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.

Choosing Iceland as your honeymoon location is a really special decision.  Iceland is not the “typical” honeymoon spot filled with relaxation, palm trees, 80 degree temperatures and white sand beaches.  Quite the opposite for temperature and terrain.  But for adventure seekers, our cup runneth over! A place that is epically pure, beautiful, unforgettable, offers unique activities, and is unlike anywhere else on the planet.  Iceland truly offers you another world experience.

Southeast Iceland houses one of the country’s most beautiful natural wonders, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (pronunciation found here).  A receding glacier created this gorgeous sight of multicolored icebergs within a lake.  But, as many of you will find out as you start planning your trip to Iceland, the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is ­­more than 5 hours one way from downtown Reykjavík.  Driving there and back in one day can take its toll and bus tours out of Reykjavík just isn’t for everyone.  Staying the night at Hali Country Hotel in Hofn is a great escape from the long drive.  Hali Country Hotel is only a few miles from this spectacular glacier lagoon.

Hali Country Hotel made our favorites list this year for so many reasons!  They are a year round boutique hotel that can easily accommodate Iceland honeymooners and elopements. They also have a historical exhibit onsite to the great writer Þórbergur Þórðarson (1888 – 1974), and a dynamite restaurant on the property that serves the traditional Arctic Char.   You get a private experience especially if you are lucky enough to book one of their newly built stand alone condos.

This country escape was built in 2005 and has continued to expand over the years as it grows in popularity.  Currently Hali has 23 double bed hotel rooms, a guesthouse with 6 double beds, and 2 condos with 2 double beds in each.  They book 1 year in advance, so make your plans early.

Iceland Wedding Planner’s Visit to Hali Country Hotel:

The evening before, we had stayed at Hotel Laekur in Hella, Iceland.  We had an action packed schedule for our 5 hours of daylight that day.  We explored off the beaten paths from Hella to Kirkjubæjarklaustur in daylight.  Once dusk settles, the road can be tough to drive in the rain and in the dark so be careful!  After many twists, turns, and one way bridges you’ll find Hali Country Hotel nestled between the Vatnajökull Glacier and the Atlantic Ocean, slightly off of Route 1.  We arrived around 6:30pm that November evening and the outside of the main building looked beautiful lit up.

Our fabulous hosts Torbjörg Arnórsdóttir and Fjölnir Torfason, gave us the opportunity to try out their newest addition to the property, their yellow honeymoon cottage.  We stayed in the upper portion of the cottage and it was beautiful.  As soon as you go up the stairs and enter in to the main floor, there is a large living room, fully furnished kitchen with all new appliances, coffee machine, pots, pans, glasses, etc.  The owners have not left out one detail.  On the other side of the cottage there are 2 bedrooms with double size beds that are lush and comfortable.  The bathroom just outside of both rooms is well done and offers a view of the coastline.

Once we settled in to our Icelandic honeymoon cottage, we took a short walk back to the main building to grab some dinner.  All of the staff at Hali Country Hotel, were professional, and offered us very quick service.  The dining area is delightfully simple offering a nice space for their guests to dine.  The walls are adorned with photographs from some really amazing Icelandic landscape photographers and really adds to the overall ambience.  At this point, we had not been able to visit the glacial lagoon and seeing those photos throughout really added to our excitement.

Hali Country Hotel Restaurant is well-known for their Arctic Char and lamb raised at the Hali Farm.  Have you heard of Arctic Char before?  It is a delicious cold water fish that is most often found in the Nordic countries.  The fish tastes like a mix between salmon and trout (smooth taste, not fishy at all).  All of their ingredients for their menu are sourced locally, were incredibly fresh and scrumptious.  We delighted the following items during our stay at Hali:

• Traditional Icelandic Meat Soup (1,250 ISK / $11 USD)
• Artic Char with salad, and roasted potatoes in a garlic dill sauce (3,500 ISK / $31 USD)
• Grilled Lamb, vegetables, potatoes and homemade gravy (4,400 ISK / $39 USD)
• Traditional Icelandic Skyr with ice cream and whipped cream (900 ISK / $8 USD)

A traditional European breakfast is served to all guests in the morning.  It was a very nice spread filled with lots of cereals, meats, cheeses, coffee, and juices.  One thing we did find very surprising during our stay at Hali was the wind, it was incredibly fierce and just reminded us of nature’s power in Iceland.  Even our host at Hali Country Hotel, Torbjörg says that her favorite thing about Iceland is that, “The magnificent nature is totally different from other parts of Europe. The power of nature and weather which you cannot control, but must adjust to.”  And adjust we did.

In the same building as the Hali restaurant, the museum and heritage centre offers opportunity to learn more about the famous writer Þorbergur Þorðarson and a chance to learn more about the difficult lives Icelandic farmers lived during that era.  We found the museum gave a great illustration on how local life was during that time.

In speaking with one of the owners, Torbjörg about weddings she boasted the following advice, “Expect Icelandic weather to be unpredictable and not always possible to be outdoors. Not even in the summer time.”  Although there is no indoor wedding ceremony option onsite at Hali Country Hotel, Kálfafell Church is within 10km and a perfect “plan b” option.  If you had good weather for your Iceland wedding day, the Skaftafell National Park, Vatnajökull Glacier, Jökúlsárlón Glacier Lagoon are all within minutes of this serene country escape.

Hali welcomes Iceland destination weddings for groups less than 40 people in the off season months.  If you have a group, are a couple on your Iceland honeymoon, or it is just the two of you eloping, feel free to reach out to the Hali team to see if they have availability for your stay.

Hali Country Hotel’s Information:

Website: http://hali.is/
Hali Hotel GPS Coordinates: 64.129671 N” -16.017823 W”
Address:  781 Höfn í Hornafirði, Iceland ?
Phone: +354-478 1073 / 867 2900
Email: hali@hali.is

We hope today you have enjoyed our feature on Hali Country Hotel and will consider them as you plan your trip to Iceland.  If you are interested in having your wedding in Iceland at the Jökúlsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Skaftafell National Park, or on top of the Vatnajökull Glacier we would love to help you plan and photograph your dream wedding!  Please feel free to contact us directly here for more information on making that happen.  In the meantime, Happy New Year and we hope 2014 proves to be your best year yet!

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

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

The post Iceland Honeymoon: Hali Country Hotel appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.