Faroe Islands

Are you racking your brain right now trying to figure out where are the Faroe Islands?  They are owned by Denmark (just as Greenland is) and are a hypnotizing set of islands in-between Iceland, Norway, and the U.K.  Inside these magical 18 islands you will lose yourself and find yourself over and over again.  …and the almost unbelievable part is when you leave the islands, you’ll be overcome with an unyielding amount of inspiration, focus, and view of nature that you didn’t know was possible.  You’ll almost believe Faroe Islands = Narnia!

You giggle, but I’m serious!  What other place has more grass covered houses than anywhere in the world, more sheep than people, horses playing in magical looking areas (see below), jagged cliff edges that will get your heart pumping, hikes that are self-finding, a serenity that you thought only exists in your mind, and a place that still offers a deep and rich culture that mixes the best of the best Nordic worlds of Denmark and Iceland?!  Nowhere, Natta, No place but the magnificent Faroe Islands, I tell you!  …and you all know I’ve traveled the world seeking the world’s best Adventure Wedding spots!

Within the mainland island just a 5 minute drive from the sparkling seaside city of Torshavn, sits on a hillside overlooking the city, the perfect Faroe Islands wedding location: Hotel Føroyar.  Back in September I was lucky enough to call this amazing hotel my home base for several nights as I location scouted both on land and on sea for epic Faroe Island wedding locations!  From the moment I arrived, I smiled.  It was very late and pitch dark but I was able to see the lights shinning from the city below and when I opened my hotel room window I found that the hotel was built right into the hill it was perched upon!  The next morning, I may or may not have climbed out my window and did somersaults down it

So, are you wondering why I personally loved Hotel Føroyar?  The connection I felt to nature was outrageously awesome.  Walking towards the entrance to the hotel, you see the entire roof of the hotel is grass covered and then you follow your way to the reception desk and the colors, tones, and textures all feel earthy but with an underling accent of luxury.  I was given my keys and told to walk down the hallway where there are rocks from the land incorporated right into the walls you pass to your room.  It was brilliant, really freaking brilliant!

…and then you ask me the real question: Why would I choose Hotel Føroyar to hold my Faroe Island destination wedding?  I would playfully ask the question back to you as, “Why the heck wouldn’t you? It’s the best the Faroe Islands has to offer, hands down.” #TrueStory

There are 106 panoramic view rooms overlooking the amazing city below.  The room list follows below:

• Clinton Suite
• Prime Ministers Suite
• (2) Wedding Suites –I toured and loved!
• (98) Double rooms –I stayed in one and it was light, bright, and beautiful.
• (2) Family rooms
• (2) Combined family/handicap rooms

All of the rooms are well equipped and even more so, I think by American standards and offers the following in-room amenities:

• Fast Wifi
• Private bathroom with shower/bathtub
• Full size hairdryer
• Vanity Pack (hair tie, cotton balls/pads, nail files, earplugs, and q-tips)
• Minibar
• Telephone
• Clock Radio
• Work Station
• Iron/Ironing board
• Digital TV (10 channels) / Satellite TV
• Coffee and tea facilities
• Wake Up Call
• Free Parking
• Additional Costing Services are available as well such as the following: Room Service, Car Hire, Laundry Service, Horseback Riding, and Excursions.

Another reason why you should consider Hotel Føroyar is because they have lavish conference rooms that can perfectly accommodate your Faroe Island wedding reception from a whimsical Faroese elopement to a 300+ guest list.  There are 3 standout locations within Hotel Føroyar that I was totally struck by… First, the VIP top floor houses a hall that can capably host your 340 guest Faroe Islands wedding reception.  Second, there is a wine cellar that would be perfect for your intimate elopement for two or exclusive party of 10 that has a deep romantic vibe embedded in it.  Third, there is the CUTEST little grass covered trailer that can fit your fabulous party of 2-8 people in it and it can be towed to some of the really amazing spots we have scouted throughout the island!  Talk about service and options, right?  So I’m here right now, picturing you, your soon-to-be, and your closest friends/family indulging in exquisite cuisine… Seaside, Cliff-side, in View of an Amazing Natural Wonder, or set within one of their super cute magical towns.  Are you in?!

The final reason why Hotel Føroyar is rounding out my Top 5 Adventure Wedding Hotel List for 2015 is the caliber of the food and the euphoria it left me in.  Never have I ever had such an intense, beautiful, and creative tasting experience than at Hotel Føroyar’s world renowned (and awarded) restaurant: KOKS.  For 3 hours and 21 courses, I put things in my mouth I never thought I would and each dish made me even more excited in taste and presentation.  For my lovely high-end foodies out there that are all about the adventurous experience during the day and the evening being about food and conversation… THIS IS THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION WEDDING EXPERIENCE.  The dishes were delicate, intriguing, and came with amazing drink pairings that amplified the experience (as if that was possible).  Each course was introduced by a restaurant staff member who was well-versed on the local/cultural ingredients and also a skilled sommelier. The menu I had follows below (don’t drool too much!):

1. Oda (Horse Mussels)
2. Igulker (Sea Urchins)
3. Toskur (Cod)
4. Jakupskel (Scallops)
5. Skerpikjot
6. Reydrotur (Beetroot)
7. Garnatalg
8. Rabarbur (Rhubarb)
9. Toskur Og Urtir (Cod and Herbs)
10. Skota Og Sanddunnuber (Skate and Sea Sandwort)
11. Makrelur Og Mairotur (Mackerel and Turnips)
12. Hummari (Langoustine)
13. Skinka Og Ostur (Ham and Cheese)
14. Breyd Og Raest Kjot (Bread and Lamb)
15. Sitronjarnurt Og Timian (Lemon Verbena and Thyme)
16. Sula Og Skardssyrusmaera (Gannet and Wood Sorrel)
17. Lamb Og Tari (Lamb and Seaweed)
18. Hvonn Og Jogurt (Angelica and Yoghurt)
19. Rabarbur Og Hvonn (Rhubarb and Angelica)
20. Godarad
21. Kvarkkoka (Cheese Cake)

Drink pairings were out of this world and follow below:

