Finding the right wedding venue for your Iceland destination wedding is one of the most important early steps in wedding planning. Objectives may include finding a hotel in a secluded setting, accommodating hard to please guests, close to the attractions you want to see, and offers a personal romantic experience. Good news! The ION Luxury Adventure Hotel includes every one of those features and so much more. There are very few hotels in Iceland that have such a dramatic setting while having a Michelin Star Chef at the restaurant helm. The ION made our 2013 Favorite Iceland Wedding Hotels list because of the complete experience they offer.

When you plan a trip to the land of fire and ice, you are in search of a place that encompasses that tagline, right? The ION Luxury Adventure Hotel’s location takes full advantage of the hotel’s natural backdrop of Mount Hengill’s lava fields and the majestic Thingvellir Lake. The ION brings the dramatic Icelandic elements of fire and ice together and connects you to them. Hotel ION provides guests with an unforgettable 5 senses experience. Your eyes will delight in the distinctive design of the hotel, your ears will appreciate the stillness of the natural surroundings, your touch will be encircled by the warm waters of their magnificent geothermal spa pool, you will smell the pure Icelandic air, and your taste buds will be overwhelmed by the delectable meals the Silfra Restaurant creates!

I’ll be honest and say that we had set some pretty high hopes for our stay at the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel and they exceeded our expectations at every turn! We highly recommend this fantastic hotel to any couple out there in search of an idyllic Iceland wedding location no matter the season you plan to marry. The ION Hotel in Selfoss opened their doors in February 2013 and currently has 45 total rooms to offer Iceland wedding guests, groups, and Iceland honeymooners. They have deluxe and standard rooms to choose from, all offering a phenomenal view of either the extraordinary lava fields and Thingvellir Lake or the steaming Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station. The famed Silfra Restaurant, Lava Spa, and Northern Lights Bar are all located inside ION, so make sure you take the time to check them out! The starting price of a night’s stay at this superb hotel begins at 32,000 ISK (~$275 USD).

Iceland Wedding Planner’s ION Luxury Adventure Hotel Experience:

It was a rainy December afternoon as we made the drive from Frost and Fire in Hveragerdi to the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel in Selfoss. But it was still an inspiring drive beside the mountains. From the moment we left downtown Selfoss we saw signs leading us all the way to ION. The scenery you pass is filled with picturesque mountains, rustic farm animals, incredible lake views, and moss covered lava fields. At every turn we were anxiously anticipating our arrival. Then there it was… a very chic modernly designed hotel set within moss covered lava fields, cushioned between a volcano, geothermal grounds, and a lake! Our enthusiasm was off the charts!

ION was stunning and every bit as beautiful as all of the photos on their website suggest. Sadly, it was raining during our visit; otherwise we would have had more vibrant exterior shots to share. Walking into the front door of the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel, the staff members greet you with welcoming faces. We felt that everyone on the ION team throughout our stay were professional, accommodating, and knowledgeable. Once we checked in, we had a tour of the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel. The hotel design has immersed itself in natural tones. Even when we were inside, we felt completely connected with the Icelandic landscape. There was one extraordinary detail that surprised us… As you step down the staircase to the Lava Spa, there are full length windows that allow you to be submerged in the lava fields eye to eye but still sheltered from the elements.

As you continue down the stairs, to the right you will find the entrance to the Lava Spa. If you appreciate ultimate relaxation and spoiling, the Lava Spa offers numerous services for you to partake in. There is also a meditation room where guests are welcomed to unwind at any time. A brilliantly designed spa pool just outside of the Lava Spa allows you to experience the Icelandic elements without actually leaving. The hotel even offers champagne service poolside for anyone celebrating.

As you step down the staircase into the Northern Lights Bar, there are full length windows that allow you to be engrossed in the lava fields while still staying warm and cozy. This feature makes the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel a prime spot for Northern Lights viewing. Many I’m sure have spent the evening there with a cocktail in hand relaxing under the Northern Lights, the stars, or midnight sun. If you are planning an Iceland elopement then the ION’s Northern Lights Bar could also dual as your inside ceremony location if needed as well. Artistic elements throughout the bar are also ecologically sustainable. For example, salvaged driftwood was transformed into many of the wooded details throughout the hotel and even the lights over the bar are astonishingly fashioned from recycled cardboard.

