-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Caution: Sappy Personal Post Ahead.  The holidays always fill my heart with endless amounts of gratitude for situations that have happened, moments in time, and it’s a beautiful yet meaningful time to reflect and be with the ones you cherish most.  For those who have followed our blog since 2012, you know my history, my struggles, my growth both personally and professionally.  It’s been an incredible journey and today I can confidently say that I’m a wife to a man who is better than me and I am proud of (and love) it.

Davíð Geir Jónasson, looks at me the way all women want (and deserve) to be looked at by a man.  I’ve never laughed harder, never travelled farther around the world with anyone and still left smiling by the end of it.  To put it raw and frankly, I’m addicted to him. His energy, book to street smarts, risky wit, infinite positivity and the way he brings out the best in everyone he encounters.  He adventures at the same level as me (some might even say higher and I might agree).  Enough gush.  Go back HERE to read more about how we met (super GOOD story), our relationship and proposal.

But! Back to today’s topic: Meeting in Iceland to Having a Lofoten Islands Elopement Adventure.  We chose to elope.  Why?  It felt right for us.  Being an adventure wedding planner and photographer (and Davíð in the film industry), we look at wedding days way differently than most of the world.  Much like what my clients come to me for, we were looking for something DIFFERENT and a place that had enough beauty and adventure in it for us both.  Have you heard of the Lofoten Islands?  It’s a spectacular place in Northern Norway.

The shapes, the tones, the textures of the vivid mountains of the Lofoten Islands cannot be found anywhere else in the world.  They come chock full of mystery and unforgettable romance.  So come along with me today as I, my super talented friend (and colleague) Jean Smith and her brilliant cinematographer husband Travis Smith share with you the unbelievable documentation from our Lofoten Islands, Norway wedding day.

The winding roads of Norway, led us to one of the prettiest areas of the Lofoten Islands for our wedding adventure.

I’m a firm believer that even if you elope, you should still have gorgeous details to compliment your adventurous love story.  This also means I had to have a Norway wedding welcome bag for our photographer and cinematographer guests.  Having local treats (like chocolates, a guidebook, wool gloves, dried fish, etc) enhances the experience and makes people smile upon arrival!  Plus, um did you see the bag and the lunchbox?!  I’m still in cuteness overload!

Having an adventure wedding anywhere in the world, it’s a good idea to have two wedding dresses.  Mainly because you never know what the weather will be doing and one may look better better in rain or wind, etc.  Since I preach this every day to my adventure wedding clients, I actually planned 3 wedding dresses and 3 pairs of shoes/boots (and my husband brought two suits/shoes as well).

Fun Fact from our Lofoten Islands Elopement: Davíð handcrafted my destination wedding bouquet.  We actually filled up a suitcase full of flowers/ greens and this is in the end what my fresh flower bouquet looked like… Side Note: Having so many dresses, I actually had 3 wedding bouquets as well.  Having planned and photographed hundreds of weddings over the years, fresh flowers never withstand the adventure aspect of our weddings so it’s nice to have a backup or two that are fake, but real looking.  My favorite vendor who accomplishes this is Southern Girl Weddings.

Lofoten Islands Norway Elopement Tip: Leave superstition / tradition behind and get ready together.  It decreases the any stress you might have and gives you fun memories like these!

We scouted and chose our Lofoten Islands wedding locations very carefully because of the way the light falls on these magical mountains.  It falls fast, deep, and runs out quickly.  Each spot we chose not only had a meaning, but at each we held part of our Norway wedding ceremony.  Since we had already been “legally married” on paper in Iceland earlier, we could focus completely on each other, the meaning behind each part, and the adventure. First up was us reading our wedding vows.

We’ve moved mountains together, so naturally we have to dance around in front of them!

Entrance of dress #2: The beach was WAY too windy and the other dress would have looked lame!  Norway always provides a dreamy amount of wind for a wedding dress!

What Lofoten Islands Norway wedding would be without a token ceremony?  Davíð is not a fan of rings so we exchanged a watch (JS Watches Reykjavik) and a ring.

