<<Insert serious cheese alert>>

As someone once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”   No joke folks, it rains in Iceland more often than not so if you are planning to have a wedding in Iceland you must embrace this simple fact and be excited to run around in it.  Come along with us today as Gina and Terry show you exactly how to do that!

A sunrise start in mid September began this Iceland adventure wedding day!

After crossing a few rivers via super jeep and then on foot, Gina, Terry, and their intimate wedding party made their way to their ice cave wedding ceremony spot!

The funny thing about rain on your Iceland wedding day, is that most of my couples don’t seem to notice (or care) because they are so high on adrenaline and love!

They may have been soaked and shivering at times, but they got married in front of their gorgeous ice cave in Iceland!  ….Note: Our teams always have your safety in mind so unless an ice cave is fully stable we cannot take you inside.

Gina and Terry held a traditional Asatru Ceremony in front of that ice cave in Iceland. It’s the closest thing to a Viking style wedding ceremony where you hold oath rings to say your vows and take your first drink as newlyweds out of a horn!

This ice cave was formed by snow that fell hundreds of years ago that has been traveling slowly down the glacier.  Pretty neat, huh?

Rain or Shine, this place is pretty flipping EPIC to explore!

One of my favorite moments of the day… It had rained so hard during the ceremony that the water levels were out of control making our bridge we brought useless.  Don’t worry, we always a “plan b” and  “plan c” in our pocket!  The bride and guests took “plan b” which was a piggyback ride through the river and the groom took “plan c” forging it on his own!

Sometimes we find it fun to breakup the Iceland wedding ceremony pieces.  So we continued the awesome “drink from the horn” Asatru tradition at another location.

Lunchtime brought a stop at a mountain hut to dry off and warm up during their fall Iceland wedding day!

What I enjoyed the most about Gina and Terry during their Iceland wedding day was that they genuinely loved and laughed their way through the rain savoring every silly awesome second of it! #couplesgoals

Our secret caves often provide fantastic shelter from the rain during Iceland wedding days!

Woohoo!!  A rain free moment and a rainbow!

But in Iceland they say… If you don’t like the weather, wait a few seconds, it’ll change! And change it did!

Rain is often challenging when it comes at you sideways, these two took it like seasoned champs and made it look GOOD!

Weddings and Waterfalls just go together on Iceland wedding days!

…and then sometimes you have to find your way to Mars to find some sunshine

After an action packed adventure wedding day, Gina, Terry, and their fabulous guests found their way to a delicious dinner!

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

The post Rainy Yet Radiant Iceland Wedding of Gina and Terry appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Wedding favors typically serve 4 purposes:

1. To “thank” your guests for coming to your Iceland destination wedding.
2. To be a reflection of your style as a couple that also compliments your wedding theme.
3. To serve as a memento to your guests of the Iceland location you have chosen.
4. A snack for your guests if you have chosen to not have Hors D’oeuvres or a Night Glow hour.

Think back on the weddings you have attended…What types of local or destination wedding favors made the largest impression on you?  Usually, if you’re having a local or destination wedding in Iceland, wedding favors usually fall into 4 overall categories:

• Edible – You can be simple by having M&M’s, mints, coffee/tea, caramel corn, gumballs, etc, or you can be elaborate in your edible wedding favor design.  Some of our brides have had personalized treats like cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, cocktail jelly beans, mini champagne bottles, rock candy, chocolate covered items, or our personal favorite for a fall wedding in Michigan is caramel apples and apple cider!

• Practical –Guests love a wedding favor they can use and remember where they got it from when they use it.  A couple examples of practical wedding favors that hold a lasting impression would be seed packets, wine corks, frames, cookie cutters, love measuring spoons, whisk, ice cream scoop, engraved luggage tags, cheese board/knife, passport holder, local Icelandic books (about the dynamic sites, culture, or folklore) , etc.

• Sentimental –Wedding favors with heart are always super sweet because they convey a special thought and detail that is usually important to the bride and groom.  For instance, a destination wedding couple may choose to do a donation to their favorite charity in lieu of providing their guests with a favor.  That couple might print out a small card and put it at each place setting stating why they have chosen to do so (in honor of a family member who passed away, etc).  Or we have seen couples personally make a special item their guests like homemade wine, jam, sauce, so the item may be enjoyed at a later time.  Any wedding favor that manages to emit emotion from the bride and groom to their guests is truly noteworthy.

• Fun –If you’re a fun loving couple who just want to make your guests smile on your wedding day with entertaining wedding favor we have seen a few couples give their guests sunglasses, sandals, shot glasses, drink cozies, etc.  Destination weddings may also want to consider having a special memento from the state/country you’re holding the wedding in as guests usually get pretty excited for that extra detail.

What should you spend on a wedding favor?

There is not a specific algorithm to get the answer to this question.  It frankly depends on your budget and guest count.  For example, we only planned on 45 people attending our Seljalandsfoss wedding (traveling also to Vik Beach and Skogafoss during our Iceland wedding) so we splurged a little more and spent $12 per luggage favor tag.  Generally though, simple or homemade wedding favors may only cost .80-$5 per person; whereas, more extravagant or personalized favors may cost $6-15 each; and the top of the line wedding favors would be $15+.

