came to your Iceland destination wedding, they deserve to be “thanked”  for coming formally.  Do it within 6 weeks after your Iceland wedding day.

Following these easy straightforward steps will ensure your guests are happy during your wedding day in Iceland and them remembering yours as THE BEST DAY EVER!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Photographers + Planners)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post 18 Steps to Planning an Iceland Wedding Your Guests Will Never Forget appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Do you ever get those?

Living in Iceland, I get them a lot when I ice climb, hike, SUP, and of course while scouting secret Iceland wedding locations.  But on Iceland wedding days, it’s somehow amplified.  No joke!  I almost hyperventilated in excitement over the below image.  Right light, right mountain, and what an amazing couple!  When all of those elements come together my mind is blown!

Cross those fabulous things with adding in some epic Icelandic wildlife and this Iceland elopement went off the charts!  Do you see the sneaky little seal who photo-bombed the Iceland wedding ceremony?

Another thing that makes me smile during an Iceland wedding photo adventures, is surprising my clients with new super secret waterfalls.  These two didn’t even bat an eyelash when I told them the hike time!  ? ? ?

When you have an early April wedding in Iceland (which this fab couple did) you can usually expect some snow still lingering (unless we’ve had a more wet than snowy winter).  This often times adds to the dramatic landscape giving you the vibrant greens, browns, and whites like the beautiful below Iceland elopement wedding portrait!

Weddings in Iceland with us equal adventure, that simple.

Ideal for couples who love the outdoors (and will run around in them rain or shine), enjoy hiking, crave wedding photos in dynamic locations, and are wanderlust addicts.  Imagine yourself discovering uniquely shaped glaciers like this couple did!

Here at Iceland Wedding Planner, we are providers of EXPERIENCES, not just a “wedding day”  We stay away from  churches and the usually flooded tourist locations, so that there are not 100+ people Instagram-ing your wedding.

We prefer to have our clients totally immersed and connected to TRUE and PURE Iceland.  The unknown. The untouched. The places that will leave you in utter “Awe” and get you totally addicted to this island!  If adventuring to secret waterfalls, caves, cliffs, glaciers, private beaches and rock formations sound like fun to experience on your wedding day in Iceland… Contact us to get that exciting conversation started! ?

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Adventure Wedding Planners + Photographers)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Elopement | Adventure Wedding Photography appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

During their last few days of their journey through the land of fire and ice, they spent a day with us exploring the dynamic and colorful Icelandic wintry landscape!

They hiked.  They climbed.  They even said “yes” to my request for them to repel down into cave through a snow tunnel!

True adventurers who were after an unforgettable honeymoon!  …and they got it! ?

Thank you Maegan and Jesse for choosing us and Your Adventure Wedding to plan and photograph such a gorgeous honeymoon session in Iceland!

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding and Honeymoon Photography)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Honeymoon Adventure | Maegan + Jesse appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.