…and would a adventure wedding planner have a Lofoten Islands wedding ceremony without it being styled?  Nope!  Nordic Love is the inspiration on this setup.  Thousands of petals from my favorite folks at Flyboy Naturals.

We decided to incorporate our “first drink” together and have it be out of a Viking horn.  Champagne of course!

The beauty of the time of day when the light turns so quickly into darkness in the mountains is being able to have gorgeous Lofoten Norway wedding photos like these…

The day could not conclude without having a stylish dinner for two during our Lofoten Island elopement.  Our theme: Romance and Adventure Collide.

Hello Waffle Cake, You Look Delicious.  A must have for your Nordic wedding (or Lofoten Islands elopement)!

Beef filet and whale were on our Lofoten Norway wedding menu!

Words cannot properly express the emotions that stir when we watch this video (which is like everyday).  I strongly encourage you to find it in your budget to hire an adventure wedding photographer AND a cinematographer (not just a videographer) to forever document your love story.  Just do it.  It’ll pay dividends in happiness and forever newlywed status later.

Thanks for joining us on reliving our Lofoten Norway adventure wedding!  We hope it has provided you a little fun inspiration or at least made you smile!  Stay tuned next week for our Iceland Wedding Planner Best of Year End Review!

In the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

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

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner, All Rights Reserved.

The post Meeting in Iceland to Having a Lofoten Islands Elopement Adventure appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I was the Iceland Wedding Planner and Photographer for a super cool couple from Chicago, Illinois.  It was raining that day in Iceland, so we executed our “Plan B” ceremony location, my favorite cave.  However, when we arrived we were greeted by a 200 person film crew for a upcoming Bollywood movie.  They were there with the famed actor’s, food trucks, gear trucks,  and tons of porta potties.

I’ll be honest, seeing that many people there, I panicked slightly.  Not because I wouldn’t be able to use the location (which never happens because we always get private permission and permits) but rather, I was thinking how off schedule this could potentially make our day (excuse the OCD part of me, lol)!  The couple had no idea that anything was out of the ordinary as I jumped out of the jeep and darted to the group to have a chat.  An easy 5 minutes later the entire crew was gone

Fast forward 12 hours and I was back at the hotel finishing up the table styling for the couples dreamy reception for two.  I grabbed a glass of wine and my computer to catch up on emails and sat down in the hotel lobby…  Completely enamored in my work I do not look up when I hear a man’s voice say, “Are you that 5 foot 3 inch wedding planner that kicked our entire crew out of the cave earlier today?”  I laughed and leaned around my computer to see who was so witty.  To my pleasant surprise, a 6 foot 7 inch  Icelandic Adonis was speaking to me.  My jaw dropped and that giddy smile still hasn’t left my face!

That night, I met a man who lives and breathes adventure just as I do (maybe even more) personally and professionally.  Allow me to introduce you to Davíð… He creates special effects for all of the big movies that come here to Iceland (you know like Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Interstellar, Noah, the list is endless) and has the incredible hobby of being on Iceland’s SAR team (Search and Rescue). ….yeah swoon swoon, right?!  From that moment on, we found ourselves inseparable.

Our third date was a 7 day adventure to Isle of Skye, where we went coasteering, hiked epic cliff lines, dined at small little cafes, and discovered super secret locales!

He didn’t even bat an eyelash when I suggested we spend a month in South America! Where we ventured through Chilean wine country, Rainforests, through epic fjords, and made our way down to the famed awe inspiring region of Patagonia!

Since Davíð and I met at the “top of the world” we thought it would be fun for us to ring in the New Year together at the bottom of the world in Ushuaia Argentina!

We spent several days camping (um yeah the only man on the planet that can get me to camp in a tent) and hiking the famed “W Trek” in the Torres Del Paine National Park.  Complete with glaciers, granite towers, and moments of mountaineering!

One of the most magical set of days we spent together was within the Los Glaciares National Park where we explored the Perito Moreno Glacier and the Fitz Roy Mountains!