1. Cote 2000, Maison Bereche (Champagne, France)
2. Riesling Cuvee Theo 2013, Domaine Weinbach (Alsace, France)
3. Sancerre “Akmenine” 2011, Sebastien Riffault (Loire, France)
4. “La Mailloche” 2012, Andrew Tissot (Jura, Portugal)
5. Rinkusteinur, Okkara (Local Faroe Islands Beer)
6. Marquis de Terme 2009 (Margaux, Bordeaux, France)
7. Riesling Mandelgarten Spatlese 2013, Weingut Muller-Catoir (Pfalz, Germany)

To say that having your destination wedding in the Faroe Islands would be magical, would be an understatement.  Simply put, it would be an off the charts fairy-tale!  Mark my words folks, the Faroe Islands is just like Iceland was before the HUGE tourism boom… Pure, untouched, majestic, and no matter where you go you can escape people even in the frequented areas.  We would love to help you plan an incredible unforgettable adventure wedding in the Faroe Islands using Hotel Føroyar as your home base!  Please contact us for more information!

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

Hotel Føroyar Contact Information:

• Address: Oyggjarvegur 45 ; 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
• Phone: Tel +298 31 75 00
• Website: http://www.hotelforoyar.com/
• GPS Cords: 62.0128859 / -6.8013864

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Top Faroe Islands Wedding Location: Hotel Føroyar appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

This past week was a perfect example of April showers bringing May flowers.  Three days of rain suddenly brought green grass, blossoming trees, tulips, engagements, weddings, and babies!  Crazy amounts of sweet newborns have come through our home studio in Plymouth, Michigan for newborn portrait photography (hello 2013 spring baby-boom!).

This week, we’re backing up to update you on one of our previous posts… Several of you ladies have emailed us to get more background on why we chose to have a Love Letter Ceremony when we held at our Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall in April of 2012.  Good news, we wrote a fabulous Iceland blog post on this last year entitled, “Alternative Unity Ceremony Idea: Love Letter Ceremony,” so please check it out first!

In the meantime, I will give you a little more background and an update to that post!  You see, when we were planning our Iceland destination wedding, we tried finding Icelandic traditions to possibly incorporate.  Although neither one of us is from Iceland or any of our guests, we definitely wanted to bring in the uniqueness of the country being nothing like any other.  It is seriously unlike any other country you will visit, so embrace it!  Most of the Icelandic traditions involve having very simplistic wedding plans like holding the ceremony at a local country church and reception at the bride’s family’s home.  Nevertheless, we did come across three Icelandic traditions we did want to integrate into our action packed wedding day at Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Vik Beach, with a stop at Thorvaldseyri Farm (at the foot of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano that famously erupted 2 years before- exactly to the date of our wedding day), and Hotel Ranga, follow below:

1. Holding a wedding welcome dinner the evening before our Iceland destination wedding.  Icelandic natives turn their weddings into a span of a few day celebrations.
2. Providing our guests with a 5 course wedding meal.
3. Love letters: In early Iceland, we found that love letters were the foundation of courtships.

From everything my husband and I read, researched, and have experienced we have found that the Icelandic culture loves the outdoors no matter the temperature, celebrates with fresh foods, smoked meats, strong drinks, and camaraderie.  Very much in tune with what we were after for our Iceland destination wedding.  So along with planning and providing a 3 course “welcome dinner” the evening before our wedding day for all our Iceland wedding guests, we also felt it was important to have a 5 course Iceland wedding reception meal so that our guests could partake in the unique, fresh, and memorable food Iceland had to offer.  The third thing that was Iceland inspired for our wedding day was integrating the love letters, by adding our own unique twist.  We made the letters tradition a part of our Iceland wedding ceremony at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and had that be the foundation of our unity ceremony.  It was a unique alternative to the other unity ceremony options we see every weekend.  Feel free to read our Iceland blog post on this topic for specific details and wording for the unity letter ceremony.

If you’re a weekly visitor of ours (thank you!), you know that Chris and I just celebrated our first year wedding anniversary on April 14th with an Iceland inspired couples session last month, check it out here if you missed it!  After we took photos inspired by our Seljalandsfoss wedding and the gorgeous Vik beach cave and rock formations, we said our wedding vows to each other again, and then we also did an update to our original Love Letter Ceremony.  Okay, so we actually didn’t “lock” our love letter ceremony box when our Iceland wedding officiant closed it during our Iceland wedding ceremony because we had to stuff more things inside of in order to pack efficiently.  When we returned home we did just as the ceremony said, we displayed it in a prominent spot in our home (our china cabinet we pass by many times throughout the day).  But the more I thought about the meaning behind the ceremony itself and how much our lives have changed in the last year, I thought it would be important to do an update and write another letter to our future selves.

Now selling my husband, Chris on the idea was tougher (lol).  Lucky me though, he sees the value in it.  So on the actual day our wedding anniversary, April 14^th we opened up our last bottle of our Iceland wedding champagne from Domaine Chandon, pulled out our last Papyrus stationery card, and wrote a new letter to each other.  I personally wrote about how much I have struggled with finding the right balance. Most of the married couples that have come back to us through the years for Plymouth, Michigan portrait photography all say the first year is the hardest, and I must agree.  Mainly because you are finding that balance for communicating, domestic chores, planning and cooking meals, working crazy schedules, idiosyncrasies and still finding the time to go out on dates!   So! Chris and I toasted to another great year, sealed the letters together and wrote on the outside of the envelope “Written on our 1^st Anniversary.”  How fun, right?  I think this is an awesome addition to a love letter ceremony tradition, so much that maybe we’ll do this every year on our Iceland wedding anniversary!  Gives me chills just thinking about the impact all these letters will have on our future selves!

Have you thought about what sort of unity ceremony you will have for your Iceland destination wedding?

Our destination wedding style in Southern Iceland (Hella, Iceland) was very adventurous, action-packed, romantic, energetic, and very particular about food and drinks (in quality, quantity, and menu uniqueness) for ourselves and our guests.  It was important to Chris and I to plan an Iceland wedding reception that was focused on those elements versus “partying” or dancing.  So if you’re thinking of a comparable focus for your Iceland wedding, please contact us to be your inclusive wedding planners and photographers!

