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20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:15:52 +0000

Hello and Woohoo to you considering Iceland as your destination wedding location!

Thanks so much for joining us for our second installment of 20 tips for planning your Iceland wedding! If you missed the first half of this series, feel free to go back and delight in it here. As having been married in Iceland ourselves, we know firsthand how crazy awesome it is as a destination wedding location. We also know how difficult it can be planning a wedding if you are unfamiliar with the country, so feel free to contact us! We’d love to hear from you!

We hope these tips prove to be a helpful tool in deciding if an Iceland weeding is in your future!

11. Before you embark on your journey, request that your Iceland wedding official/celebrant sends you the full service in print so you and your fiancé can review and make changes if needed. If writing your own vows or having a unity ceremony make him/her conscious of this ahead of time. Many of the priests and magistrates in Iceland are unfamiliar with North American wedding customs.

12. Have your wedding budget detailed out in your own currency and in ISK (Icelandic currency). The exchange rate changes daily. When budget planning 12 months out from your Iceland wedding date, fluctuations in the rate (and VAT increases) can have a significant impact on your overall costs.

13. Do not be afraid to ship in your own wedding details ahead of time to ensure they meet your standards and vision. We imported over 16,000 freeze-dried rose petals for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss. For more information on this topic, please see our blog post on Importing Your Iceland Wedding Details.

14. Having a wedding Iceland wedding timeline card (schedule) available when your guests check-in to the hotel is a great way to help keep your guests on track. This extra detail will let everyone know what festivities are in store during their stay. Not sure what to include or why? Don’t fret! We wrote a great post about Wedding Issues you can check out to ease your mind.

15. For an extra special wedding welcome, provide your guests with an Iceland Wedding Welcome Bag. They made the trip to Iceland to see you get married, now spoil them with some local super sweet luxuries to use during their stay.

16. Take your Iceland wedding dress off the bridal store’s hanger and say no to plastic hangers! Bring a personalized wooden one that says your future name (Example: Mrs. Smith), or “The Bride,” “Love,” “I Do,” etc! This is a delightful detail for your Iceland wedding photographers to capture. Example of what that looks like, here.

17. Do not be afraid to talk with your photographers candidly about your vision and what you need captured, it’s important to make that clear. See why this topic is so important in our previous blog post, here.

18. Understand that you may not have an ideal weather day for your wedding in Iceland and just accept it. The day might bring rain, sleet, snow, be cloudy, or be blazing with endless sunshine, who knows! Storms approach and blow through quickly. You may just have to wait 15 mins or so. Above all, have a feasible “Plan B” option if holding your wedding ceremony outside. Our advice to you is to either an indoor locale on standby or umbrellas for each guest readily available.

19. If having guests attend your Iceland destination wedding, plan a fun post wedding day group activity that all ages can participate in. Idea: We designed a self-drive highlight tour of the Golden Circle, Seltun/Krýsuvík Lava Field, and the Blue Lagoon the next day with our guests. Check out our previous blog post here on that topic.

20. Make your honeymoon a separate trip and enjoy your trip to Iceland with all who have come to share it with you. We actually waited 6 months to take our honeymoon and were so glad we did! Check our Bali Indonesia Honeymoon Portraits here.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed today’s post and it has provided you with some better insight into the many things to consider when planning your destination wedding in Iceland. Think this may be for you? Talk to us today on how Iceland Wedding Planner and Photos by Miss Ann can complement your wedding day in Iceland! Please feel free to contact us directly here.

Today’s wedding day photo inspiration comes from a gorgeous wedding we had the pleasure of photographing on Saturday, September 7^th on the esteemed Infinity Ovation Yacht. Beth and Jarret have become very dear friends to Chris and I over the past few years. We were honored and super excited when they asked us to photograph the most important day of their lives! They are a pair who is very adventurous, challenge each other, and they have a relentless love and admiration for each other that is unmistakable.

Beth was already one of the most gorgeous women I know, but to see her as a bride on her wedding day took my breath away! Oh man and Jarret…in his bow tie, suit, and perfect smile -so handsome! The Day: It was an ideal moment in Saint Clair Shores with early fall temperatures and endless blue skies overhead for their ceremony. Chris and I spilt up for an early morning start to this amazing event. Beth and her ladies started at the MGM Casino and Jarret and his groomsmen began their day right around the corner from the Jefferson Beach Marina.

