So when Tim and Antonia from New Jersey were looking for destination wedding options, they wanted to go somewhere that they had never been (or their guests) and a place that would have awe-inspiring shock value.  Iceland was easily the answer.  Nowhere else can you experience fire, ice, raging waterfalls, canyons, and endless cliff lines all in one day.

Upon arrival, their 50+ wedding guests were greeted with a 3 course Icelandic meal and a welcome wedding bag which had must have necessities like a horn, a cheat sheet of Icelandic terms, a rain poncho, wedding logo tattoos, and a Viking rubber ducky!

Their guests were told at dinner they were to be ready to leave for the day at 8:30am, completely unaware of where they were going or what they would see.  Just that Antonia + Tim would be getting married at some point and they needed to be dressed for wind, rain, and hiking!  To the guests delight, they arrived atop of one of the most spectacular mountains in Iceland.

They held a traditional Viking Asatru wedding ceremony where they held oath rings as they professed their vows and even drank out of an ancient horn to seal the deal!  Everyone loaded back into the super jeeps anxious to see where they were going next. To their surprise they found themselves in the midst of the area of where Game of Thrones and Star Wars was filmed and all were loving the fact they could explore it first hand!

Shortly after, they embarked on a hike to a secret waterfall and ventured through a canyon where they stopped to have a delicious picnic lunch.

Just when you started to think that Tim and Antonia’s wedding adventure could not get any better the guests found themselves at the last stop… At the door step of one of Iceland’s most dangerous subglacial volcanos.  The crew laughed, explored, and even found a beautiful little ice cave!

It seemed each location one upped the other and everyone had a fantastic day throughout the Iceland adventure wedding!  Everyone was given a short 1 hour break to rest and catch their second wind and then it was on to the fabulous Iceland wedding reception where they delighted in a traditional 4 course Icelandic meal.

If you’re interested in seeing more from this amazing adventurous wedding in Iceland, check out the gorgeous images below!  Also, be sure to check out Offbeat Bride as their fab wedding is featured there too! ?

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

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

The post Iceland Wedding Photography: Antonia + Tim’s Adventure Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Do you ever get those?

Living in Iceland, I get them a lot when I ice climb, hike, SUP, and of course while scouting secret Iceland wedding locations.  But on Iceland wedding days, it’s somehow amplified.  No joke!  I almost hyperventilated in excitement over the below image.  Right light, right mountain, and what an amazing couple!  When all of those elements come together my mind is blown!

Cross those fabulous things with adding in some epic Icelandic wildlife and this Iceland elopement went off the charts!  Do you see the sneaky little seal who photo-bombed the Iceland wedding ceremony?

Another thing that makes me smile during an Iceland wedding photo adventures, is surprising my clients with new super secret waterfalls.  These two didn’t even bat an eyelash when I told them the hike time!  ? ? ?

When you have an early April wedding in Iceland (which this fab couple did) you can usually expect some snow still lingering (unless we’ve had a more wet than snowy winter).  This often times adds to the dramatic landscape giving you the vibrant greens, browns, and whites like the beautiful below Iceland elopement wedding portrait!

Weddings in Iceland with us equal adventure, that simple.

Ideal for couples who love the outdoors (and will run around in them rain or shine), enjoy hiking, crave wedding photos in dynamic locations, and are wanderlust addicts.  Imagine yourself discovering uniquely shaped glaciers like this couple did!

Here at Iceland Wedding Planner, we are providers of EXPERIENCES, not just a “wedding day”  We stay away from  churches and the usually flooded tourist locations, so that there are not 100+ people Instagram-ing your wedding.

We prefer to have our clients totally immersed and connected to TRUE and PURE Iceland.  The unknown. The untouched. The places that will leave you in utter “Awe” and get you totally addicted to this island!  If adventuring to secret waterfalls, caves, cliffs, glaciers, private beaches and rock formations sound like fun to experience on your wedding day in Iceland… Contact us to get that exciting conversation started! ?

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

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

The post Iceland Elopement | Adventure Wedding Photography appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Bethany and Richard from Chicago, Illinois embraced these ideals from the very beginning of their Iceland wedding planning escapades. When Bethany first emailed me she said, “The thing that struck me was how much the ruggedness and sheer beauty of the landscape complemented the couples in your photos.  We want to have a strong sense of place in our wedding and be surrounded by nature.” Then we Skyped… Um yeahhhhhh no brainer, I want you as my clients! Your wish is my command my dear!

When we set out to plan their fabulous wedding day in Iceland we had the opportunity to incorporate some ethnic dynamics such as a Chinese Tea Ceremony, family style story-telling, and Iceland inspired party favors at their wedding reception.

Bethany and Richard fell in love with holding their Iceland wedding ceremony at the legendary Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and so we did… Around 9am on a fabulous April morning, all of the guests began their Icelandic adventure wedding day from Vik and headed east for a thrill-seeking day of sunshine, hiking, and being awed by the vivid landscapes! Upon arrival to the lagoon, the excitement between the bride and groom was infectious and you could not keep your eyes off of them! They delighted in a beautiful Iceland Humanist wedding ceremony where they spoke their own vows to each other, ended with a sweet kiss in front of the floating icebergs and a rose petal toss in celebration!