Keep smiling and Iceland wedding planning,

Ann Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographer

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

The post Icelandic Wedding Traditions: Love Letter Ceremony Update appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Many of you have been curious as to how Chris and I went from dating in Michigan to being married in Iceland… so here you go ladies!  Our relationship adventures went something like this:

• We met in September of 2009.
• Rang in 2010 in Los Cabos, Mexico (woohoo first vacation together!).
• Had the merging of friends at an amazing ski trip to Banff, Alberta Canada in February 2010.
• Photographed a fabulous destination wedding (our first together) in Vieques, Puerto Rico in March of 2010.
• Found our way to several coasts and back photographing destination weddings and doing lots of high altitude hiking in Colorado (Yes I always keep a dress in my hiking bag for just such a photo occasion. After all, we’re wedding photographers, there is always an amazing locale nearby!).
• We learned new things together like how to race at Bridgestone Racing Academy in Pontypool, Ontario, to scuba dive, to fence, I celebrated my 500 skydive and Chris tried his first (Yes that is totally camera gear mounted to my helmet. Check out why I skydive here).
• May 2011, we moved in together!  Settled in a super cute 1920’s home in downtown Plymouth, Michigan.  See one of our photos from our 1920’s styled session here.
• Ann went on a trip to Jeju Island, South Korea while Chris went engagement ring shopping.
• Engaged:  We took a trip to Koloa, Hawaii (island of Kauai) in October of 2011 to photograph a gorgeous Kauai destination wedding.  We added a few days before to do some hiking, scuba diving, and an incredible biplane tour of the island… Through all of those awesome events I was totally anticipating a marriage proposal and nothing!  I’ll be honest, I ransacked all we brought trying to find any indication on whether or not he was going to propose (who’s with me ladies, lol?!).    A night or two later we were watching the sunset with a bottle of champagne on our private beach and he asked me to marry him.  It turns out sneaky Chris had hidden my Tiffany Ribbon Ring in a box of thin mint girl scout cookies in the fridge, something I would never ever go near!  Alas, he knows me all to well =)  See one of our destination engagement photos from that weekend here.
• We brainstormed on wedding locations (see our blog post here).
• From October 2011 to March 2012 we planned our Iceland Destination Wedding (we’re super planners so 5 months was doable, we would not suggest such a short timeline for anyone else).  We settled on a Iceland waterfall for our wedding ceremony and Hotel Ranga for our wedding reception location.
• On Wednesday, April 11th 2012, everyone we love and adore was getting ready to fly to Iceland that day for our adventurous destination wedding.  Unfortunately that morning, I received the unexpected phone call that my grandmother, Iren Soltesz had passed away.  Heartbreaking news to receive and deal with days before our wedding day.
• Saturday, April 14^th 2012, we were married at the exquisite Seljalandsfoss waterfall and held an incredible wedding day adventure for our guests.  Our Iceland wedding day timeline can be found on our previous blog post, here.  My grandma even brought us rainbows throughout our week trip through Iceland =)
• October 2012, we made the move to focus our Photos by Miss Ann business on Iceland wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography.  We felt that after all of our Iceland wedding planning trials and tribulations, Iceland needed a more visible wedding industry and we wanted to be at the front of this exciting adventure to help future brides and grooms!
• November 2012, we honeymooned in Bali, Indonesia.  See our Bali honeymoon photos on our previous blog post, here.
• Our Favorite Things:  Our bengal cat Oliver, the 1920’s, extreme sports, being silly (yes, it totally happened!), British cars (Chris), polka dots (Ann), champagne, bad horror movies, mountains, unique antiques, destination wedding photography, and Iceland!

In celebration of our first anniversary, Chris and I decided to forever pause the occasion with an Iceland inspired wedding anniversary portrait session!  It was a whole 18 degrees when we ventured out into some gorgeous caves and waterfalls to capture these Iceland inspired couples portraits.  We also spent 30 minutes of our time during that weekend to renew our wedding vows in front of another pretty waterfall!  After all, when you spend the time to write your own wedding vows, I am a firm believer they should be said again each year on your anniversary.  It truly brings back the euphoric feeling of newly wedded bliss!  Anyhow, we hope you enjoy our photos as much as we did taking them!

Now that you are up to speed on us, what is your love story?  Are you dying to plan a wedding day in Iceland?  If so, please contact us to understand why Photos by Miss Ann / Iceland Wedding Planner, would be a fabulous asset to your Iceland destination wedding day!

Lots of smiles from the not-so-newlyweds, Ann & Chris Peters

Professional Iceland Wedding Photography & Planning

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

The post Seljalandsfoss Wedding Anniversary appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Life for us here at Photos by Miss Ann is somehow stuck on the fast forward button so please forgive us on the delayed posts!  The baby-boom of 2013 has come!  So many little ones have come through the studio in a past few weeks, lots of baby snuggles!  Chris and I have also begun looking our “final home.”  We currently live in Plymouth, Michigan and have a 1920’s home just outside of the downtown.  Gorgeous, but we need more room!  So we’re on the hunt for the home where we will have acres of land to photograph our clients, woods, pathways, a separate studio on the property, and the perfect home where we will one day raise a family and retire in.  Big decisions and big excitement is surrounding us and we are blessed to be savoring every minute of it!  If you are apart of the Photos by Miss Ann Family- be excited!  Big exciting things are happening for the rest of 2013 and 2014!  Woohoo!  Feel that energy?! Now lets channel it back to Iceland wedding planning!

Today’s topic: Iceland Wedding DETAILS!

Last week Photos by Miss Ann mailed out a super awesome welcome package to a newly booked Iceland destination wedding couple.  The intent of the package serves several purposes.  First it is a “thank you for booking us and we are really excited to be working with you!” gift.  Second, it gives the bride and groom some instant details!  Third, it provides wedding inspiration tailored to the type of wedding the bride and groom are envisioning.  For this specific Iceland Bride and Groom, we included the following items:  Burlap “bride” bag, “I do” blue bridal shoe stickers, “She’s Mine” groom shoe stickers, a Diamond Ring Key Chain (design inspiration to be used as a napkin holder), “Love” Cookie Cutters (wedding favor inspiration), Heart Wine Cork (favor inspiration), Heart Purse Hook (design and favor inspiration), Mini Sewing Kit (always prepared!), Mr. & Mrs. Luggage Tags, and a few other PBMA items like a thank you card, Photos by Miss Ann pen, and business cards.  This sort of package instantly provides whirling ideas and starts the destination wedding planning momentum!

