Hey hey hey Woohoo for the day!

I hope this finds you well!  A few blog posts ago, we planned, photographed, and featured our 30th birthday party and we’re happy to share today that it was featured in the Emma Magazine, check it out here!

::Warning::

Since this post was originally written in early 2013, tourism has grown to an unruly amount.  The space has changed and the amount of tourists coming here each hour is out of control.  We do not suggest this waterfall as an Iceland wedding location if wanting any sort of intimate feeling ceremony.

Now back today’s awesome topic… Waterfalls are one of the most majestic natural wonders on the planet.  To be married at one adds in an extraordinary amount of romance and a great start to happily ever after.  Waterfalls have symbolized the source of life giving water in many countries.  These traits are similar to the symbolic nature of a wedding ring because in many cases it symbolizes the lifeline to a marriage.

Iceland is suited for waterfalls because of the consistent snow and rain the country encounters during the year.  But the good news is that awesome precipitation adds to the magnificent waterfalls, gorgeous rivers, lakes, and glacier pools that are found throughout Iceland.  These elements set the scene for Iceland to be an unforgettable wedding location.

Those endless amounts of waterfalls, cliffs, canyons, glaciers, ruggedly unique terrain, and coastlines all create the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos to be unlike any other.  Imagine yourself in front of this distinctive landscape saying your vows.  It is truly dreamlike!

Today, we begin another fabulous 3 part series on Iceland Waterfall Weddings.  First up is our personal favorite, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.  Enjoy!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is ideal for an adventurous outdoor  wedding, engagement session, or simply a post wedding adventure visit.  Directions: Once you have passed the city of Hella in Southern Iceland you have about 15-20 minute drive to the waterfall.  It lies between the city of Selfoss and Skogafoss.  To help pinpoint it, here are the Seljalandsfoss GPS Coordinates: 63°36?57?N19°59?34?W. 

You will begin seeing her splendor emerge from the cliffs as you enter from the west on Route 1 (Or Þjóðvegur Road), on your left hand side and if coming from the east you are surprised by it on your right hand side. Once you park the excitement starts…

Consumed by its greatness, you’ll be in awe for a moment or two because you’ll look up and be greeted with 196 feet of sheer natural wonder.  Finding yourself completely astounded by the jagged cliffs, grass landings and a cute little bridge.  However its greatest secret is a small pathway that leads you up and around the back of the waterfall.  If you continue to follow the path, it will loop you around and back to the front of the waterfall.  See a view of our Iceland wedding being setup at Seljalandsfoss from the very top waterfall viewing point in the below photos.

A few words of advice as you venture in and around this waterfall: If heading behind Seljalandsfoss, shield your camera and bring your raincoat.  One gust of wind charging in from the nearby ocean will get you soaked from head to toe.  Have your Iceland wedding photographer or Iceland wedding planner scope it out first and direct you.

The pros of getting married at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall:

·       Gorgeous backdrop for a wedding ceremony and endless unique spots for your Iceland wedding portraits!

·       It is directly off of main road, Route 1.

·       You can walk behind this waterfall.

·       You can marry right in front of the waterfall.

·       Beautiful scenery around the waterfall.

·       There is a cute little stream that runs under a bridge offering a stunning view of the waterfall.

·       There are no fees or special permission needed to marry here.

·       The 5 senses experience! < See below>

The Cons of getting married at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall:

·       The noise the waterfall creates.  Consider having an Iceland DJ or some sort of sound system in place.  Otherwise your guests will not be able to hear your wedding vows or ceremony over the sound this powerful waterfall creates.

·       The waterfall is a public attraction so you may have other tourists in your wedding photos.

·       This spot is also first come first serve, there is no reserving a specific area for your wedding ceremony.

·       If holding your ceremony near the front of the waterfall there may be mist and you might get wet.

·       If you go behind the waterfall you may get wet and the bottom of your dress dirty.

Remember how a few blog posts ago I talked about how my husband and I had these “somewhere in time moments” during our magical wedding weekend in Iceland?  Well you can add Seljalandsfoss to that list!  Both of us will never forget the sound and feel of this waterfall as we said our Iceland wedding vows.  Even though we had 40 guests watching us it felt like it was just Chris, myself, and this enormous waterfall as we stated our forever promises to each other.  Even over a year later, I remember vividly that Seljalandsfoss provided a total 5 senses experience to us and our guests.  Hearing a waterfall now anywhere brings me back to that moment in time.  I can even recall how the sun and waterfall mist felt on my skin that day, the earthy smell, and the raw desolate visuals of the landscape that corners the waterfall.