The 11am ceremony brought all who love them together in celebration. The captain of the boat married them and the horn of the yacht blew in announcement of the newlywed Mr. and Mrs.! How fun, right? After the ceremony, all of the guests boarded the boat to enjoy an afternoon cruise. A strolling gourmet lunch was served while the yacht boasted amazing views around the Detroit River including the historic Ambassador Bridge! Jarret and Beth, we hope these images speak to you and forever seal that marvelous moment in time for you! Thank you for choosing Photos by Miss Ann to tell your wedding day story! Now please delight in their wedding day BLISS below…

Lots of Smiles and positive planning vibes, Ann & Chris Peters

Husband and Wife Iceland Wedding Planning & Photography Team

The post 20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

20 Tips for Getting Married in Iceland (Part 1 of 2)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 01:15:55 +0000

Hi Friend!

There you are engaged, starry-eyed and in love debating on destination wedding locations… When you stumble over the idea of having your wedding in Iceland! Is it even possible? Do people actually get married in Iceland? Of course it is! We did it and now specialize in planning and photographing weddings for other amazing couples in Iceland! Okay, so now that we have you super excited that it’s possible, contact us for more information on being your wedding planner and Iceland wedding photographers!

Today we begin a two part series on advice for planning your Iceland destination wedding. Here is our 10 out of 20 Iceland wedding planning tips for this week!

1.) Give yourself an absolute minimum of 6 months to plan your destination wedding in Iceland. If you’re planning to elope in Iceland, plan for a minimum of 4 months before. To insure your Iceland wedding dream spot is available book 12-16 months before your date.

2.) Apply for a credit card that offers free foreign transactions. When we were planning our Iceland destination wedding, we chose the Chase Sapphire Card. We earned points for every dollar we spent while avoiding that 3% transaction fee on every international purchase. This savings on your Iceland wedding budget can be put towards that epic honeymoon!

3.) Fully explore all of the possible locations you could hold your Iceland ceremony. Maybe on top of a Glacier? In the middle of lava fields? Seljalandsfoss Waterfall? Vik Beach? Gulfoss? Ranga River? Lake Mývatn? Dettifoss Waterfall? In an Icelandic country church? Downtown Reykjavik? Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon? In one of Iceland’s many gorgeous canyons? In front of a basalt rock formation? The natural wonders for Iceland wedding venues are endless, so think hard on where you see yourself getting married.

4.) Do your research on the time of year you want to marry in Iceland. The amount of daylight varies depending on the day/month so be mindful. Iceland can range from 4 hours to 22 hours of daylight a day. We have a fantastic post here on the “Best Time to Marry in Iceland.” Also check out one of our favorite sites: Time & Date for specific information on how many hours of daylight you may have on your proposed Iceland wedding date.

5.) Currently you do not need a “permit” to marry at any of Iceland’s natural wonders.

6.) Make sure you’re in Iceland at least 2 business days before your wedding date. In order to obtain your Iceland marriage license, you must be in the country 2 business days before you get married. Hard copies of the documents are due 2-3 weeks before you arrive in Iceland. Please keep this in mind as you finalize your travel plans.

7.) Trip Advisor, Google Images, and Wikipedia are magnificent tools for understanding where things are in Iceland and what they look like as you plan your Iceland wedding adventure.

8.) When you’re getting ready to send out your Iceland wedding Invitations, create a wedding website detailing your chosen location, your booked flight information, Iceland wedding host hotel information, activities you want to do, coupon or booking codes, and your week/end Iceland wedding schedule so guests are comfortable booking ASAP. Send your Iceland wedding website URL with your wedding invitation.

9.) Change it up by having a “Love Letter Ceremony” in place of a sand ceremony, unity candle or tying the knot ceremony. It is very unique and will provide a very special moment for you both then and years later.

10.) If you plan to say “I do” at one of Iceland’s gorgeous waterfalls (like Seljalandsfoss Waterfall) we recommend renting a sound system with a wireless microphone. It is tough to compete the roar of a epic waterfall in the background. Having a sound system insures every word is heard and that music can be included in your ceremony.

