But…. If you have some extra funds that you can put towards even just 3 of the items below, you will create a more memorable visual experience for your guests / selves during your fabulous Iceland wedding reception dinner.  Many of the options below are affordable and will make a huge difference in your overall ambiance during your Iceland wedding reception.

1: LOVE Balloons 

This is a personal favorite of us here at Iceland Wedding Planner because this not only is super fun (warm and inviting), but it photographs well throughout the entire night.

2: Chair Ties

Having chair ties is an affordable way to dress up your Iceland wedding reception.  Imagine how beautiful the space can look when you add in a chair tie that compliments your color scheme too!  These can easily add to the “wow factor” to your guests.

3: Place Cards

I personally love having assigned seating place cards for several reasons, such as the following: They can bring full circle your color scheme, dress up the table, give your guests something to swoon over, they can act as a “meal choice” marker, they avoid chaos / awkward moments between guests.

4: Charger Plates 

5:  Create warm ambiance with tall candles down the table

6:  Iceland Wedding Dinner Menu’s

This is a brilliant and budget friendly (even do-it-yourself) item that makes a huge difference not only in the place setting (hello pretty Iceland wedding photos) but also to your guests!  It’s nice to know what they’ll be eating, you know?  …and this is an easy way to communicate to your guests what you are offering in the bar on your tab.  I adore pretty dual purpose Iceland wedding decor items!

7: Marquee Signs 

They add a fantastic fun flare, so why not!

8: Table Runners

9: Colored Napkins

I would say 85% of the Iceland wedding venues and restaurants offer white / white linens.  The other 15% does paper napkins.  So how about bringing in your own cloth napkins that goes along with your Iceland wedding color scheme or renting some from us?

10: Hang Something in the Room!

Examples could be… A bubble wall, glass globes, a background, lights, etc.

11: Iceland Wedding Party Favors

Everyone enjoys getting a little thoughtful treat!  Add to your guests Iceland wedding adventure experience by surprising them with a party favor!  Could be things like… Icelandic Chocolates, Salts, Wool Items, Soaps, Moss/Lava Candles, Books, etc to have as your Iceland wedding favors.

12: Icelandic Wedding Cake

Did you know there is a super cool Icelandic tradition that goes with the Kransakaka (Iceland wedding cake)?

13: Napkin Rings

14: Special Glasses that are themed

15: Chandeliers

Add a easy elegance to your Iceland wedding reception decor.  Can be fancy or rustic!

16: Craft Your Own Personal Sign

What a lovely way to add a bit of your personalities into your Iceland wedding reception!  Hanging a fun sign like “The Adventure Begins,” “Adventure Together,” or even simply “Just Married” is a fun reminder of why everyone came to Iceland in the first place!

17: Chair Covers

18: Embrace the local Nature into your Design Plan

Could be including items like… Driftwood, Moss (dried like the below, do not take live), Basalt Rocks, Wool, Reindeer Furs, etc (Special Note: Please talk to landowners before you even THINK about going scavenging).

19: Chair Signs

20: Add in your Adventures Together!

Have you visited a ton of places together or have a dream to adventure together to a long list of places?!  Then incorporate those dreamy locales into your Iceland wedding reception centerpiece decor!  Guests appreciate (and often “wow-ed” by) that personal touch!

21: Rent your Iceland Wedding Reception Décor from Iceland Wedding Planner!

It’s not easy to haul an entire suitcase(s) full of wedding planning decor to Iceland (remember, I’ve been there done that almost a decade ago!)!   That said, we encourage you to take a look at the Rental section of our website and inquire about the availability of an item(s) you love.

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

The post 21 Practical Decorating Ideas to Enhance Your Iceland Wedding Reception appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Where in Iceland do you get married if you’re a fun Canadian couple, who are thrill seekers, and have a love for earthy natural wonders?  …On top of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier on the Southern rim of Katla Volcano, that’s where!

Ha =)  Thanks for coming back this week to see Tara and Landon hold their Iceland wedding ceremony on the top of a glacier in Iceland.  Hopefully you enjoyed their Thingvellir Engagement Session (Iceland Pre-Wedding Session) and Iceland wedding video over the last few weeks!