Once you have decided on what type of wedding favor you are going to give your guests the next step is to determine the presentation.  Ask yourself a couple of questions… Do you need certain packaging to hold everything together (wrapping, ribbon, etc.)?  Is there a theme you’re trying to exude throughout the day (IE, Married in the Land of Fire & Ice?)?  What will your wedding packaging and label look like?  Where will your favor be positioned on the table when your guests sit-down at your Iceland wedding reception?

Wedding Favor Label/Packaging Ideas:

• Incorporate your wedding colors.
• Match your invitation theme.
• Say “Thank You” to your guests somehow on it.  (DIY Iceland Detail: Maybe in the language of your destination wedding country?)
• Put your wedding date on the tag or engrave it on the item (Guests always appreciate this detail, especially when they use your gift at home later!).
• Have personalized ribbons (Iceland wedding planning tip: Double-faced satin looks the best).  For our Seljalandsfoss wedding we had “Ann & Chris” printed on rolls of ribbon to use for all of our Iceland destination wedding events.
• Make your wedding favor dual purpose (i.e. turn it into a place card, versatile to be used again or have it communicate something to your guests).

As Iceland wedding planners, we encourage our clients to choose wedding favors that serve a multiple purpose.  Here is a real Iceland destination wedding example:  Chris and I chose to have metal luggage tags.  Doesn’t really sound all that exciting and seems pretty simple for a destination wedding in Iceland, right?  We thought the same thing so we put our own twist to it.  We used our luggage tag favors in the following ways to serve several wedding day purposes (I know you detailed pretties out there will appreciate this!):

1. Our luggage tags were our wedding favors to our guests for our wedding reception at Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland.
2. The Iceland wedding favor luggage tags also served as a souvenir for our guests to instantly use (then and later).  The tags we felt, represented our Iceland wedding day adventure: from our Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony, a champagne toast at Vik Beach, and wedding photo stop at Skogafoss waterfall.  We specifically had the back of each guest luggage tag engraved with “Iceland 2012,” then Chris’s said “Groom Iceland,” and mine said “Bride Iceland.”
3. The front of our destination wedding luggage tags also operated as our seating chart (Iceland wedding place cards) and gave the Hotel Ranga staff information on each guest’s meal choice for that evening.  Iceland DIY Details: Before our Seljalandsfoss wedding weekend, we had purchased 4 colors of metallic card stock; designated a corresponding color to go with the 4 main meal choices (Example: Gray = Salmon; Gold = Lamb; White = Vegan; Blue = Child menu), printed out our Iceland wedding logo (A?C) at the top and on the next line we put the guest’s name.
4. The final function of our Iceland wedding favor was as a place setting napkin ring/holder for our pin-tucked napkins.  How fun, right?  Finished photo example from our Hotel Ranga wedding here.

Specific Iceland Wedding Favor Examples:

• Edible: Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks with a tagline that says “Married in the Land of Fire and Ice!”  You could even go so far to actually pair it with something that relates to fire like hot sauce or matches in a vial.  We used blue and orange rock candy swizzle sticks to emulate the glaciers and fire in our Iceland wedding photo examples.

• Practical Usage Wedding Favor: Luggage tags, Icelandic wool knit item ( everyone loves wool socks, right?), moss candles, a game unique to Iceland, and frankly the possibilities are endless because Iceland rocks!  Having an item that is dual purpose allows your guests to really remember how epic your wedding really was later too.

• Sentimental: A gift certificate for your Iceland wedding guests to do a post wedding activity.  Admittance maybe to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon?  Rent a bus a day following for your wedding party to tour Iceland’s famous Golden Circle together as a group?  Take a tour of Iceland’s other famous natural wonders such as the glacial lagoon, stunning waterfalls, black sand beaches, sod farms, boiling mud pots, lava fields, or glaciers?  If you do decide to go this route make sure you let your guests know ahead of time.  That way they can plan for it in their travel plans ahead of time and you are not disappointed that they have already done it.

• Fun Iceland Wedding Favors: If you’re not going to do a wedding welcome bag for your guests it would be really sweet to put together as your wedding favor to them a box or bag of Icelandic made treats (like candies, trinkets, coffee, lava rock/ash, Icelandic water, etc) or an Iceland Survival Kit.  I would envision an Iceland Survival kit to be similar to our Iceland wedding guest welcome bag with inclusions to accommodate all ages, folks from all different climates and needs.  Other amazing options you may want to consider specific to Iceland: Krona key chain, wool bookmark, Icelandic moss candle, Icelandic wool blanket for your guests to each take home, lava rock mementos, etc!  The possibilities are endless, be creative!

