Christophe: 

NYC Digital Guru who is an epicurean of all things delicious.  Dapper from head to toe.  Addicted to super cool things like Iceland, adventure travel, and Mary.

Mary:

She is hands down the most adventurous, compassionate, and thoughtful person I have ever met.  She cares about others on a level that doesn’t exist in most people. Not to mention she is also one of the most beautiful!

Together:

They make my cheeks hurt from smiling so much by simply just being around them.  The love they radiate is contagious, serves as an example to the world and makes you want to love whoever is in your life, harder and deeper.  …and they adventure together, often.

Quickly bonding over their shared obsession for good food, adventure seeking, travel, love of motorcycles and a continuous curiosity with Iceland…. They soon found themselves ~2,100 feet up on top of Whistler Mountain the day after Valentine’s Day where Christophe got down on one knee and proposed a lifetime of love and epic adventures to Mary.  She said “yes” and Iceland destination wedding planning began!  ::Update:: Checkout more of their amazing images on the Destination I Do blog, when they featured it, HERE!

One of the most important aspects of having a wedding in Iceland was that Christophe and Mary wanted to share in an EXPERIENCE with their friends and family not just have a wedding day like they could have back in the USA (church to reception).  To their guests surprise they were invited to an epic wedding day journey beside Mary and Christophe exploring the purest areas of Iceland.  Come along with me as I share with you some highlights from their 100+ person Rugged Adventure Wedding in Iceland!  All images you’ll see below were captured by myself and other primary photographer, Jean Smith!

Also check out Destination I Do Magazine’s blog for more from their amazing day (and specifics from the couple!), HERE!

The day began in a quaint little village called Vik.  The town of Vik is about 2.5 hours from the capital of Reykjavik.  The area is known for some of the most stunning landscapes but also the most amount of wind and rain.  It’s a tradeoff risk Christophe and Mary were willing to take.  “Boots and Suits” were the dress code theme and within each guest’s welcome bag they found some helpful items to help during the adventure like a backpack for a shoe change and an emergency rain poncho.  How fun, right?

By 9:30am their 100+ guests gathered in the hotel lobby and patiently waited for the super jeeps to arrive.  They were shuttled up to the top of the hill in the village where a beautiful white and red church sits overlooking the village.

Christophe and Mary professed their endless love to each other in that sweet little countryside church.

From there, we went waterfall hunting!  After hiking for 10 minutes their group was greeted with a secret waterfall to explore!

Did you know that between all of our 9+ Super Jeeps we had for their 100+ person Iceland wedding adventure the bride and groom had the ability to talk to their guests and sync a music playlist?  You can only imagine how that increased everyone’s excitement level!

The second stop on the adventure wedding agenda was a hot dog bbq lunch in a private cave!  To get there, we forged some sweet rivers and jammed out to music.  Once there everyone ate a delicious lamb hot dog with all the sauces (Icelanders LOVE their sauces) and fixings (like raw and fried onions), toasted with Christophe’s family’s champagne (La Caravelle) and had a fun Icelandic sing-along.  The energy from all the excitement in there was intoxicating and truly an unforgettable experience!

A subglacial volcano was the next exploration spot.  It rained a lot, but the smiles just got bigger the closer we got to the glacier.  Everyone was in utter awe of the colors, depth, tones, and textures.  And even in the rain, Christophe and Mary bounced around laughing and playing together hand in hand.

The final stop for the guests was my favorite private beach.  It comes complete with epic sea arch, black sand, and a stunning glacier view.  To say everyone enjoyed would be an understatement!

The team of Iceland wedding photographers and videographers continued to our last stop with just the bride and groom….  A private canyon area where some of my favorite shots from the day were taken!

The rest of the group had about an hour to rest and refresh before they were invited to delight in an incredible four course Icelandic meal.  Many amazing toasts, endless laughs, delicious cocktails, and dancing kept the night lively. Then close to the final hour the couple cut their traditional Icelandic wedding cake for a sweet treat!

Just when you thought the night might be coming to an end, several folks in the group went on a Northern Lights hunt.  They were successful too, somewhere around 2am!  Perfect end to a fabulous September wedding in Iceland!  Our friends at Two Penny Productions created a lovely video (including those dancing Northern Lights) documenting Christophe and Mary’s adventurous wedding day in Iceland.  We encourage you to go check it out here and leave them some love!

Mary + Christophe,

Ugh. You two!!  You’re disgustingly BEAUTIFUL humans, both individually and together.  Getting to know you over the last 2 years has been a super fun experience!  I’m going to miss our 5am Skype calls and your witty emails.  But!  You will not escape me anytime I come to NYC or you come to Iceland

I cannot say it any better than my friend Pastor Egill… “Part of your home is here now.  You are home here in Iceland.”  I know you know this in your hearts, feel this, and that you will always come back to have more experiences and incredible adventures here.  I’m excited to see your marriage and journey unfold!  Lots of love and hugs to you!!

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

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

The post Vik Iceland Rugged Adventure Wedding: Christophe + Mary appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Allow me to introduce you to Sheena and Todd.  They rock!

Although these two hail from Seattle, Washington, they are beautiful old souls from the Norse era.  So it was only a matter of time before they found their way to the land of fire and ice, and get married in Iceland.  Everything screamed nontraditional about this gorgeous wedding from start to finish.  Todd and Sheena spent the morning together quietly getting ready before the hustle and bustle of the adventure began.

Once 8am came the everyone gathered in the hotel lobby anxiously awaiting where they were going and what they would see and do for their adventure wedding in Iceland…

Sheena and Todd held firm on the surprise and didn’t let on until we arrived at each location.  A rare lava tube cave awaited them for their Asatru wedding ceremony spot!  This specific lava tube is over 4600 years old and currently holds the record of being Iceland’s fourth longest.  To say guests were impressed would be a simple understatement.  As they took steps down into the cave and made their way to the beautiful holed platform it was like we were all transferred back in time, it was magical.

Between the setting within the cave, the fire, the words of the Norse celebrant, the oath rings, Viking horn, thoughtful vows, and the fact the groom not only presented the bride with a sword as a gift but that he read his vows from it (the bride read hers from an Emily Dickinson book of poems), I’m not sure which part blew my mind more!

As if it would be possible to top their ceremony spot, we tried!  A private black sand beach was luckily our next stop where Sheena and Todd ran around hand in hand in the sand.

We found our way to our lunch stop in one of the oldest villages in Iceland where a traditional old turf house still lives.  Everyone sat down and had a picnic, it was fantastic!

The groom adores lighthouses so of course one was next on the agenda!

A wedding in Iceland, would not be complete without a stunning waterfall to swoon over.  The one Sheena and Todd loved the most was in Thingvellir National Park, Oxararfoss Waterfall.  The guests were happy to toast well wishes to the couple and explore the waterfall and also all around the famed tectonic plates throughout this beautiful UNESCO site!

An awesome dinner complete with red velvet cupcakes was a perfect ending to this intimate destination wedding in Iceland!

Sheena + Todd, You two and the magical energy between you makes me smile!  Thank you for choosing us to plan and photography such an unforgettable Iceland wedding day!  We urge you to come back to Iceland again sooner than later for another epic adventure! ? ? ?

See more from their wedding featured on our favorite wedding blog… Offbeat Bride!

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

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

The post Iceland Wedding in a Lava Tube Cave | Sheena + Todd appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.