The early morning of Tara and Landon’s wedding day on June 27^th was spent at a wonderful geothermal hotel named Frost & Fire Guesthouse in Southern Iceland’s hot spring town of Hveragerði. The hotel grounds are full of geothermal heat vents and all the hotel rooms sit beside the gorgeous Varma River.  All of which made for a very dreamy backdrop as the bride and groom got ready for their day together.  Shortly after 9am, we all loaded up and drove about 1.5 hours west to Arcanum to meet the glacier guide and Icelandic pastor for the journey up to the top of the glacier.  The anticipation to get to the top of the glacier was off the charts!  The bride and groom could not stop swapping smiles, laughing, and taking an occasional fun shot of Brennivin through the bumpy ride.  They were too cute!

Tara and Landon’s Iceland wedding ceremony spot was on the top of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier on the Southern rim of the famed Katla Volcano.  (Which as a fun side note… The volcano is actually way over overdue for an eruption (– last was in 1918).  Had they chosen to hold their ceremony one week later, they would have been forced to choose another location as they a week later did not allow any tours to the top, due to glacier flooding).  After a 40 minute climb to the top, we were there and in the clouds!

As soon as we arrived the champagne went in the snow… What better way to chill champagne than on the glacier itself!  To all of our surprise, it was hot (like 55 degrees!) on top of the glacier!  It was so warm the bride took off her Icelandic shawl!  During the ceremony the sun tried burning through the clouds during the ceremony and totally succeeded with giving us some blue skies.  The brides white ¾ length dress, red boots, yellow and red Icelandic poppy paper bouquet and the groom’s complementary accents really popped next to all of the white snow, it was gorgeous and so fun!

During their glacier wedding ceremony, three really sweet things happened… First they exchanged vow books to silently read, so special!  Second, they did a really unique unity ceremony which was a beautiful Australian tradition called the “Stone Unity Ceremony.” I sadly will not do it justice so I am going share verbatim…

“To be further united Tara and Landon, since you are both Geoscientists and share a love of the earth, you have chosen to embrace an Australian marriage tradition by casting a stone into a nearby river or ocean – thus symbolizing your marriage remaining together while the tides of time ebb and flow over your lives.  Since we are standing here today in Iceland on a river of ice, I invite you to bury 2 stones into the glacier today to symbolize your togetherness.  The two stones you have chosen are gemstone hearts made of Jade and Rose Quartz.

Jade is an ancient stone that is a powerful symbol of successful love, wisdom, beauty and serenity.  It is also protective stone that protects and supports loving energy and guards against misfortune.  Landon will bury the jade heart beside Tara’s heart, as today he pledges his love for Tara and promises to protect her and their love.

Rose quartz is often called the “Love Stone” and promotes unconditional love, forgiveness, infinite peace and compassion. It represents harmony in happy loving relationships and teaches us about the true essence of love.  Tara will bury the rose quartz heart beside Landon’s heart, as today she pledges her love for Landon and promises to nurture their unconditional love.

Once buried today, these gemstones will travel together in the glacier through time.  This action will symbolize how far you have and will travel together and how your love will always be steadily moving forward.  Tara and Landon, will you now bury your stones.”

As they buried their stones the Icelandic pastor, Egill read a special Eskimo Love Poem.  Swoon!!!!!  It was so beautiful!  The conclusion of the ceremony included a really sweet Icelandic blessing.  Once finished, the Iceland Wedding Planners popped open a bottle champagne and served them some delicious Icelandic treats.  They took some time alone to walk around hand in hand and explored the glacier together.  Several stops along the way down from the glacier top proved to be gorgeous spots for Iceland wedding photos!

Stay tuned next week for more of their Iceland wedding adventures… some pretty EPIC images coming your way!

With a smile, Ann (Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner)

© 2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Glacier Wedding: Mýrdalsjökull Glacier (Katla Volcano) 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.

The post Cultural Weddings 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.

This weeks planning wedding topic has to do with your Iceland wedding ceremony… Wedding vows!  Have you thought about them yet?  If not, I hope this blog post motivates you!