The ION’s Silfra Restaurant is stylish, inviting, and offers plenty of seating for guests to dine. If holding a wedding at ION Luxury Adventure Hotel, there are two other sections outside of the main dining area that can accommodate larger groups for a more private experience. First there is a meeting room that can easily hold 50 people. Also, just outside of Silfra lies a spacious patio allowing you to sit amongst the lava field. For larger Iceland destination weddings at the ION, they have even put a pole tent over the patio to house more than 100 guests. Weather permitting you could also easily have your Iceland wedding reception cocktail hour out there.

Our dinner dining experience at ION’s Silfra Restaurant was first class from start to finish. The acclaimed Michelin Star Chef Gudmundur Sverrisson has created a remarkable menu full of traditional Icelandic treats. Chris and I had a bottle of champagne and each opted to each try 3 different courses that evening.

Chris chose the famed Arctic Char which was cured, served with pickled cucumber, alongside of a delightful dill sauce. This dish was served cold and we found every bite to be a refreshing mix. I personally could not resist ordering the Mushroom Soup and it was hands down one of the best I have had. It was creamy, full of flavor and had me vying for the recipe by the end of the bowl.

For the main course Chris chose the fresh caught Pan Fried Salmon. The plate was perfectly presented with parsnip puree, fried broccoli, in a white wine sauce, all of which brought an overall amazing taste and color to the dish. I chose the utmost wonderful Filet of Lamb, served with root vegetables, parsnip, pork cheek, and a red wine sauce.

You think all that is divine? …Oh wait! It gets better! The hand crafted dessert options at the ION’s Silfra Restaurant will make you smile from ear to ear! The Skyr Crème Brûlée was Chris’s choice, and he even boasted about it being the best he had ever had. I went right for chocolate bliss and ordered the Triple Chocolate Delight which was a luxurious combination of cake, mouse, and chocolate ice cream. The presentation of each course was tops all the way and the taste of all of the flavors coming together in each bite was monumental. The fine flavor combinations within each course are sure to please even the biggest foodie. We believe the ION Luxury Adventure Hotel’s Silfra Restaurant offers supreme quality, impeccable service, and would be a marvelous location to hold your Iceland wedding reception.

After trying some Icelandic specialty cocktails we grabbed our posh robes from the room and headed down to the geothermal spa pool. To our delight we had huge snowflakes falling as we sat and relished in that amazing moment! The combination of cold winter air, warm water, and snow falling, all created a magical memory.

Our room that evening was #219 which boasted a view in the direction of the lake Thingvellir. The entire room was outfitted with premium eco-friendly products from the bed to bath. You have all of the classic and luxurious 5 star room amenities on hand. Although we were not graced by the Northern Lights during our stay at ION, we knew we wouldn’t miss them since they have a night staff member checking for them throughout the night. That person phones guests if they make an appearance.

The next morning, we actually woke up to ice on our room window and about 3 inches of snow outside! ION Luxury Adventure Hotel offers an exceptional breakfast selection to its guests. It is beautifully presented and available in the Silfra Restaurant beginning at 7am. You can expect to have farm fresh eggs, warm bacon, cold meats, cheeses, breads, granola, Icelandic Skyr, fruits, and endless drink choices. Although, the sudden snow storm did spoil our original plan of taking the beautiful mountain pass road (Route #36) and going back into Reykjavík, instead we took the safer route back down through the Selfoss downtown. As a side note, there are several roads in Iceland that are closed during the winter months so be aware of them as you plan out your driving routes. Specifically Iceland route #431 and #435 are closed from Oct 1st-May 1st. So when driving to the ION Hotel during winter months use Route #36 (Mosfellsbaer) and turn right onto #360 towards Nesjavellir or take Route 1 to Route #35 and #36 in from Selfoss.

