Thrilled you stuck with us through our little blogging break =) We have been going a million miles an hour photographing some amazing Iceland weddings, finishing up wedding details for our remaining 2014 fabulous couples, and excitedly planning with our 2015 & 2016 couples.

Some sensational news we’d like to share: Did you know we have added someone tremendously awesome to our Iceland wedding planning team? Beth Golden, has a decade worth of experience in the industry and has proved to be a positive asset to our growing team. Her vision, creativity, attention to details is remarkable. Frankly she is our right arm in day of organization, so we can focus on you and capturing your amazing wedding moments in Iceland! As I am sure you know the enthusiasm never ends around here and Beth fits right in. So please warmly “Welcome” her to the Iceland Wedding Planner team!

As promised, today begins several extraordinary posts we will be sharing with you and all will surely make you swoon in envy! First series that is up is Atlanta, Georgia couple: Kim + Chris. I have 100’s of “favorite” images and have decided I don’t want to blow up one blog post with them, so we’re going to break up their adventurous Iceland wedding day into several pieces so we can all savor it and take notes! So please be sure to check in often over the next few weeks to see their Iceland wedding story unfold…

Can I let you in on a little secret? Summer Iceland weddings rock; there is nothing better than having the option of getting married at 6am or 11pm and holding a crazy epic adventurous wedding day under the midnight sun. Sooo… After driving 85km west in Southern Iceland on Sunday, June 22nd, it was time to get married!  Kim and Chris met their Icelandic pastor, on the shores of Reynisfjara Beach (sometimes people refer to it as Vik Beach).

They walked happily hand in hand to the basalt rock cave (Hálsanefshellir Cave) and held their spiritual Iceland wedding ceremony inside. Kim and Chris declared their love to each other by simply stating, “I promise to always love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.”  [Swoon!] The bride was so happy she shed a couple of joyful tears and the pastor immediately gave them both the biggest hug ever!  We popped a bottle of Domaine Chandon and served the bride and groom several tasty Icelandic baked goods to start the celebration right then, right there.

It was stunning in every way… and did I mention blue skies were abound? Yup, that always seems to happen for every wedding we photograph in Iceland, no matter the season =) Chris and Kim drank their bubbles, laughed, smiled and frolicked throughout the beach giving us tons of amazing opportunity’s for unforgettable Iceland wedding photos! So today, please delight in the beginning of their fabulous adventure: Chris and Kim’s Iceland destination wedding ceremony…

A note to my lovely couple:

Kim and Chris,

You give me goose bumps, that simple. The love you exude for each other made me cry with joy and I am not a crier, ever. You are soul mates and no one can deny it when they see you together. It was such an honor to design such a monumental day from start to finish for you both and being the lucky one, who got to photograph it too. Thank you for choosing me! So how about we plan an Iceland vow renewal adventure for your 5 year anniversary? ..Next time in Northern Iceland or with Northern Lights! Until then lots of hugs, Ann (…and Beth)

To the rest of you fabulous people: Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to come by next week to see more of Chris and Kim’s Iceland wedding day!

With a smile,

Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner)

© 2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Photographer | Kim + Chris | Reynisfjara Beach (Vik Beach Cave) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Having over 10 years in the destination wedding industry under my belt one thing I can always count on is… that no matter how much you plan for what the “what if” scenarios there will be something that happens on your wedding day that you did not prepare for.  Some things being within your control and others not. Having your destination wedding in the country like Iceland, where there is not a big box store like Wallyworld or a pharmacy accessible or nearby your hotel you will need to make sure you have a very thorough emergency kit.

Situation: You wake up at your hotel, it’s your wedding morning and you or your soon to be husband have forgotten one of your toiletries you usually use in your getting ready routine and the nearest convenient store is over 40 minutes one way and doesn’t open until 10am.  You’re leaving for your Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony in less than 1.5 hours.  It is just not possible for you  or someone else to make the drive, get ready, and get back in time for the day’s events.  The store also may not have your creature comforts you are use to, so having a bride and groom emergency kit will allow the day of panic level to go down amongst yourselves and your guests.