One of my favorite hikes we have done together was in Norway doing the hike to Trolltunga. Have you ever been to Norway?

Back to the exciting news…

After exploring 7 countries; 40 cities; and over 30,000 miles together, I proposed! …and he said Yes!

…and we are planning a wedding in the Lofoten Islands for September 14-19th!

But that’s not all of the exciting news we have to share with you… There’s more!  We are also extremely happy to announce that we will be adding a new items to our menu of services… Drone Photography and Video for your amazing Iceland Weddings + Adventure Weddings beyond!

Are you excited?!  We are too!

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

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Thriving on Adventure and Love appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

The majority of our clients are really adventurous by nature.  But even that said there are few that are willing to brave the temperatures and play in the snow for their Iceland wedding or engagement session.  Luckily we have several this year that are up to the challenge!  In just a few days, we will be photographing a super sweet couple from Singapore, who are going to embrace the elements and get married in February in Iceland!  They are holding their ceremony at one of our favorite Iceland country churches and holding their reception at one of our beloved hotels.  We are so excited to share their adventure with you in a few weeks!

To tide you over until then, we will leave you with some snowy engagement session inspiration!  One of our favorite Michigan couples, Ashleigh and Nate were adventurous enough to spend a few hours running around in the snow with us during the Midwest’s “snowmageddon.”

They are cute.
They are daring.
They are madly in love.
They were also published in the Trendy Bride Magazine- Enjoy!

Until next time, Chris & Ann Peters (Husband & Wife Iceland Wedding Photographers and Planners)

2014, Iceland Wedding Planner / Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Romantic Winter Engagement Session (Photos by Miss Ann) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Thanks for joining us this week!  We had the pleasure of photographing our first Lebanese-Ecuadorian wedding earlier this month.  The wedding was rich in cultural elements that we just loved!  The gorgeous venues were the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, Wildwood Manor for wedding portraits and Central Park West for the reception.  Emad (Lebanese) and Melanie (Ecuadorian) actually met during medical school in Ecuador and held a friendship of 5 years before they ventured down the path of newly wedded bliss!  Both coming from very opulent cultures, they decided to plan a wedding that not only featured their love and commitment, emanated two cultures, but also celebrated the combining of two families.

The bride, Melanie brought in several traditions from Ecuador, such as her family made wedding dress and Latin music.  The groom Emad, with his strong roots in the Lebanese culture,  brought traditions such as an Islamic wedding ceremony (signing of contracts), elaborate entrance to their reception,  Dabke dancing (a type of Arabic group folk dancing), and a tossing petals exit.  This wedding hands down was one of the joyous and most energetic wedding days I have ever had the honor of being a part of.  My cheeks hurt from smiling by the end of the night!

This remarkable wedding leads perfectly into our topic today… Culture + Weddings!  Incorporating your cultural sparkle into your wedding day can really add meaning for both you and your guests.  It doesn’t have to be the entire tradition either; it could simply be a portion.  There are several different ways you can adapt a cultural tradition to complement your wedding day so I encourage you to think outside the box!  Even if you’re not having an Iceland destination wedding you can still think about adding in a few of these elements you admire or to embrace your ethnic backgrounds.

Several of our favorite cultural wedding traditions are featured in the list below:

• African Wedding Traditions: “Jumping the Broom.”
• Asian Wedding Traditions: Both the bride and groom wear white.
• English Wedding Traditions: Putting a sixpence under the brides shoe (lucky left) to signify good fortune and prosperity.
• Dutch Wedding Traditions: Create a “wish tree” as a guest book.  Your guests pin a happy note or valuable piece of advice to its branches.
• French Wedding Traditions: The groom walks his mother and mother-in-law down the aisle to be seated at the ceremony.
• Hungarian Wedding Traditions: The bride shares a dance with her mother and grandmother.  (This is actually a tradition we had at our own Seljalandsfoss Iceland wedding).
• Icelandic Wedding Traditions
• Indian Wedding Traditions: Mehndi art is performed, which is the intricate painting of the bride’s hands and feet. Most Indian weddings also span over several days.
• Irish Wedding Traditions: Incorporate a Celtic love knot or a “tying of the knot” ceremony.
• Italian Wedding Traditions: May include having Jordan Almonds as a wedding favor (representing that marriage is sometimes bittersweet).
• Lebanese Wedding Traditions: Sacred ceremony with family members only, Dabke dancing, and extravagant entrances/exits.
• Spanish/Latin Wedding Traditions: Guests form a circle around the bride and groom while they partake in their first dance as husband and wife.
• Scottish Wedding Traditions: Include some of my favorite traditions such as having flower petal aisle way, a bagpiper for ceremony music, and a hand fastening ceremony.
• Swedish Wedding Traditions: The bride often has 3 wedding rings to represent following: engagement, marriage, and future outlook to motherhood.