The ION Luxury Adventure Hotel can easily be your gateway to all of the daring activities Iceland has to offer. Organized adventures such as glacier hiking, ice climbing, dog sledding, horseback riding, Northern Lights chasing, 4×4 off roading, scuba diving, snorkeling, rock climbing, caving, heli-skiing, and even inside volcano experiences. This luxury location can accommodate any type of Iceland destination wedding at any point during the year. ION Luxury Adventure Hotel welcomes groups of 160 or less. Please feel free to reach out to the ION team below to see if they can accommodate you during your visit to Iceland:

ION Luxury Adventure Hotel’s Contact Information:
Website: http://www.ioniceland.is/
Address: 801 Nesjavollum vid Thingvallavtn; Selfoss Iceland
Phone: +354-482-3415
ION Luxury Adventure Hotel GPS Coordinates: 64.1133 N, -21.242752 W
Email: reservations@ioniceland.is

Iceland is filled with many extraordinary hotel options, but most times your Iceland wedding budget plays the deciding role on where you end up. As Iceland wedding planners, part of our service to you is personalized venue appraisals and timeline planning to ensure you make the right choice for your wedding day in Iceland. Please feel free to contact us for more information on getting this process started for your big day! We would love to chat more with you about your Iceland dream wedding, possibly be your wedding planners and Iceland wedding photographers! We hope you have enjoyed our Iceland wedding hotel 2013 favorites list over the past several weeks. In case you missed our previous posts please feel free to go back and check them out: Hotel Laekur, Hali Country Hotel, Frost and Fire, and ION Luxury Adventure Hotel.

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Experts in Iceland Weddings)

2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Wedding Site: ION Luxury Adventure Hotel appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 of Iceland Wedding Guest Advice!  We are very excited to share and embark on this Icelandic adventure with you!  Photos by Miss Ann, has researched and personally participated in  some epic activities for you to add to your Iceland wedding weekend itinerary.  Truly, it is very valuable to your guests regardless of their age or activity level to include various types of activities.  That being said, we hope this blog post helps you in building your Iceland destination wedding itinerary, as we  personally know it can be a challenge.  On with the show!  Below, I have detailed specifically awesome things to do in the following areas of Iceland: Reykjavik, Southern Iceland, and other regions of Iceland.

Reykjavik Wedding Adventure Ideas:  

• Famous Hot Dog Stand in Iceland (Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur)
• Iceland Dog Sledding
• Golden Circle Tour:  The Golden Circle tour is popular tourist route that covers about 300 km looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back.  The three primary stops on the route are the national park Þingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss, and the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. Other stops if interested include Kerið volcano crater, Hveragerði greenhouse village, Skálholt church, and the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant.  Or hit the highlights like we did during our Iceland Wedding Weekend.  We had a convoy of cars venturing on this post wedding day Golden Circle driving itinerary.  See here for more information on our self driving Golden Circle Tour.
• Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Cathedral (the official church of Iceland) The tallest and most prominent building in Reykjavik. Their hours are 9:00AM to 9:00PM and there is a fee to go up to the bell tower for an aerial view!
• Horseback Riding Tours – Ride the unique Icelandic horse.
• Iceland Opera House (Harpa)
• National Museum of Iceland
• Nauthólsvík Beach:  Yes!  A beach in Iceland is a fun must do if you’re in the area June through the end of August.
• The one and only Penis Musuem
• The Perlan Muesum and Resturant: Gorgeous views of the city and delicious lunch in the café!  See our Iceland Honeymoon portrait below!
• Sólfar (Sun Voyager):  You will find this interesting sculpture along the sea wall northeast of the Harpa at the intersection of Frakkastigur & Sæbraut Roads.
• Volcano House – Offers two 20 minute movies on 2 famous Iceland eruptions.  Close to the city center.
• Viking – Maritime Museum Open daily from 10:00AM-5:00PM.
• Helicopter Tours or Private Planes to other parts of the island (or to the Faroe Islands and Greenland).
• Grayline Tours – A variety of tours offered.
• Shopping: Kringlan Mall
• Whale Watching Tour: The ship can bring you up close to whales in their natural habitat. See all sorts of minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and the popular humpback whales. You may be lucky enough to see sea birds such as gannets, puffins, guillemots, cormorants, gulls, kittiwakes, arctic terns, and many more.  Duration: 3 hours.
• Various tours on snowmobiles, 4×4’s, and other winter terrain vehicles can also be found out of the city center.