Two super-secret waterfalls were next on their Iceland wedding adventure agenda and they were stunning as you will see from the gorgeous images from Photos by Miss Ann, below. The travel part of journey ended at the dramatic Reynisfjara black sand beach basalt columns and boy was it a lovely wave-crashing snow filled ending! After arriving back to the hotel, the guests freshened up and came downstairs to Richard and Bethany’s exquisitely set Iceland wedding reception! Oh la la and make sure you check out their Iceland wedding centerpieces, wedding favors, and menus, you’ll swoon I’m sure of it. Enjoy these Iceland wedding images below and as a side note folks – Did you see their impromptu Iceland Pre Wedding Session at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall? If not, go back here to view.

Bethany + Richard,

You two!!!!! Your wedding day was so much fun, can we do it all again like ASAP? You guys will go down in my Iceland wedding day history books as the couple who never said no =) I think seriously everything I suggested you both looked at me in unison and said YES! One of my favorite parts of the day was when Bethany hiked up her fabulous couture dress and scaled a fence, ladder, and went mountainside barefoot! A day full of amazing surprises, endless blue skies (until our snowy black sand beach photos), and spectacular Iceland wedding portraits! Thank you for the chance to be part of your epic day!

Lots of love, hugs, and smiles, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner)

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Photographer: Bethany + Richard’s Southern Iceland Adventure Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

But instead today, I have found myself here in Reims, France reveling in the last year of endless experiences with a delicious bottle of vintage champagne =)  If you follow me on Instagram, ya’ll know I have a slight obsession!  Might as well go to the source, right?  I’ll be back in a couple of weeks after this post bringing you some special things and updates so please stay glued to this space!  But in the meantime… let me introduce you to the greatness of the glacier lagoons of Iceland!

Did you know there are actually 2 glacial lagoons in Iceland?  Yes…. Only two folks!  Remember Iceland does not have an abundance of icebergs floating around like Greenland does (recall our post about the “10 Biggest Myths About Getting Married in Iceland).”  The two really special glacier lagoons are named:

• Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
• Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

You may easily recognize these lagoons from the blockbuster James Bond movies, Tomb Raider and of course, Batman Begins. The Iceland Glacier Lagoons are actually within a few miles of each other.  The two breath-taking locations are about 4.5 hours (in good weather) from downtown Reykjavik one way.  You might also remember that we suggested that in the midst of your travels, you make a day/night of this area by staying at the sweet little Hali Country Hotel.

Both glacier lakes are found within the well-known, Vatnajökull National Park.  Which by the way can be a REMARKABLE place to get married in Iceland!  The beautiful glacier Breiðamerkurjökull feeds these stunning glacier lagoons their beauty year round.

Although specifically, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is not super wide, you’ll be interested to know that it is somehow the deepest lake in Iceland!  You can easily walk alongside of and take a walk above it to see all different angles and viewpoints.  And guess what?  Between the months of April and October, you’ll have the wonderful option of booking a journey out touring on the lagoon in a Zodiac or Amphibian boat.  That way, you can attain a more up close and personal view of the 100 year old ice.  Be sure to notice as you look at the icebergs, there will be different shades of it… from white, to blue, to black, all depending on the time of year you visit.

As you hit the road to visit these awesome Iceland adventure wedding landmarks, make sure you jot down the GPS coordinates to ensure your trip is flawless!

• GPS Coordinates of the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon = 64°04?13?N  16°12?42?W
• GPS Coordinates of the Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon = 64°01?07?N  16°23?06?W

I hope you find yourself exploring these beautiful glacial lagoons in person!  In the meantime, onto the best part… the Icelandic wedding photography visuals from our sister company, Photos by Miss Ann who today, brings you a gorgeous styled shoot at Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon!  PS – Make sure you take notice to the grooms awesome handmade wool bow-tie!  Swoon!

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner)

© 2015, Photos by Miss Ann / Iceland Wedding Planner, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Glacier Lagoon Wedding | Jökulsárlón Styled Session appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Thank you for stopping by our blog!  Planning a destination wedding in Iceland is a tall order even for super planners.  With no elaborate wedding industry as there is in North America it surely complicates things.  There are so many twists and turns that you could have within your day it takes a professional to pull it all together and capture your vision flawlessly.

That being said… Welcome to the Iceland Wedding Planner Blog!  It is our intention in creating this blog to be informative about planning a wedding in Iceland and leave you inspired during each visit.

My Story:

My name is Ann Peters (formally Ann Rezbanyay) and I have a passion for destination weddings!  I am a seasoned destination wedding photographer and owner of Photos by Miss Ann.  Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of being a part of and photographing over 500 wedding weekends/days local and destination weddings.  In October of 2011 my fiancé (now husband) Chris and I brainstormed on where to hold our wedding day.  So one thing was for sure, it was a no-brainier we were going to plan our wedding in a crazy-awesome-adventurous location that would stun our guests.