Details in Destination wedding planning may seem small and monotonous but they are the amazing little touches your guests will see and appreciate.  Most times, those details are the ones that set your wedding apart from other weddings.  So you ask…. How does the detail planning start?

1. Color schemes!  Play with them =)
2. Pick your Iceland ceremony location and Iceland reception place (An Iceland waterfall wedding? A church in Budir? Hotel Ranga? Vik Black Sand Beach? Glacial Lagoon,? Or have a wedding under the Northern Lights?)
3. Picking your one of a kind Iceland wedding dress! Vintage? Modern? Romantic? A traditional veil? Bird cage veil? A romantic hood?
4. Creating Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations that compliment your destination wedding location and colors.
5. Choosing what your future husband will be wearing!  It’s okay to be more on the simplistic side when getting married outdoors in Iceland.
6. Figuring out what your maid of honor and best man will be wearing.
7. Now it’s time for the fun decisions!!!  The food!  5-course sit down or buffet? Photographers will usually (if they are pro level like us) take photos of this because 20 years from now you will not remember how awesomely delicious it looked!  Your Wedding Cake: Have sample photos of cakes you like to communicate your vision.  Ensure your baker or wedding planner knows what style you are after.  Then comes flavors!!  Yum!  We were non-traditional and decided no formal wedding cake but rather each guest received their own chocolate lava cake with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream!  Maybe be unique and have Icelandic Skyr cake for your wedding dessert?
8. Other food decisions would be whether or not to have a cocktail hour, snacks for your guests, a champagne toast, a themed cocktail at the bar (Like: “Cranberry Kiss,” “Godiva Chocolate Martini,” Wedding Oasis,” etc.!)  So fun for guests and personally, I love to photograph these type details!
9. Party Favors at each place setting and/or a welcome bag.  These can be fun-themed by the country you are holding the wedding in, special to you and your soon to be, and/or useful items the guests can use later and think of you both!
10. Flowers:  Flower colors are very important to the details.  From your bouquets, boutineers, corsages, petals for the isle way, guest petals to throw or bubbles, to the centerpieces at the Iceland wedding reception tables.
11. Memorial Flowers to remember those who have passed before or unable to make the journey to your Iceland destination wedding.  Couple of ways to do this…  At our wedding we incorporated our passed love ones in 4 sets of white roses and ribbons and had the flowers in the first row at our ceremony and then someone carried them around as we did group photos.  One of my favorite ways I have seen this done is a bride ties small little locket size portraits of the grandparents.  See our below photos for examples and this shop on Amazon if you’re curious to purchase.
12. Table Design for your reception.  Will you have seating name tags?  How will you determine how your meal is being handed out to each guest- color code? Table runners? Pin-tucked Place-mats? Formal Napkins?  How do you want them folded? Silverware settings? Charger?  Will you have water glasses, champagne glasses, and 2 types of wine glasses on your table?  Round tables or long coupled tables?  Will you be at a sweetheart table? Bridal party table? Bride and Groom banner sides for your seats?
13. Gift table design?
14. Bar Design and Bar Menu
15. Decorations!  Elaborate or Simplistic?
16. 5 Course Wedding Meal: Will you have a menu card?
17. Will your maid of honor or best man be decorating the honeymoon suite?  Let the Iceland wedding photographer know, those setup details are special!
18. What sort of hanger will you hand your dress on?  Look into getting a gorgeous personalized on that says, “The Bride,” “Future Mrs,” Mrs. Peters,” etc!  My favorite website Classy Bride sells them, check it out.  Awesome details for your Iceland wedding photographer to capture.
19. Will you be traditional and have the something new, something old, borrowed, and something blue?  Lay it out for your photographer.  Details you spent so much time picking out should be captured!
20. The rings!  If they are in a special box like Tiffany’s have it out so your photographer can get some fun shots.
21. I know it’s going to sound silly but details that are often overlooked… Are the big kiss and cake cutting… practice!  Make sure you’re comfortable!  If doing a cake cutting, Photos by Miss Ann walks you through in the moment what needs to be done (and I always provide forks, lol!).

I hope this blog post today, has provided insight on some of the awesome things you get to plan for your epic wedding day in Iceland.  Chris and I planned our own wedding at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and hand picked all of our vendors.  We would love to have the opportunity to help you plan your flawless wedding day in Iceland and capture your epic Iceland wedding portraits!

Lots of smiles to you!  Yours truly as experts in Iceland wedding planning and Iceland Wedding Photography, -Ann Peters

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

The post Iceland Weddings: Detail Planning 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.

Communication with your Guests

Will you begin the communication with your guests by sending our Save the Dates?  Maybe if your date is closer and your group smaller, you jump right into Iceland wedding invitations.  Either way or route, it is helpful to additionally a wedding website to continue to share updates and travel information.

When you send your invitations, will you let the guest know what is specifically planned or will you keep it a surprise in case a location needs to change?  Previous couples have done the following to share Iceland wedding guest advice:

1. Do you want to keep the ceremony location a surprise?  For example, it can be pretty fun to keep folks guessing.  Especially if you’re planning an adventure wedding with us… Why?  Because the chances of the guest visiting the location before are super low as our 90% of our locations require a super jeep as transportation.
2. However, if you haven’t hired our team, you may want to disclose the location in advance so guests do not visit it!
3. Maybe the location will need to change because of severe weather.  It is good to remain flexible and just give your guests the name or area of the wedding host hotel.
4. Also, having a surprise wedding ceremony location could start your wedding off uniquely.

Essential Information

Meanwhile, what is considered essential information to communicate as Iceland wedding guest advice?  Firstly, when you send our your Save the Dates or Iceland wedding invitations it would be good to have an insert sharing your wedding website info.  Secondly, or some verbiage addressing what they may be getting into.  Third, maybe something like this:

• Wedding Date
• Iceland Wedding Hotel Name
• Countryside Town Name
• RSVP Date

“The ceremony will be held outside, rain or shine.  The weather should be moderate to cold, around 40-45F.  Please layer and be prepared to be outside for up to 1.5 hours at one time for Iceland wedding photos and exploration.  Please keep in mind that you’ll be outdoors on grass, gravel, mud, and sand, so hiking boots or flats are recommended.  The wedding dinner / reception will be held indoors so feel free to bring a change of clothes!”