Things to do in Southern Iceland:

• Blue Lagoon: An amazing geothermal spa!  Which is naturally heated by geothermal activity, the water temperature in the swimming area of the lagoon averages 98–102 °F (37–39 °C) year round.
• Dyrhólaey Cliffs (Dyrhólaey Cape).
• Eyjafjallajökull Vistor Center  Super cute place with awesome details on the April 14, 2010 Eyjafjallajokull Volcano eruption (Fun Fact:  We were married 2 years to the date of this travel-stopping phenomena)!
• Fjadrargljufur Canyon.
• Ice Climbing Sólheimajökull (Glacier):  For our Iceland wedding weekend we took a group of ~7 people and it was amazing!  Safe, awesome views, and the folks we used were a very talented group of climbers.
• Icelandic Wool Shop (near Vik Beach): Vikwool Icelandic Wool Factory is super cute shops where you will find genuine Icelandic wool items and Icelandic themed souvenirs.  Best prices in Iceland!  They also have a few locations in Reykjavik and North side of the country in Akureyri/Mývatn.
• Inside the Volcano Experience (only available May 15th thru September 10th).
• Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is the largest glacier lagoon in Iceland and situated in south eastern Iceland. No cost but is ~5 hours from downtown Reykjavik so be prepared.  Boat Tours around the Lagoon are also offered in summer only.
• Keldur Sod Farm:  Walk around these beautiful grounds where you can have amazing Iceland Wedding Portraits taken.  One of the cutest spots in Iceland to see grass covered houses.  …and just around the corner from Hotel Laekur.
• Krýsuvík Mud Pots (Also refereed to as Seltun): A great hot spring area where magma boils underneath! The surface of land looks boiled and crazy colorful (rich browns and oranges). The hot springs are more than hundred degrees; steam geysers, water geysers and even mud pit geysers (No cost).  Example photo here.
• Mýrdalsjökull Glacier Hike –  This easy and safe glacier walk is for those who want to get a glimpse of the breathtaking on, and its surroundings.
• Reynisdrangar Basalt Columns (nearby Vik Beach).
• Seljalandsfoss waterfall:  This exquisite Iceland waterfall is found in the midst of stunning cliffs 200 feet high off the country seaside.  Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is a very popular spot to have as your Iceland wedding ceremony location.
• Skógafoss waterfall:  (Translation: Forest Falls).  Proves to be one of the fullest waterfalls in Iceland at a glorious width of 82 feet.  Many couples who visit here are able to get a rainbow or double rainbow in their wedding photos.  It’s massive, loud, misty, and offers a beautiful hike to the top as well.
• Skogar Folk Museum
• Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Iceland.
• Thingvellir National Park.
• Vik Beach (Vík í Mýrdal): Is a very interesting black sand beach where rocky formations emerge from the land and water.  The amazing texture of these formations expands into a sheltered cave offering up endless photographic spots in this small area.  Being a beach with such dynamite views, Vik Beach Champagne Toast is very popular to add to your Iceland wedding schedule.

Things to do in other areas in Iceland:

• Birdland Exhibition
• Bird Musuem (next to Lake Myvatn)
• Dettifoss Waterfall is a powerful waterfall in the Vatnajokull National Park.
• Dimmuborgir Rock Formations (translation Dark Cities) are volcanic rock formations nearby Lake Myvatn.  There are several walking paths you can navigate through as you photograph some stunning scenery!
• Hvitserkur Sea Arch
• Krafla Lava Fields (in Myvatn).
• Lake Myvatn
• Mud Pots (Akureyri)
• Myvatn Nature Baths (similar to the Blue Lagoon).
• Rock formations at Hellnar
• Scuba Diving the Artic Circle, Geothermal Chimneys, and Puffin Island.
• Sailing and Whale Watching in Husavik.
• Vatnajokull National Park: Hljóðaklettar Cave.
• Westfjords which face Greenland and offer up rocky coastlines and waterfalls such as Fjallfoss.
• White Water Rafting
• Whale Museum in Husavik.

The amount of adventure you can find in Iceland is endless this list is simply to get you started!  We hope this blog post on things to do in Iceland has been helpful to your Iceland wedding travel planning.  Iceland weddings are complicated to plan as there are many moving parts, but with the extra thought and experienced professionals it can be done flawlessly, I assure you!   Photos by Miss Ann would love to pause your forever moment as your Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Experts in Iceland Weddings)

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

The post Wedding in Iceland: Things to do! appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.