Below, you will find a few more ideas that are embraced across many cultures during wedding planning…

Traditions to Consider While Planning Your Iceland Wedding:

• A special headpiece instead of a typical veil.
• Carrying a handkerchief made from your/husband-to-be’s christening gown, mothers, MIL’s, or sister’s wedding dress. (Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: If you’re not a fan of holding it…The fabric could easily be pinned on the underside of your dress or fused into your wedding bouquet).
• Plan an Iceland Welcome Dinner for your guests the evening before your wedding day.  In many cultures they turn the wedding day into a wedding weekend so it truly feels like a really special once in a lifetime event.
• Our favorite Old English rhyme for a lucky wedding day: “Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, a Sixpence in Your Shoe.”
• Having two wedding dresses (Iceland wedding ceremony dress and an Iceland wedding reception dress) can really add an element of glamor to your wedding day.  Many cultures have the bride changing throughout her wedding day.
• 4 Words: Day of Wedding Gift!

Iceland Traditional Wedding Ceremony Ideas:

• Keep the surprises going and do not see each other before the wedding ceremony! (Iceland Real Wedding Example: Chris and I stayed together the night before but then we parted ways after breakfast.  That way, his first look at me was down the aisle.  This moment turned out to be the most adoring smile ever!
• Both parents giving the bride and/or groom away during the ceremony.
• The bride and groom walking down the aisle way together at the start of the ceremony.
• Cultural decorations such as having certain flowers, lanterns, archway, or a special canopy.
• Special Blessing or Poem in the native language.  Can be said during your Iceland wedding ceremony, used as a toast, or simply on display at the reception.
• Petal Toss (Showering the bride and groom with rose petals on an entrance or exit).
• During your wedding ceremony in Iceland, incorporate having a meaningful Love Letter Ceremony.  Years later we are still so excited we did this!  So much that we have decided to write a letter to each other every year on our Anniversary.  See our Love Letter update post here.

Iceland Wedding Reception Ideas for Cultural Traditions:

• Food (having several served courses or a certain type of ethnic food).
• Serving a dessert that is different than a traditional wedding cake (Example, an Icelandic wedding cake is traditionally a Kransakaka.  We personally decided against both of those items and served our guests chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream).
• Memorial station or flowers in remembrance of those who have passed.
• Carrying the bride over the threshold.
• A wedding favor that incorporates your culture in some way.
• Several cultures have the breaking of plates, glasses, or vases during the reception to signify “new beginnings.”
• Incorporate your parents/grandparents wedding memento (such as champagne flutes).
• A special dance to your countries customary music.
• Releasing wish lanterns at the end of your wedding night.  Each guest makes a wish for the newlywed couple!

We hope today’s you have fallen in love with a few of these traditions and they got you thinking about possibly incorporating them into your own local or destination wedding in Iceland.   We leave you today with Emad and Mela as our wedding photo inspiration!

Emad & Mela, thank you for choosing Photos by Miss Ann to tell your wedding day story!  As we said above, your wedding was one with so much energy, love, and excitement it will forever be one of our favorites.  We hope you are able to relive your wedding day through our images now and in decades to come!  Enjoy…

With a smile,

Ann & Chris Peters

Experts in Weddings in Iceland (Feel free to contact us here).

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

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