Iceland Wedding Guest Advice Topics

Next, you may be wondering what other topics would be useful for guests to have in regards to the wedding day itself?  Well good news, we have a plethora of topics we have written about over the past decade or more.  Additionally, you can see the list here:

• International Airport Code: KEF
• What to Pack for an Iceland Wedding
• What to Wear to Wear to a wedding in Iceland
• Weather in Iceland: How to Prepare
• How to Pack a “Go Bag” for an Adventure Wedding
• Driving in Iceland
• Car Rental Information (Note: Our clients can share a Hertz coupon code!).

Specifics on What to Bring:

If writing on your Iceland wedding website, it would be nice to start with what season you’re getting married in.  To illustrate, describe it!  For example, Spring months in Iceland are generally chilly, with average temperatures around 45F / 7C in the day.  However, sometimes the weather can be unpredictable, so pack different types of layered clothing. Also, note that in April Iceland has ~16 hours of daylight and long periods of twilight with the Northern Lights sometimes in display (earlier part of the month).  Sunrise is typically around 5am and sunset after 9pm.

Traveling to Iceland Packing Suggestions:

Just to get you thinking… We provide a short list of common packing items folks bring to visit Iceland.  Likely, it would prove to be useful as Iceland wedding guest advice too!

• Passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the period of intended stay in Iceland. No visa for US/Canadian citizens is required for a stay of up to three months in any six-month period. For other countries please visit this Icelandic Government website.
• Bring your Iceland wedding invitation– Some airlines/visa offices may require you to show proof/reason for travel.  Specifically if an in advance Visa needed to be secured.
• Camera.
• Adapter for Europe – Voltage is 220-240 Volts (U.S./Canada are 110-120 Volts).  Checkout favorite Travel Adapter.
• Bathing suit for Hot Springs or Hot Tubs!
• Walking shoes and/or hiking boots for exploring.  Our favorite are Salewas.
• Shoes for wedding day and night.
• Comfortable clothes for walking, hiking, and sitting in the super jeep, bus, or car. Layers would be best.
• Cocktail attire for the wedding welcome dinner and Iceland Wedding Reception.
• Warm coat(s) (for glacier walk, wedding day, and sight-seeing)
• Windbreaker or Under Armour cold gear.
• Warm pants to layer; thermal underwear or Smartwool!
• Gloves, check out Sealskinz!
• Scarf.
• Hat.
• Sunglasses.
• Stain Removers, we love travel Shout Wipes!
• GPS with updated international maps (or download offline Google Maps).
• Sunscreen.
• Rain jacket / umbrella.
• Medications (if needed).
• Hair conditioner – sulfur in the water everywhere can dry out your hair.
• Favorite snacks / protein bars.
• Travel Pillow, click to see our favorite!
• An appetite for adventure!

Iceland Travel Advice

Likely, your guests will choose to turn your wedding day into a perfect excuse for them to explore the island more.  Therefore, being able to share with them some tips from locals can certainly enhance their journey!  Maybe some of the below links would be applicable:

• Best Iceland Self-Drive Adventure 
• 55 Offbeat Things to Do
• Hot Springs!
• Best Restaurants in Reykjavik
• Adventurous Things to Do
• Best Restaurants in South Iceland
• Romantic Things to Do
• Luxury Things to Do
• Best Hikes in Iceland for Amazing Views!

Lastly, with this Iceland wedding guest advice, your faves will appreciate insight more than you know!  Meanwhile, it also gives you piece of mind that you put every bit of information out there to help them in their travels and get to Iceland prepared for your awesome wedding day!!  If you need help planning your journey to Iceland, we would love to hear from you.  Feel free to contact us today!

© 2002-2023, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Guest Advice (Updated for 2023) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I don’t know where you are… but I am writing from Plymouth Michigan today and it is a balmy 55 degrees on January 12th!  Wowza- where did winter go?  Well let’s get wedding planning!

Today’s topic is Wedding Day Timelines:

Depending on the location you have chosen and the type of bride and groom are… your schedule will vary obviously!  However, having over 10 years of wedding day experience Photos by Miss Ann would like to offer up a better visual to help you in your Iceland destination wedding photography schedule and beyond.

First Step: Decide whether or not you want to see each other before the ceremony.  First Look versus Traditional Schedule.  There are truly pro’s and con’s to each one.

Second Step: Hire a Iceland Wedding Photographer that does not limit you to silly “continuous time” rules.  Some of the time will be traveling around to the the epic Iceland Wedding Portrait Spots so they will not be photographing anyhow so don’t hire anyone that limits you (we made that mistake).  Photos by Miss Ann does not limit you as far as timing on your wedding day we are there for you!

Photos by Miss Ann is personally a fan of not seeing each other before and having your wedding day be an adventure!  Our wedding day in Iceland is a perfect example of a traditional but adventurous wedding schedule.

Our Wedding Day in Iceland Schedule Follows:

Friday:

7-11pm – Welcome dinner for all guests!

Guests were given Iceland wedding welcome bags and wedding timeline cards after their 3 course welcome dinner meal.

Saturday (Wedding Day):

9-10am: Buffet Breakfast.

10-12pm: Hair and makeup for the Iceland bride and maid of honor in the Royal Suite.

12:00pm: Bus Departs from hotel for Iceland wedding ceremony with groom and all guests.

12:15pm: Bride and maid of honor depart hotel in Icelandic Super Jeep for ceremony entrance.

12:30pm: Arrival to wedding ceremony site: Seljalandsfoss wedding.

12:30-1pm: Iceland Wedding Planner sets up Iceland ceremony chairs, chair ties, lays down rose petal aisle way, and Icelandic DJ plays pre ceremony music from our playlist.

1-1:30pm: Iceland Wedding Ceremony at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.  We said our own wedding vows, held a love letter ceremony, and greeted our guests after.

1:30-2pm: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Wedding Photos.