Choosing to have your wedding in front of a waterfall in Iceland is a tall order.  Luckily, we’re here to help you –We have firsthand experience!  My husband and I were actually married at Seljalandsfoss waterfall on April 14th 2012 (our Iceland destination wedding even made the news, see here).   As a husband and wife team, we have wonderful packages that combine Iceland wedding planning, Iceland engagement photos and full day Iceland wedding photography.  So please feel free to contact us if you are interested in more details on getting married in Iceland!

With a smile, Ann Peters

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

The post Iceland Wedding Location: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

We hope this finds you well and super excited for the fabulous week ahead of you!  Working in the wedding industry for more than a decade now, has given Chris and I a lot of insight into all different types of wedding locations and situations.  That is one of the reasons why we planned to have a destination wedding -we personally wanted somewhere different that most.

Specifically, we were interested in a location we had never photographed before, that none of our guests had been, offered dramatic backgrounds for our wedding photos, and a place that would have more natural wonders then we could count –this was Iceland for us.  In April 2012, we flew in 40 of our closest friends and family from around the world for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  Following our Iceland wedding ceremony, we had planned a wedding day adventure for our guests that included a fun champagne toast at the famous black sand beach –Vik Beach, a stop at the powerful Skogafoss waterfall and an amazing 5 course wedding dinner alongside of the Ranga River.  During our adventure wedding in Iceland, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights too <yes even in April>!

Ah, love + Iceland, still gets me off track every time!  Now back to today’s Iceland wedding planning topic of the week…When Chris and I photograph each wedding, one of the “swoon worthy wedding moments” we always enjoy is capturing is the kiss!  It is such an epic moment that signifies so much and is frankly loaded with a ton of firsts.

• Usually the first kiss of the day!
• First kiss as husband and wife.
• First kiss of the rest of your lives <insert corny cliché, lol!>
• The culmination of so much awaited anticipation.
• Your first kiss in front of one of Iceland’s dramatic landscapes!
• Serves as the seal of your marriage vows.
• Your first PDA in front of all you love and adore!
• The foundation of your marriage and your wedding vows (Remember, each time you kiss your husband/wife it should bring you back to that moment in time).

*Disclaimer: Alright so the rest of this post is a tad bold… But we seriously hope it stirs some dialogue between the two of you as you plan your dream wedding ceremony in Iceland.*

One of things we like to encourage our destination couples to is practice their Iceland wedding ceremony kiss.  I know it seems totally silly, but you both need to be on the same page on when and how you will.  <Insert slightly awkward moment>.  Ha, yes I said “how!”  So now that I have you thinking about the big moment and picturing yourself in it, let’s go over some helpful guidelines from our perspective as Iceland destination wedding photographers.  Without further ado here are 10 tips to the perfect wedding kiss:

1. Know when the kiss is going to be.  Will it be at the end of the vows? After your unity ceremony?  At the end of the ceremony?  Will your Iceland wedding official make a formal announcement?
2. Whose nose will be towards the crowd?  Do you care?  I personally did because I’ll be frank and say I’m not a fan of my nose.  So when Chris and I practiced our kiss for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, I was adamant about ensuring Chris’s nose would be towards the crowd.  Practicing helped this be totally natural the day of our April wedding day in Southern Iceland.
3. Don’t rush it!
4. Put your hands on each other, yes I said it!  Your kiss at the end of your Iceland wedding ceremony will be way more amazing if you go from standing side by side to holding hands or embracing.  Cannot stress enough how important this is for photos so we can document that amazing connection.  So grab her, grab him and bring each other in to really kiss!
5. Make eye contact, smile, do the “slow lean in,” and tip your head.
6. Close your eyes!
7. KISS!  Now, when I say “kiss” this does not condone “making out” in front of your wedding guests.  You need to find a nice balance between the above and the millisecond kiss.  Real Iceland Wedding Example: When we said “I do” during our Iceland wedding ceremony, we opted for holding hands and we went for the “1 one-thousand, 2 two-thousand, 3 three-thousand and complete,” kiss!  That route adds to the dreamy feel your wedding photos will have and also allow for your Iceland wedding photographers to get a couple of shots and angles.
8. Iceland Wedding Photographer Tip: Sneak in another kiss ½ way down the aisle.  This makes for a gorgeous photo opportunity with your ceremony site in the background!
9. Practice!  …and repeat!
10. Share with your photographer ahead of time if you plan to do something epic like a “woohoo” with the fist, jump for joy, or first kiss dip.

We hope our Iceland wedding blog post today, will prove to be catalyst of conversation between you and your soon to be so you can be ready for the sweetest kiss ever!  Below, we share with you some super sweet first kisses!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers

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

The post 10 Tips for the Perfect Kiss from an Iceland Wedding Photographer appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.