Wedding Vows are intimate expressions that are a continuous reminder of the foundation of your marriage.  On your wedding day, you outwardly profess: love, respect, and commitment to your soon to be in front of your support system of family and friends.  No matter if you repeat the solemn words from your officiant or you create your own they carry a meaning that lasts forever and should be celebrated each year in your marriage thereafter.  You need to decide as a couple whether or not you want to repeat or create your own wedding vows… so here are a few ideas to get those creative juices flowing:

• Accepting each other fully and for a lifetime.
• Through the good, bad, and unmanageable times.
• Endless and irrefutable love and adoration.
• Your lifetime promise to him/her.
• How he/she inspires you to be a better person.

There are positives and negatives to both but I will say from personal experience, creating your own is worth it in the long run.  Being wedding photographers locally in Plymouth, Michigan and specializing in destination weddings for over 10 years, Chris and I have been lucky enough to bear witness to over hundreds of wedding vows.  That being said, we know truly, how much of an impact they carry in the moment and over time.  This in turn, made us realize when we were Iceland wedding planning, how important it was for us to create our own wedding vows.

We held our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall on Saturday, April 14^th 2012 and had spent weeks before perfecting our Iceland ceremony wording and our wedding vows.  Today, I share with you our Iceland ceremony we compiled… Feel free to use it to generate your own ideas for your Iceland destination wedding vows but please do not publish, thank you!

Our Introduction and Welcome to our Iceland Wedding Guests:

“True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons.  In its right relation, it’s the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other.  When such a true bond already exists between man and woman, it is fitting that an outer acknowledgment be made. This acknowledgment is the prime object of this gathering and this ceremony here in Iceland today.  We are here to bear witness to the entry into the closer relationship of husband and wife of these beloved friends, Christopher and Ann who are already one in spirit.

You are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best.  You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust as well. Christopher and Ann, you are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and to share love.   At the end of this ceremony, you will be husband and wife, but you still must decide each and every day, that you want to be married.  Make such a decision and keep on making it, for the most important thing in life is to love and be loved.

Reading by 4 friends:  The Art of Marriage –By Wilferd Arlan Peterson

The Vows <Join Hands>:

 Chris’s Vows:  “Ann falling in love with you the last few years has been an incredible experience.  Your will, your energy and thirst for life inspires me on a daily basis.  I promise to love you, hold you and to work with you to build a solid foundation for our future to be built on.  Today, I ask that you take these hands because they are the ones that hold you.  That you take these feet because they are the ones that walk besides you.  That you take this smile for it glows because of you. And that you take this heart because it beats for you.”

Ann’s Vows:  “On this special day in one of the most amazing places in the world and I commit my life to you.  Chris, I fell in love with you for the unique qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, I love you for who you are and the amazing team we make together.  I promise to love you without reservation, encourage you to achieve all of your goals and inspire you daily.   To laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggles.  To grow with you in mind and spirit and be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship new and exciting… I promise to always be open and honest with you, and share hopes, thoughts and dreams as we build our lives together.  I am super excited to build a home with you that is compassionate, respectful and honorable for each other. I pledge to love you in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer, and for when you buy more British cars than our garage can hold…  I will cherish you and the family that we share together for as long as we both shall live. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone.  Today, I give you my hand to hold, my life to share and my heart to keep.”

 The  RINGS:
This ring by its shape is a symbol of the undying love that exists between you. The substance of which it is composed is a symbol of purity, which shall ever characterize your mind and hearts in all your whole life together.

Christopher please repeat after me as you place the ring on Ann’s finger:  “As this ring encircles your finger, from this day forward, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love.”

 Ann, please repeat after me as you place the ring on Christopher’s finger:  “As this ring encircles your finger, from this day forward, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love.”

 Love Letter Ceremony:

Christopher and Ann have chosen as a couple to perform a Letter Ceremony. 

<The box is to be presented>

This box contains a love letter from each to the other.   The letters Chris and Ann have wrote to each other describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry today.   Ann’s mother, Irene and Christopher’s parents, Donna and Bill have also written their children a letter individually and another letter to the couple together expressing their hopes and advice for their future together.  The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and the couple has not seen what has been written.  I would ask, now that the parents bring forth their letters to be placed in the box.

<Parents walk up and place the letters in the box>

 Christopher and Ann, I recommend that you keep the box in a place of honor prominently displayed in your home as a constant reminder of your commitment to each other today.  Should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to as a couple, open this box and read the letters.   By reading these letters you will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here in Iceland today. The hope is, however, that you will never have a reason to open this box.   And if this is the case, you are to open this box as a celebration to enjoy on your 20th wedding anniversary!