2-2:40pm: Our 40+ guests hopped on to a chartered bus for a surprise day trip to Vik black sand beach for a champagne toast!

2:40-4pm: Vik Beach Wedding Photos: Group champagne toast, bridal party destination wedding portraits, friends, just the two of us for romantic Iceland wedding portraits.

4-4:50pm: Pit Stop at the Iceland’s best wool shop.  It’ll be hard to get your guests out of here!  Be diligent.

4:50-5:30pm: Travel to Skógafoss Waterfall for Iceland wedding portraits.

5:30-5:50pm: Skógafoss Waterfall for double rainbow wedding photos!

5:50-6:30pm: Travel back to hotel for wedding reception along the Ranga River.

6:30-7pm:  Bus arrives back at the hotel – Guests freshen up after their Iceland Wedding Adventure! …I will say our guests were exhausted at this point- but easily found their second wind!

7-11pm:  5 course wedding reception dinner.

Our 5 course  Iceland wedding menu consisted of the following amazing items:

Course 1: Mushroom Soup

Course 2: Lobster Skewers

Course 3: Smoked Icelandic Puffin

Course 4: Lamb or Icelandic Salmon

Course 5: Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (Our Iceland Wedding Cake!)

11pm We closed our reception with sharing our first dance, Chris with mother, and myself with my mother.

::Note::

Before the trip, we made it very clear to our guests that this trip to Iceland was not our honeymoon. We asked them to please plan on joining us on some of these wonderful adventures in the days following of our Iceland newly wedded bliss!

Sunday, April 15th:

Driving Day Tour of some of Iceland’s most iconic spots!

10:30am Guests Depart from our wedding hotel, Hotel Rangá to visit Keldur, home of the oldest Turf Houses in Iceland (15 min drive).

Next stop is one of the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland Gullfoss (1h 15 min drive).  Following, we will visit the most active Geyser in the world (erupting every 4-8 min) Strokkur (26 min drive).

Then, we are off to the Kerid Volcanic Crater Lake, (30 min drive) followed by a stopover at the Seltun/Krysuvik Lava Fields (1h drive time).

Our last stop was at the relaxing Blue Lagoon Geothermal Lake (1 hour drive time). Prices for the Blue Lagoon here.

This will be a good place to have dinner at, and after we have a therapeutic dip Chris and Ann will check in to their hotel the Hilton Reykjavik (45 min drive).

Monday, April 16th:

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling & Caving: Begin by exploring the hidden world of the lava field under the Þingvellir national park. Walking in a cave and discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past is a trip that everyone can undertake. The Gjábakkahellir cave is a perfect example of an Icelandic lava tube and is situated in one of the most active volcano areas in the world.  Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in the Silfra (in between the tectonic plates!) is our second adventure. The Silfra fissure is one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets, an otherworldly scene that is world famous for its heavenly shades of blue. The crystal clear water in the deep fissure gives you a feeling of being weightless as you float down with the lazy current.  6 hours total time.  See our post here for photos of our adventure!

Tuesday,  April 17th:

We will be hiking and ice climbing the Sólheimajökull Glacier on this 9 hour tour.  There is also a glacier walking tour that is less strenuous.

Wednesday,  April 18^th:

At 10:00am we will depart the Hilton for the Iceland National Museum in Reykjavik.  Next we will have lunch and some spectacular views at The Perlan.  After lunch we will depart on Icelandair Flight #603 to Toronto at 5:00pm.

__________________________________________________________

So!  You’re not getting married in Iceland?  Photos by Miss Ann, would love to help you still!  Even though we are wedding photographers in Plymouth, Michigan we are still a premiere destination wedding photographer and I am very experienced on all types of weddings, cultures, and schedules.  That being said, I would like to share with you two more schedules you will find helpful: traditionally not seeing each other before VS the first look schedule.

Traditional Wedding Day Schedule (not seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: Brides before portraits- Alone, with bridesmaids, and immediate family.

30 Minutes: Grooms before portraits- Alone, with groomsmen, and immediate family.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal family portraits.

10-20 Minutes: Fun Bridal Party Portraits!

20-30 Minutes: Formal Couples Portraits; Relaxed and crazy fun ones too!

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hour: Reception Coverage.

First Look Wedding Day Schedule (seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: The First Look!  An amazing spot to see each other before, be your playful selves, and have some epic wedding couples portraits done by your photographer, Photos by Miss Ann!

20 Minutes: Bridal Party + you two!

30 Minutes: Formal Family Wedding Portraits.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal portraits with any additional important folks at the ceremony site.

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hours: Reception Coverage.

I hope these wedding day schedules help you lovely brides-to-be in your wedding day organization!  Photos by Miss Ann would love to be a part of your special day so please feel free to contact us for additional information.  We are here for you in the start to your epic life adventure!

Epically yours as a Iceland wedding planner and a Iceland wedding photographer,  Ann

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

The post Destination Wedding Day Timeline Advice appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

You’ve chosen Iceland, lucky you!  You are one of the few in the world that have be proud of that!  Planning an Iceland wedding is a lot harder than you think.  Especially in a country where the internet is not used as a crutch as it is elsewhere.  You cannot just go to The Knot and pick your wedding vendors as you would here in the States.  Those wonderful in the country wedding vendors cannot get their name out there like we can here.  So we’re here to make that happen!  I know, planning your Iceland destination wedding during the holidays can be very stressful.  The best advice I can lend is make a list and take a break!  Your must be booked list ASAP should consist of at least the following:

1. The Date!
2. Book your Iceland Wedding Planner
3. Order save the dates or Iceland wedding invitations.
4. Book your Iceland destination wedding photographer (Please visit: Photos by Miss Ann)
5. Ceremony Location
6. Reception Location
7. Your plane tickets.
8. Hotel Rooms for Guests.
9. Order the dress and tux/suite.
10. Ceremony & Reception Design.
11. Flowers and Centerpieces
12. Relax!  Start back up after a little break!

My husband and I are having guests in from around the world for the holidays so my apologies for some delayed blogging!  I will pick back up after the new year.  Please look forward to the Iceland Wedding Planner’s next topic:

• Importing your wedding details!