We hope you have enjoyed our post today on tips for getting married in Iceland! Stay tuned next week for the remaining segment on this wonderful topic! (If you’re just joining us see the continuation to this post at 20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2)).

And if you just can’t wait or find “Part 2” here it is!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Planning and Photography Team)

The post 20 Tips for Getting Married in Iceland (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Whimsical Iceland Wedding Invitations (Part 3 of 3)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:00:52 +0000

Hello to you Bride and Grooms to Be!

Welcome to Part 3 of 3 of our series on destination wedding invitations.

A few weeks ago, we featured the fun topic of Extravagant Destination Wedding Invitations and last week, we chatted about Creative Destination Wedding Invitations for Iceland Weddings that were of a moderate cost and added in few unique inclusions. Today, we are going to talk about the final level and option for destination wedding invitations: the whimsical kind!

One of the really wonderful things about having a wedding invitation that has minimal frills but still is fanciful, is that you save on you wedding budget. Who doesn’t love that?! Having no specific needs for elaborate inserts, visuals, extra envelopes, (etc.,) really decreases the costs that can quickly emerge as you design your local or destination wedding invitations.

I’ve peaked your curiosity you say? So you’re dying to know what is classified as a whimsical invitation design, I bet. According to us, it is an invitation that is vibrant in color, has a dreamy font, eloquent in statement and most of all reflects you as a couple! An invitation that makes your guests say, “Aww, how cute are they?! I cannot wait for their wedding!” We’re seeing a new trend emerge that takes a lighter and even humorous approach to the usual RSVP/Reply Card for weddings which add in some guest banter like inserting your own wedding “Mad Lib” for your guests to fill in (example below). That option may be something you’ll want to consider if you’re not head over heels about the typical reply cards.

The invitation does not need to be elaborate in fact; many guests appreciate the frankness of a modest destination wedding invitation rather than having the cutesy frill inclusions. They simply just want to know who, what, where, and when. Each to his own, right? I can appreciate all sides particularly when this side of the fence can be a significant Iceland wedding budget saver. Especially if it means you can allocate those funds toward other things like having an awesome destination wedding planner and a husband and wife Iceland wedding photography team! =)

To give you a real wedding in Iceland example, one of our favorite couples for 2014 made the unique decision to email their wedding invitations to their 50+ guests. They plan to have each guest respond via their fun wedding website (Think: Iceland destination wedding RSVP). This could easily be a savings of $200+ USD depending on how large your guest list is. So now I’m guessing the big question you have is how do you execute this idea properly? Good question!

Here’s our advice on the steps to a flawless destination wedding invitation timeline:

First, set a wedding date that is more than 10 months before your desired date. If you have done so, make sure you send out Iceland Save-the-Dates several months before so your guests know to reserve that time period ahead of time (emailing this is an option too!). But giving everyone an opportunity to plan/save ahead time is proper wedding etiquette.

Second, know your vision for your wedding day… do you want it to be soft and sweet, bold and adventurous, or an in between neutral mix? Figuring this out will allow you to choose colors and the vibe your invitation will exude to your Iceland wedding guests.

Narrow down what you would like to include with your destination wedding invitation (see last week’s post here on what is usually included). [Invitation wording can be tricky but don’t fret; we’ll have a future blog post guiding you on this subject!]

Have your awesome Iceland Wedding Planner design/find/present to you unique options for your wedding Iceland wedding invite.

Discuss with your fiancé(e) the pros, cons, and feel of each option. Which option reflects the two of you and your wedding style best? How do you think your guests will react?

{If printing} Decide on your favorite and get them ordered! (Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: Order 8+ months before your big day to avoid rush charges).

{Step by Step Directions: If Emailing Your Wedding Invitation}

1. Create a wedding only email address that will be used strictly to catch all of your Iceland wedding guest RSVP’s (IE, EmandPenIceland20XX@gmail.com). This makes life more organized if your guest list is larger than 10 people.

2. Setup an RSVP page on your wedding website and also input your meal choices if possible (so you do not need to collect this information separately). Note: If having an Iceland Wedding Welcome Dinner (Iceland Wedding Rehearsal Dinner), you may also want to have folks RSVP at that time as well. Or else send another RSVP for that event 3-4 months before.