I hope that our post today on Iceland wedding favors generates your own awesome ideas for your destination wedding in Iceland!  Chris and I would love to hear more about you and your big day in the making feel free to contact us directly here for more information!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

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This week, we received the nicest letter in the mail (Yes, in the mail, who doesn’t love getting things in the mail still?).  One of our Iceland bride and grooms-to-be writes us saying:

“Ann & Chris,

Deciding to have a wedding in Iceland we thought was one of our best decisions we have made as a couple, until we found and then met you both!  Our engagement session was so fun, thank you for flying to DC and for having endless creative ideas.  The portraits you took in our favorite spots around the city capture us.  You guys are such a great husband and wife photography team.  You impressed us already with your blog, responsiveness, thoroughness, portfolio, but frankly your attention to detail is extraordinary and still is blowing us away.  By holding the highest standards and consistently exceeding them, you have helped us achieve an unforgettable plan for our Iceland destination wedding.  Because of you, our wedding is going to be flawless.  Thank you for your outstanding work!  Forever Grateful, E & M ”

Aww, shucks, we really have the best clients!  We are beyond excited for the upcoming Iceland weddings we have on our Photos by Miss Ann books.  Each bride and groom is from a diverse part of the world, brings different Iceland wedding locations, unique style, and a distinctive vision for their wedding adventure in Iceland and that is REALLY exhilarating for us as Iceland wedding photographers.  Okay, okay, okay, enough gushing and more Iceland wedding planning!

Our topic this week: Iceland Wedding Ceremony Music

Figuring out your music selections for your Iceland wedding ceremony can be overwhelming in your destination wedding planning.  It can be a lot of pressure.  After all, you want your guests to be excited, in awe, and inspired while taking in the dynamic scenery, finding their seat and anticipating the bride and grooms wedding vows.  Phew, tall order, or at least we felt it was when we were planning our Seljalandsfoss Iceland wedding!  Have no fear, today’s blog post will give you some ideas for doing just that because having an Iceland wedding ceremony music plan helps set the scene even more so.

If you’re planning to have your Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Snaefellsness Peninsula, Vik Beach, Lake Myvatn, or Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon and have more than 6 people in attendance, my advice to you is that you need to rent a sound system for the courtesy of your guests.  Holding your wedding ceremony in one of the stunning natural wonders Iceland offers is incredible but do not forget your guests!  One of the frustrating things at times for outdoor wedding guests is that they cannot hear readings, vows, the exchange of rings, etc and they really want to be a part of it!

As Iceland wedding planners, we can help you secure an Iceland DJ for your event that will setup battery powered sound system with speakers, wireless microphones, and an IPOD connection.  That way, your guests will be able to hear your Iceland wedding music, understand your officiant, listen to your wedding vows, and have fun background music while you take your stunning Iceland wedding portraits!  Now that you have figured all that out, your big question is now, “What kind of music do I play for my Iceland wedding ceremony?”  We have found that our bride and grooms have had the most success thinking in terms of words and the feelings songs exude.  So think about what inspires you and your soon-to-be and in the meantime, here are a few more ideas to get that creativity flowing!

Before Ceremony Music:

• Inspirational, Light, Dynamic and Exciting.
• General rule is to begin playing 30 minutes before the wedding ceremony.

Bridal Entrance Song Ideas:

• Dreamy and Transcendent (like you’re walking on clouds).
• You can easily choose two songs for this, one for the parents to be seated, groom, and bridal party to walk down the aisle and the other for the bridal entrance.
• No music played during the Iceland wedding ceremony (unless doing a sand/knot ceremony, partaking in communion, or you see a need for filler music for another part of the ceremony, etc).

After Your Iceland Wedding Ceremony Music:

• Bouncy, Fun, and Starry-eyed!
• Typically played for 45 minutes after the wedding ceremony in Iceland.  Songs that are fun to exit the ceremony hand in hand and greet guests too. This is also enjoyable for guests to listen to while you take your dazzling Iceland wedding photographs!

So right about now, I’m sure you’re dying to know what music Chris and I planned for our Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, right?  Our Iceland ceremony music picks follow below:

Before our Seljalandsfoss Wedding (Ceremony Playlist):

“Hellelujah” by The Canadian Tenors

“Color My World” by Chicago

“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban

“Annie’s Song” by John Denver

“Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk

“Marry Me” by Train

“The Wedding Song” by Kenny G

Aisle Walk and Bridal Entrance:

“Somewhere In Time” by Maksim Mrvica (Such a romantically dreamy song!).

After our Wedding at Seljalandsfoss Ceremony we played:

Bride and Groom Exit Song: “Better Together” by Jack Johnson

Greeting Line & Iceland Wedding Photographs Background Music:

“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters

“Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes

“My Girl” by The Temptations

“One Fine Day” by The Chiffons

“How Sweet It Is” by Marvin Gaye

“Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations

“Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest

“Earth Angel” by The Penguins

“Wishin’ And Hopin’” by Dusty Springfield

“Tell Him” by Exciters

“Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” by Solomon Burke

“Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me” by Mel Carter

“Be My Baby” by The Ronettes

** Stay Tuned for Part II of this topic in our next Iceland wedding planning post- Wedding Reception in Iceland: Music Ideas **

Keep Smiling and Iceland Wedding Planning,

Ann Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographer

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

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