To tide you over here in the meantime, here are a few Iceland wedding photos celebrating Christmas!  Ornaments compliments of Hotel Ranga.

Yours in Iceland wedding planning and destination wedding photography, Miss Ann Owner of Photos by Miss Ann

© 2002-2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Planning During the Holidays appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Thanks for stopping by!  A fun fact about us… We went from having an Iceland destination wedding to a honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia.  We loved having the two extremes for our wedding adventures.  Our honeymoon was featured on the fabulous Aisle Perfect / Perfete blog, so a take moment to check it out!

Definition of HONEYMOON  (Source: Merriam-Webster )

1: a period of harmony immediately following marriage

2: a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship

3: a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple

Ah, yes every engaged couples “light at the end of the tunnel”- the honeymoon.  Long awaited and well deserved.  After planning our Iceland destination wedding from October 2011 to April 2012 and coordinating travels and activities for our 40 guests we knew we would need a break right after the wedding, not another vacation.  To us, it seemed like terrible etiquette to have all the people we love fly in for just a few days of wedding events and then not spend time with them.

Whether you are planning a local wedding in Plymouth, Michigan or destination wedding at in Iceland I assure you, breaking tradition and waiting to take your honeymoon 6 months later is the way to go.  Every bride gets wrapped up into the excitement and planning of the day and once she goes back to normal life with no wedding planning to keep her busy a type of “post wedding depression” sets in.  Even being a super planner and being a destination wedding photographer as myself (please visit: www.PhotosByMissAnn.com), I was actually surprised at what a void I felt.  Planning my Iceland wedding became a hobby.  The excitement level crashed upon our return to Plymouth Michigan; my wedding was now ancient history.

Luckily, I had my honeymoon to plan! Bam, easy transition out of my post-wedding-blues!  Much like the same way we attacked finding a destination wedding location we compiled a list of possible honeymoon locations:

1. The Maldives
2. Antarctica (via Santiago, Chile)
3. Bali, Indonesia
4. Faroe Islands

Being a wedding photographer and specializing in destination wedding photography, we needed to work around my high season of photographing and plan for a trip in November or December.  That sadly eliminated the Faroe Islands since there would only be 4-6 hours of daylight during that time.  In the end, we chose Bali, Indonesia.  We rented “The Honeymoon Villa” in Candidasa.  Candidasa is 1.5 hours northeast of the DPS airport and the waypoint to all of the adventure and amazing food the country has to offer.

Each couple has to decide what sort of honeymoon they want to have and we are 100% action-packed adventure (and “sleep when you’re dead,” sort of travelers).  Our itinerary truly reflected the same.  If you’re reading this and are like us I suggest the following awesomeness for your destination honeymoon:

Day 1: Fly to LAX and stay overnight.

Day 2 and 3: Arrive in Bali (DPS airport).

Day 4: Check out our favorite beach Padang Padang then head to Ayana Resort for their “Pesta Lobster” dining experience.  Uber romantic!

Day 5: Check out the Tirtagangga Water Palace and the White Sand Beach. 11pm leave for the Sunrise Hike to the top of the highest peak in Bali, Mount Agung.

Day 6: Hike 9,900 feet to watch the sunrise on Bali’s highest volcano and then visit Pura Besakih (Temple in the Clouds).

Day 7:Day trip to the oldest most traditional Baliense village Tenganan and and then go to Ubud to shop the 4 story market.

Day 8:  Go Canyoning in Bali

Day 9: Head to the Taro jungle and ride an elephant at the Elephant Safari Park.

Day 10: Scuba Dive Tulamben – USAT Liberty Wreck.

Day 11: Spend the afternoon at Pandang Bai Beach, dinner at Rouge in Canidasa, and fly out of DPS at midnight.

As we planned our honeymoon in Bali, we debated on hiring a professional photographer to do some post wedding / honeymoon photography locally.  But, me being the perfectionist I am, I could not bear the thought though of anyone else photographing my honeymoon, but me!  So alas, against my husband’s pleas not to bring… the professional Nikon gear was packed!

Honeymoon Photography is a new upcoming phenomenon. As couples begin to choose more out of the norm locations (or luxury honeymoon locales) this becomes increasing important to document.  This is the couples chance to forever seal their wedding year glamor and turn it to printable legend.  It is certainly not every day or even every year you can take such an elaborately striking vacation so take advantage of it.  Forever pause this time in your lives and hire a professional to capture it!

Picture this… It’s just the two of you- no family, no friends, no obligations to worry about and certainly no time constraints as you did during your wedding day.  Plus ladies,you can choose to have another fun dress to be photographed in (or don your gorgeous wedding dress again!), bonus!  Destination honeymooning in Iceland, Fiji, Bora Bora, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, or even Bali Indonesia is a lifetime adventure and you need to capture that matchless beauty in couples portraits!  Especially if you have chosen to stay in one of those glorious over the ocean bures!

After having a destination wedding in Iceland in April my husband and I needed a break, not honeymoon!  So we waited 7 months on our official honeymoon and decided on Bali Indonesia.  Choosing such an exotically dreamy place, we knew we needed to document it.  We professionally photographed our own couples portraits and also hoped to fast-track this new trend in our destination wedding photography packages going forward.  We began our photography adventure at Padang Padang Beach (the Bali beach featured in the movie Eat, Pray, Love) and it was stunning!  Next up was a very romantic sunset dinner on Ayana Resorts Private Jetty.  A few days later we finished with a couple of random spots in around the city we stayed, Candidasa.

What a fun week of portrait sessions!  My husband and I were relaxed, playful, and uber romantic as we had every spot to ourselves.  I was so excited that I was already envisioning 19×23’’ acrylic prints to hang and designing our Christmas cards in my head!  This was truly a special session for us.  Here we were in the middle of an unusual countryside celebrating our 7 month anniversary (delaying the honeymoon was the best decision) and we were savoring every second.

Our honeymoon portrait session was unlike any other session we have to date experienced.  It was not as awkward as our engagement session nor as stressful as our wedding day- it was us in the essence of the moment and at our best.  These are by far my favorite images we have taken because taking them was an adventure in itself!  I know many of you may not have ever thought of it, but why not take your wedding photographer on your honeymoon?  Especially those of you bride and grooms that are planning destination weddings- I bet all of your destination wedding photographers would offer you a special package to continue on with you on your honeymoon too, just ask!  The wedding is critical but the honeymoon is epically you!

