Thrilled you stuck with us through our little blogging break =) We have been going a million miles an hour photographing some amazing Iceland weddings, finishing up wedding details for our remaining 2014 fabulous couples, and excitedly planning with our 2015 & 2016 couples.

Some sensational news we’d like to share: Did you know we have added someone tremendously awesome to our Iceland wedding planning team? Beth Golden, has a decade worth of experience in the industry and has proved to be a positive asset to our growing team. Her vision, creativity, attention to details is remarkable. Frankly she is our right arm in day of organization, so we can focus on you and capturing your amazing wedding moments in Iceland! As I am sure you know the enthusiasm never ends around here and Beth fits right in. So please warmly “Welcome” her to the Iceland Wedding Planner team!

As promised, today begins several extraordinary posts we will be sharing with you and all will surely make you swoon in envy! First series that is up is Atlanta, Georgia couple: Kim + Chris. I have 100’s of “favorite” images and have decided I don’t want to blow up one blog post with them, so we’re going to break up their adventurous Iceland wedding day into several pieces so we can all savor it and take notes! So please be sure to check in often over the next few weeks to see their Iceland wedding story unfold…

Can I let you in on a little secret? Summer Iceland weddings rock; there is nothing better than having the option of getting married at 6am or 11pm and holding a crazy epic adventurous wedding day under the midnight sun. Sooo… After driving 85km west in Southern Iceland on Sunday, June 22nd, it was time to get married!  Kim and Chris met their Icelandic pastor, on the shores of Reynisfjara Beach (sometimes people refer to it as Vik Beach).

They walked happily hand in hand to the basalt rock cave (Hálsanefshellir Cave) and held their spiritual Iceland wedding ceremony inside. Kim and Chris declared their love to each other by simply stating, “I promise to always love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.”  [Swoon!] The bride was so happy she shed a couple of joyful tears and the pastor immediately gave them both the biggest hug ever!  We popped a bottle of Domaine Chandon and served the bride and groom several tasty Icelandic baked goods to start the celebration right then, right there.

It was stunning in every way… and did I mention blue skies were abound? Yup, that always seems to happen for every wedding we photograph in Iceland, no matter the season =) Chris and Kim drank their bubbles, laughed, smiled and frolicked throughout the beach giving us tons of amazing opportunity’s for unforgettable Iceland wedding photos! So today, please delight in the beginning of their fabulous adventure: Chris and Kim’s Iceland destination wedding ceremony…

A note to my lovely couple:

Kim and Chris,

You give me goose bumps, that simple. The love you exude for each other made me cry with joy and I am not a crier, ever. You are soul mates and no one can deny it when they see you together. It was such an honor to design such a monumental day from start to finish for you both and being the lucky one, who got to photograph it too. Thank you for choosing me! So how about we plan an Iceland vow renewal adventure for your 5 year anniversary? ..Next time in Northern Iceland or with Northern Lights! Until then lots of hugs, Ann (…and Beth)

To the rest of you fabulous people: Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to come by next week to see more of Chris and Kim’s Iceland wedding day!

With a smile,

Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner)

© 2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Photographer | Kim + Chris | Reynisfjara Beach (Vik Beach Cave) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

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