A couple of examples of where these bridal survival kits would have come in handy (I have personally encountered these examples throughout the years):

• The maid of honor’s heel breaks.  (Iceland Wedding Planner saves the day with super glue and alternative cute shoe option as viable backup).
• The groom steps on brides train and it rips out the button (I know as an Iceland photographer, I have taken the time to sew it back up for the bride to ensure the rest of the day is flawless).
• The MOTB or MOTG’s bra strap keeps showing (A few minutes spent pinning or a few stitches will solve this quickly).
• Example from my Iceland Wedding Day: Even as a super planner who has seen and done it all I somehow had 3 mishaps happen during my Iceland wedding day I had to navigate through: 1.) I forgot my engagement ring back at the hotel; 2.) I had asked for black chiavari chairs at the ceremony site and sadly the ceremony setup was with white plastic garden chairs. 3.) Our hired in destination photographers from Toronto, Ontario were MIA several times (the day before and then again during the reception) when we needed to speak with them. I had to go the extreme of writing a note to post on their hotel door and asking the front desk to find them for me. Two of the above items, I had no control over and one my wedding day emergency kit instantly solved.  The items you have no control over you need do what you can in the moment, take a deep breath, and find a substitute is possible, and if not deal with the situation after your beautiful day is complete.

Iceland is a awe-inspiring place and that is mainly because it is not over populated with convenient stores or shopping malls.  The natives are simple people and do not require the intricate must haves as most of us have on our must have getting ready list so chances are their stores are not going to carry the items you are in need of.  Mishaps aside, there are things that you can do to prepare for these what if scenarios before your wedding in Iceland.  To combat any potential problems the day of with yourself or your guests so here is a super awesome list of crucial wedding day items that no bride, groom, or bridal party should be without!

Put together a Bridal Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Extra Wedding Vows
• Sewing Kit (includes pins, scissors,  thread, and needles)
• Clear Nail Polish
• Nail File
• Hairspray
• Mirror
• Shine Blotting Sheets
• Stay-Matte Pressed Powder to touch up shine
• Pain Reliever
• Static Guard Spray
• Clinique Touch Base for Eyes
• Brush/Comb
• Tissues
• Lint Brush
• Earring Backs
• Nail Polish Remover
• Baby Powder (for last minute spills on your dress)
• Shout Wipes or Tide to Go Pen
• Eye Drops
• Acid Relief
• Smelling Salts
• Tampons and Pads
• Band-Aids
• Headache medicine
• Large Scissors
• Krazy or Super Glue
• Sunscreen (if it’s an outdoor wedding)
• Bobby Pins
• First Aid Kit
• Safety Pins
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Chalk
• Dental Floss or Toothpicks
• Hem Tape
• Scotch Tape
• Straws
• Tweezers
• Extra lipstick or gloss
• Matches
• Trail mix
• Hollywood Tape (or double sided tape)
• Deodorant scrub off brush
• Breath Mint
• Notepad and Pencil
• Flash Drive for any important speakers, timeline flow, to transfer of files, etc.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Put together a Groom Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Black Socks (2 pairs)
• Extra Wedding Vows
• Extra Wedding Rings
• Safety Pins
• Travel sewing kit
• Razor and travel shaving cream
• Band-Aids
• Hand sanitizer
• Shout Stain Remover
• File
• Nail clipper
• Brush/Comb
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Breath mints
• Cologne
•  Extra buttons and cuff links
• Lint Brush
• Antacid
• Pain Reliever
• Deodorant
• Eye drops
• Granola Bar &Water
• $20 of your own currency and $20 of whatever your destination wedding country currency is.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Planning a destination wedding is no easy feat in any location.  But planning a destination wedding in Iceland creates even more unknowns especially if you have never been to Iceland.  If you are planning your wedding by yourself, before your wedding day, you can plan for every possible situation that could arise but that takes time and endless hours of research and you still may encounter a flaw.  Which is exactly why you hire a professional to create plan A, plan B, plan C scenarios in case something detours from the original plan.

Hiring experienced professionals that are not only familiar with the country, have relationships with the local vendors, the terrain, the food, and the types of available lodging allows you to relax!  At Photos by Miss Ann, we present decision options for you and your soon to be to decide on and in turn you can RELAX!  Our Iceland wedding planning and photography team also carry with us elaborate emergency kits similar to the above so we can troubleshoot any possible issues that may arise during your wedding weekend/weekend adventures so trust that you will have a flawlessly beautiful day if you hire us!

Keep Smiling, Ann Peters

Your experts in Iceland Wedding Planning and Iceland Wedding Photography, please contact us for more information!

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

The post Destination Wedding in Iceland: Wedding Day Emergency Kit appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.