Yours in Iceland destination wedding photography and planning, Ann

13 Must Dos for your Wedding Day

Best Destination Wedding Tips for Obscure Locations

Aisle Perfect / Perfete Bali Honeymoon Feature

© 2002-2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Destination Honeymoon Photography: Bali Indonesia appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Thank you for stopping by our blog!  Planning a destination wedding in Iceland is a tall order even for super planners.  With no elaborate wedding industry as there is in North America it surely complicates things.  There are so many twists and turns that you could have within your day it takes a professional to pull it all together and capture your vision flawlessly.

That being said… Welcome to the Iceland Wedding Planner Blog!  It is our intention in creating this blog to be informative about planning a wedding in Iceland and leave you inspired during each visit.

My Story:

My name is Ann Peters (formally Ann Rezbanyay) and I have a passion for destination weddings!  I am a seasoned destination wedding photographer and owner of Photos by Miss Ann.  Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of being a part of and photographing over 500 wedding weekends/days local and destination weddings.  In October of 2011 my fiancé (now husband) Chris and I brainstormed on where to hold our wedding day.  So one thing was for sure, it was a no-brainier we were going to plan our wedding in a crazy-awesome-adventurous location that would stun our guests.

Our Must Have List:

1. The location needed to be somewhere Chris and I had never been to.
2. A location where no one on our guest list had visited.
3. A locale that offered endless outdoor adventures.
4. A place where the scenery was completely different than all the yearly weddings I photograph (from beaches to mountains).  We needed dramatic scenery!
5. Where the food was full of flavor and unique to the country.
6. We would receive personal service from our vendors.

What locations made the list!

1. Sweden Destination Wedding
2. Iceland Destination Wedding
3. Bali, Indonesia (we ended up doing our honeymoon 6 months later there)
4. Greenland Wedding
5. Antarctica Wedding
6. Faroe Islands Wedding

Loving Nordic cold weather, Chris narrowed the list down to Sweden or Iceland.  I sent away for travel guides, books, spent hours researching, and calling.  Because the next most important thing was securing locations within our country of choice.

• Wedding at Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
• Wedding in Southern Iceland.

Iceland was our answer.  More endless hours of research brought us to the decision of getting married at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and hold our Iceland wedding reception in Hella, Iceland.

We bravely decided on April 14^th 2012 as our wedding date (ask any Icelandic native and they will tell you we were crazy!).  We kept the location a secret until our custom wedding invitations went out in November (see our destination wedding invitation samples below).

The benefits of holding your wedding November-April in Iceland follow:

1)      Best chance to see the unforgettable Northern Lights every day.

2)      Seeing Iceland in its winter/spring glory.  It looks like a completely different country!

3)      In April the temperatures can still be a balmy 45 degrees!  Our day was and with that sun shining it felt even warmer!

4)      Low tourist season.  No fighting crowds for your stunning wedding photos.

5)      Vendors cater to you during the off-season which equal discounted rates and individualized service!

6)      Slower time to import goods which equals less hassle (IE, I imported my own rose petals as a cost saving) and assurance you’re getting the right shade of pink!

7)      Although there may be a chance of snow or rain on your wedding day (which both are good luck!) wait 10 minutes and you’ll probably get some sunshine.  The weather is always changing.  I think we had all 4 seasons in 1 day and it rocked!

8)      You’ll make headline news from being the brave souls who said “I do” at a waterfall in winter or late spring!  See our wedding on the Icelandic News!  We still get photos emailed to us from random people who witnessed our wedding there =)

Our Iceland guest list included a total of 120 guests both from as near as Syracuse, New York and as far away as Perth, Australia (42 hours of traveling).  Our wedding invitations gave the initial shock to our guests of “Iceland!  Really, Iceland?!”  Luckily, we had ~40 guests RSVP yes before January, so we were stoked!  Honestly, we would have been happy if it had just been ourselves, a glacier, a waterfall, and our parents.  So we were seriously overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our family and friends.

When our guests received the wedding invitation, they received 4 things in the envelope:

1)      The actual Iceland Wedding Invitation.

2)      An “Accommodation” Card that shared our wedding website: chrisandann2012.com – This website (when it was fully active, communicated air transport, lodging, car rental coupons, and schedule for the week).

3)      The RSVP return card and envelope (We went for the 5-course  menu).

4)      4 photos of the amazing sites our guests would see if they attended.

It was important to us to communicate to our guests why we were drawn to marry in Iceland and why they should travel to the Land of Fire and Ice.  This trip was not only about saying “I do” for us but to have all the people we love, adore, and appreciate all in one amazing place to partake in this adventure with us.  Once guests visited our website and saw that everything was planned and available for them to easily book through the website- excitement began!

Chris and I spent weeks planning all of the available activities in and around the area.  Although, when we arrived in Iceland we devoted the first 1.5 days to finalizing food and wine choices, putting together welcome bags, decorations, and getting our marriage license we made ourselves available to our guests.  This was our wedding week/end, not our honeymoon so it was critical for everyone to feel included young and old.

For more tips on planning a wedding in obscure locations check out the article written by Ann on Wedding Photos USA along with the rest of this Iceland wedding planning blog!  This is just the beginning so some really awesome posts on Iceland weddings!

Who are we?  We’re a very detailed, adventurous, energetic husband and wife team who have a passion for weddings and Iceland.  We are, Ann and Chris Peters and we have 10 years of destination wedding photography and planning experience.  Traveling the globe photographing love stories and wedding adventures is seriously the best career on the planet (in our opinion)!  Not only all that, but we were also married in Iceland at the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall on April 14th 2012 (our 40 person Iceland destination wedding even made the Icelandic News)!  So we truly know first hand, how epic of a country it is and how special it is for you to plan your wedding in Iceland!

Throughout the last decade, we have learned what our couples desire in a wedding planner & destination wedding photographer.  Which means knowing what you want and us providing the most cherished experience possible.  We’re so excited to meet you!!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters  (Feel free to contact us directly here)

© 2002-2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Planning an Iceland Destination Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.