That being said, Christopher and Ann, I will now lock the box as an expression of sealing your life-long commitment. 

Hand Ceremony:

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will someday tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Christopher and Ann, may you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness.  May you want one another, but not out of lack.  May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another.  May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces.  Look for things to praise, often say ‘I love you’ and take no notice of small faults.  May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy.  May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another every day.  Ann and Chris, you have expressed your love to one another through the commitment and promises you have just made throughout this ceremony. It is with these in mind that I pronounce you husband and wife.

The Kiss:

Although, you have kissed a thousand times, maybe more.  But today the feeling is new.  You are no longer simply partners and best friends, you have become husband and wife and can now seal the agreement with a kiss.  Today, your kiss is a lifetime promise.  Congratulations, Christopher, you may now celebrate by kissing your bride!”

*************************************************************************************************

Even just reading through these words again, really brings me back to our Iceland wedding day.  It was filled with so much love, adventure, romance, and excitement for both ourselves and our guests.  From saying our Iceland wedding vows at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, to our wedding champagne toast at Vik Beach, to our impromptu stops at the Vik Icelandic Wool Shop and Skogafoss Waterfall, and our wedding reception on the Ranga River those words bring us right back there in the midst of that exciting time in our lives.   We hope that our Iceland wedding ceremony wording will help you as you plan your amazing destination wedding in Iceland!

We have some super exciting posts coming up in the next few weeks!  You can look forward to our Iceland wedding anniversary photos and an Iceland styled shoot featuring our favorite vendors like Flyboy Naturals!

With a smile, Ann Peters

IcelandWeddingPlanner

PhotosByMissAnn

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

The post Iceland Wedding Vows appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

By planning a destination wedding, you are already committing to go outside of the general wedding planning “box.”  So why not continue with adding an element to your wedding ceremony content that is as unique as your love?

Since we’re local and destination wedding photographers and own, Photos by Miss Ann, we have witnessed endless amounts of ceremonies that draw in religious, cultural, and spiritual elements and have seen them done in a hundred of different ways.  Think: unity candle, tying the knot ceremony, sand ceremony, Irish braid, crowning, hand ceremony, etc.  When we were planning our destination wedding we were looking for an alternative for our Iceland wedding.

After researching back into historical wedding ceremonies, we found it: The Love Letter Ceremony.  It gracefully combined our affection for history, our love for each other, and provided a piece of our own history with our parents as well.

The idea:

You and your soon to be write a letter to each other talking about the following:

1. How you felt when you met.
2. Your favorite adventure together.
3. How much you have grown from then to now.
4. Your feelings as you anticipate your wedding day.
5. Your wishes for your future together.
6. Your promise to him/her.

The Parents:

1. The bride’s parents write a letter directly to her only.  Expressing their excitement for her arrival, her childhood, successes, how proud they are, advice, etc.
2. The groom’s parents write a letter directly to her only.  Articulating their excitement for his arrival, his childhood, successes, how proud they are, and advice, etc.
3. Each set of parents then write a letter addressing the couple together stating their excitement for finding each other, the marriage, wishes for the future, and words of wisdom.

This is how described the Icelandic love letter ceremony to our guests on the back of our Iceland destination wedding timeline card:

“During the wedding we will perform a ‘love letter ceremony.’  This entails the bride and groom writing heartfelt love letters to each other prior to their wedding day.  Each of the parents have also written letters of encouragement, future wishes, and advice to make the couple’s marriage strong.  The wedding officiant will then lock the letters in a box.  The letters will be opened at a later time as a celebration and reflection of their marriage.”

How amazing, right?  It gives me goose bumps just thinking about reading them as we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary when our parents may have passed and we may have a family of our own!  This is a very special ceremony I believe has an enormous long-term impact to all.

We hauled the box from Plymouth, Michigan to Hella Iceland to our wedding ceremony at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, then to Skógafoss waterfall and finally out to Vik Beach for Iceland wedding photos and a champagne toast!