3. Collect everyone’s email addresses (if you haven’t yet).

4. Plan to email the invitation ~8-12 months before your wedding date and give your guests 2.5 months to acknowledge and reply. For instance, if getting married in Iceland in October 2014 you would want to send out your wedding invitations no later than November 2013 and ask for your guests for the favor of their reply by February 1^st 2014 (8-9 months before) or sooner.

Two options on how to approach actually emailing the wedding invite:

Blind Copy (BCC) your guests in a mass email wedding invitation.

Personalize to each guest (our recommendation to you). If personalizing, you should formally invite your guests. For instance, address by saying, “Ms./Mr. & Guest” or “Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Peters.” Wedding invitations are formal so it is important to still convey that even through an email.

5. About 3 weeks before your requested RSVP date, plan to send out a follow up email gently reminding your Iceland destination wedding guests about finalizing their decision. Usually when people get that kind reminder they will jump into gear to request time off, book flights, reserve a room at your Iceland wedding host hotel, and browse around your wedding website for your pre/post wedding itinerary.

6. Any stragglers that have not responded two weeks past your requested response date I would email them a personal little note checking in to make sure they received the email invitation and were able to open it. That simple, leave the ball in their court with no pressure and if more time passes (another 2 weeks) and no response call them. Whoever is closer to the friend or family member reach out to them individually and understand what might be keeping them from replying. Is it a timing issue, money, travel fear, inexperience, etc? See what you can do to help get them there. …and if nothing, do not worry yourself over it, you tried your best to accommodate their situation.

7. At the 90, 60, 30 day countdown to your wedding day in Iceland send an email or write a blog post about your excitement and share your activity itinerary with your guests.

8. If you’re a super planner like we were, calling your guests 15 days before to ask them if they had any questions is a really sweet gesture especially to those who do not travel all the time. That call will give them confidence! [Personal Experience: The majority Ann’s family members had never traveled outside of the Midwest, so many of them had anxiety over traveling to Iceland. That phone call days before gave them the boost they needed to put on their “adventurous game face.”]

9. Remind your guests it’s a good idea to bring the wedding invitation, a copy of their passport (along with the real thing), and travel itinerary so that they can quickly get through customs with no issues. Feel free to also share with them our previous blog post on what to pack as an Iceland wedding guest here.

Hopefully you found the above a pretty straightforward timeline on how to execute your destination wedding invitations. Below, you’ll find some gorgeously fun examples of some whimsical Iceland destination wedding invitations. We’d like to thank Brian & Tiffany for allowing us to share some of their Iceland wedding invitation options they were considering and Paisley & Robert as well! Thank you! Lastly, we’d like to give our compliments to the two gorgeous vendors that worked with us on some of these design elements within the invitations below: Thank you May and Belle and Wedding Chicks! Check them out! [As a side note about May and Belle: She is a talented designer from Australia who creates map related stylish wall art and a few are geared specifically for weddings, so fun! She so beautifully created the Iceland heart map used in Paisley & Robert’s Vik Beach wedding invitation you see below].

In case you’re finding this blog post at the end of this series; feel free to go back to our previous posts for additional Iceland wedding inspiration:

Creative Destination Wedding Invitations for Iceland Weddings (Part 1 of 3)

Extravagant Destination Wedding Invitations (Part 2 of 3)

Otherwise, we hope you have enjoyed our posts the past few weeks as much as we did creating them. These posts made us feel like newlyweds all over again swooning all over these choices and details! If you’re planning a wedding in Iceland, love details, adventure, and awesome photography- we’d love to hear from you feel free to contact us!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographers

The post Whimsical Iceland Wedding Invitations (Part 3 of 3) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Iceland Wedding Guest Advice (Updated for 2023)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:27:01 +0000

One of the hardest things to do while planning your Iceland destination wedding is being accommodating to all of your guests. You need to take a step back and put yourself in their shoes. Likely, you have guests of all ages, different levels of travel experience, and possibly different health and diet concerns. Therefore it is important to provide them with has much education and information, so they feel you have consideration for them. To have an epic wedding means to have thought of every detail. So come along with us as we share with you some sharable Iceland wedding guest advice!

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:

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.
However, if you haven’t hired our team, you may want to disclose the location in advance so guests do not visit it!
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.
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:

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!

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