Our Must Have List:

1. The location needed to be somewhere Chris and I had never been to.
2. A location where no one on our guest list had visited.
3. A locale that offered endless outdoor adventures.
4. A place where the scenery was completely different than all the yearly weddings I photograph (from beaches to mountains).  We needed dramatic scenery!
5. Where the food was full of flavor and unique to the country.
6. We would receive personal service from our vendors.

What locations made the list!

1. Sweden Destination Wedding
2. Iceland Destination Wedding
3. Bali, Indonesia (we ended up doing our honeymoon 6 months later there)
4. Greenland Wedding
5. Antarctica Wedding
6. Faroe Islands Wedding

Loving Nordic cold weather, Chris narrowed the list down to Sweden or Iceland.  I sent away for travel guides, books, spent hours researching, and calling.  Because the next most important thing was securing locations within our country of choice.

• Wedding at Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
• Wedding in Southern Iceland.

Iceland was our answer.  More endless hours of research brought us to the decision of getting married at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and hold our Iceland wedding reception in Hella, Iceland.

We bravely decided on April 14^th 2012 as our wedding date (ask any Icelandic native and they will tell you we were crazy!).  We kept the location a secret until our custom wedding invitations went out in November (see our destination wedding invitation samples below).

The benefits of holding your wedding November-April in Iceland follow:

1)      Best chance to see the unforgettable Northern Lights every day.

2)      Seeing Iceland in its winter/spring glory.  It looks like a completely different country!

3)      In April the temperatures can still be a balmy 45 degrees!  Our day was and with that sun shining it felt even warmer!

4)      Low tourist season.  No fighting crowds for your stunning wedding photos.

5)      Vendors cater to you during the off-season which equal discounted rates and individualized service!

6)      Slower time to import goods which equals less hassle (IE, I imported my own rose petals as a cost saving) and assurance you’re getting the right shade of pink!

7)      Although there may be a chance of snow or rain on your wedding day (which both are good luck!) wait 10 minutes and you’ll probably get some sunshine.  The weather is always changing.  I think we had all 4 seasons in 1 day and it rocked!

8)      You’ll make headline news from being the brave souls who said “I do” at a waterfall in winter or late spring!  See our wedding on the Icelandic News!  We still get photos emailed to us from random people who witnessed our wedding there =)

Our Iceland guest list included a total of 120 guests both from as near as Syracuse, New York and as far away as Perth, Australia (42 hours of traveling).  Our wedding invitations gave the initial shock to our guests of “Iceland!  Really, Iceland?!”  Luckily, we had ~40 guests RSVP yes before January, so we were stoked!  Honestly, we would have been happy if it had just been ourselves, a glacier, a waterfall, and our parents.  So we were seriously overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our family and friends.

When our guests received the wedding invitation, they received 4 things in the envelope:

1)      The actual Iceland Wedding Invitation.

2)      An “Accommodation” Card that shared our wedding website: chrisandann2012.com – This website (when it was fully active, communicated air transport, lodging, car rental coupons, and schedule for the week).

3)      The RSVP return card and envelope (We went for the 5-course  menu).

4)      4 photos of the amazing sites our guests would see if they attended.

It was important to us to communicate to our guests why we were drawn to marry in Iceland and why they should travel to the Land of Fire and Ice.  This trip was not only about saying “I do” for us but to have all the people we love, adore, and appreciate all in one amazing place to partake in this adventure with us.  Once guests visited our website and saw that everything was planned and available for them to easily book through the website- excitement began!

Chris and I spent weeks planning all of the available activities in and around the area.  Although, when we arrived in Iceland we devoted the first 1.5 days to finalizing food and wine choices, putting together welcome bags, decorations, and getting our marriage license we made ourselves available to our guests.  This was our wedding week/end, not our honeymoon so it was critical for everyone to feel included young and old.

For more tips on planning a wedding in obscure locations check out the article written by Ann on Wedding Photos USA along with the rest of this Iceland wedding planning blog!  This is just the beginning so some really awesome posts on Iceland weddings!

Who are we?  We’re a very detailed, adventurous, energetic husband and wife team who have a passion for weddings and Iceland.  We are, Ann and Chris Peters and we have 10 years of destination wedding photography and planning experience.  Traveling the globe photographing love stories and wedding adventures is seriously the best career on the planet (in our opinion)!  Not only all that, but we were also married in Iceland at the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall on April 14th 2012 (our 40 person Iceland destination wedding even made the Icelandic News)!  So we truly know first hand, how epic of a country it is and how special it is for you to plan your wedding in Iceland!

Throughout the last decade, we have learned what our couples desire in a wedding planner & destination wedding photographer.  Which means knowing what you want and us providing the most cherished experience possible.  We’re so excited to meet you!!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters  (Feel free to contact us directly here)

© 2002-2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Planning an Iceland Destination Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.