How to create your own local or destination wedding love letter ceremony:

• Buy or build a box that will be big enough for letters and additional mementos.  We had an 8×11 box that was ~3 inches wide.  This was big enough for our letters, vows, speeches, our bouquet/boutonniere when it dried out, etc.  It was travel friendly.  We brought from Michigan to Iceland with no problem.
• Some people like the idea of it being large enough to house a bottle of wine/champagne and wine glasses – your choice!
• Have your names painted or engraved on the front.  Example, we had the following:

Chris & Ann

Iceland

April 14^th 2012

• Purchase super cute acid-free stationary.  Ours was white with a simple red heart at the top and a matching red envelope- Our Amazon Storefront may be a good source for you on this.
• Plan what you are going to write at least 30 days in advance!
• Give your parents time to plan and write too!
• Get the letters in advance and put them in the box for safe keeping until the ceremony.
• Our wording for the love letter ceremony follows below:

Wording for a Destination Wedding Love Letter Ceremony:
“Christopher and Ann have chosen as a couple to unite together in a Love Letter ceremony.

This box contains a love letter from each to the other.   The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry today in Iceland.   Ann’s mother, Irene and Christopher’s parents, Donna and Bill have also written the each a letter individually and a letter to the couple expressing their hopes and advice for their future together.  The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and the couple has not seen what the other has written.
I recommend that you keep the box in a place of honor prominently displayed in your home as a constant reminder of your commitment to each other.

Christopher and Ann, should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to as a couple, open this box, reflect while reading the letters you wrote to one another when you were united as a couple, in marriage.   By reading these love letters you will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here in Iceland today.

The hope is, however, that you will never have a reason to open this box.   And if this is the case, you are to open this box to share and enjoy on your 25^th wedding anniversary!”
All that being said, Christopher and Ann, you may now lock the box and be forever bonded.”

Hope you enjoyed and will pass the word around… Let’s get more couples inspired by doing a love letter ceremony as part of their wedding ceremony!  ::Also see our update to this love letter ceremony here::

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers)

© 2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Alternative Unity Ceremony Idea: Love Letter Ceremony appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Topic of the week…. Destination Wedding Welcome Bags

When your guests receive that invitation to your epic destination wedding there is a level of excitement that continues to build until your wedding day.  So why not keep up the momentum with destination wedding welcome bags?

In our case, while planning our destination Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss, this idea was immediately put into our wedding budget.  We felt that our guests were traveling on average 1,000’s of miles to see us say, “I do” they needed a stunning and fun welcome bag that featured creature comforts, bare necessities, locale flare, and items that would emit positive feelings- like a great marriage!

Our Iceland Welcome Bags included the following items:

• Gorgeously styled “Welcome to our Wedding” canvas tote bag by Kate Aspen
• Icelandic tour book, adventure pamphlets, and local Icelandic maps
• Love Notes Tablet – A small notepad that guests could jot down notes, directions, etc
• Chapstick with SPF15 (which coined our color theme, wedding date, and wedding logo
• Sewing Kit
• An umbrella with a note attached, “In case You Encounter April Showers!”
• Hot-Hands (2 packs) to ensure our guests would be comfortable during our outdoor ceremony (we were anticipating 40 degree temps)
• Packets of Advil and Pepto-Bismol – just in case!
• Tissues: They were wrapped in a tulle case with rhinestone beads in the back.  The front stated, “Tears of Love; Tears of Laughter; Tears of Happily Ever After!”
• Icelandic Glacial Water with our wedding logo on them.
• Volcano Wafer Chocolates
• Draumurs – Icelandic milk chocolate with licorice straw inside
• Hraunbitar – Lava Bites
• Icelandic Mints
• Coffee Singles
• Rock Candy (to resemble glaciers!)
• Time Line Card for wedding weekend (see more details below).
• Pop Rocks and coloring books for the younger guests.
• Fish Bites!
• Icelandic Soda
• Icelandic Chocolates
• Iceland Hard Candy
• Iceland Atlas
• A special greeting and thank you to all of our guests.
• Please see our Iceland Wedding Photos of our Welcome Bag below (Compliments of Photos by Miss Ann).

The Unique Thought:

Even if you are not holding a destination wedding in the Iceland countryside it is still nice to remember that being thoughtful goes a long way.  Guests appreciate that you have their interest in mind and that you are trying to make the trip flawlessly fun for them.  Give it a little thought as you choose your destination wedding location – what items your guests may need while traveling, find unique/helpful, or make it a more memorable trip!  Guests still tell me how super cute and helpful the canvas tote has been- even 6 months later!

How to Transport:

Since shipping and duties were pretty expensive from Plymouth, Michigan to Iceland we had decided to pack our welcome bag items.  We had put together some of the creature comforts ahead of time and packed them tightly in one of our 5 suitcases.  But bags for 40 guests became a bigger project that we anticipated.  To ensure those items made it to Iceland was an adventure in itself!  Our recommendation: Let a professional handle (had there been an Iceland Wedding Coordinator when we were planning I would have hired her!)  So let Photos by Miss Ann (aka: Iceland Wedding Planner) handle that detail and worry for you!

When to give them out?

Having the welcome bags handed out at the front desk of the hotel is fun so that upon arrival the guests get a piece of home, know what’s going on and when, and have an instant piece of Iceland to try!  But handing them out individually at our Icelandic “welcome dinner” was even more special and added a connection of appreciation to our guests.  PS- Do not forget your Iceland wedding photographer too!  I am sure he/she/they will be gracious enough to receive one and take a photo of your detailed thoughtfulness!

Partner with Wedding Bathroom Basket:

During our welcome dinner and actual wedding reception at Hotel Ranga we had several “Wedding Guest Survival Kits” strategically placed throughout the hotel.  We had things like floss, cold medication, bobby pins, Band-Aids, Hollywood Tape, Wisps, combs, and other esstiantial emergency items!   I think we spent ~ $36 USD per basket but it had a lasting impression on our guests that we managed to think of every last detail.

Do I need a Destination Wedding Timeline Card?

My personal vote is always, yes you do.  There is nothing worse than a guest  saying “I don’t know where to be or what’s going on when.”  The card itself can be simplistic or fancy – professionally printed or on your home printer.  I think they are more critical in a destination wedding weekend than a ceremony program so please do it!  It is better to hand out a message to your guests and a wedding timeline to keep the guests in the know rather than spelling out who is who in the ceremony.

Wedding Agenda How To (Photo example below- compliments of Photos by Miss Ann below):

1. Card stock is important that weight to the paper allows easy finding by your guests and less chance of it being discarded.  We used Silver Metallic Card Stock 107# which shimmered in the light.  Gorgeous!
2. Have a 2 sided card designed – the more information to your guests the better!
3. Front can feature a “Welcome Message” and cutesy timeline for the actual wedding day with images above the times.
4. Back can be the schedule for the other events or activities that may be planned, a heartfelt wedding thank you from the bride and groom, etc.
5. Our Iceland Timeline Card provided a little snippet on our “Love Letter Ceremony” we were going to perform during the ceremony so guests would understand the uniqueness.
6. Once you have thought out what you want contact Pixels to Paper for the actual execution!  Mindy the owner does amazing work – crisp, clean, and only the best materials.  Order 3 months before your wedding date- We ended up having to order more before and after the wedding (for a keepsake) and she got them right out to us!

Local Thoughts:

If your guests are traveling more than 100 miles to your wedding day it is proper etiquette to supply them with a welcome bag if they are staying overnight.  After all, you spent X number of days, weeks, months, or years planning your incredible destination wedding why skimp with the guest details?

The destination wedding photography and details of your day are items that you should never skimp on.  Wedding Planning Advice: Please hire a seasoned destination wedding photographer!  Experience in ever-changing outdoor lighting and attention to detail are traits that are near impossible to find in many and 100% critical in a place like Iceland where weather changes instantly.  In the end, those two things are the only items that will allow you to go back in time and relive your day over and over again and also have your guests list uttering, “That was the wedding of the year!”

I look forward to sharing my next post with you: Alternatives to Sand and Unity Ceremony’s…. The “Love Letter Ceremony”!

Until then, many smiles! – Miss Ann

Thriving on Adventure and Love…

For more information on Iceland wedding photography or Iceland wedding planning please contact me directly here or visit: Photos By Miss Ann.  PBMA is a local & destination wedding photographer located in Plymouth, Michigan but loves and experienced photographing love worldwide.

© 2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post The Importance of Welcome Bags for Iceland Weddings appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.