I am firm believer in being in the right place at the right time.  I’m also always fascinated by the fact that is exactly how the best love stories begin.  …and our clients, for some reason, always seem to have this theme in common and especially since adventurous folks tend to find each other.  This week’s fabulous featured destination wedding couple, is no exception.  Sarah and Alex met in Sydney, Australia’s market square one random Saturday morning, which then led into several years adventuring together conquering, discovering, pushing their limits and comfort zones through travel and unforgettable experiences!  This pair was also lucky enough to win our/Brides Without Borders 2015 Nordic Elopement Contest.  Please check out their super fun video entry and love story below to understand why they won!

Sarah and Alex began planning their Nordic Elopement with us, shortly after the contest close, in March 2015 and were open to being married in all of the Arctic countries and wholeheartedly embraced the adventure wedding concept, the unique challenges and scenes each country presented!  Our team at Your Adventure Wedding, presented many unforgettably unique itinerary options in the following countries: Lapland (Northern Finland), Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Lofoten Islands (Northern Norway), and the Faroe Islands.  In the end, Sarah and Alex craved the extreme snow, Northern Lights, and the very distinct activities the Lapland route held.

So it was then, that Alex and Sarah very enthusiastically decided, they would elope on Tuesday, December 1^st 2015 in Lapland!  This timing also coincided to be at the beginning of their month long holiday to discover Europe!  Neither one of their families knew about their secret entry to the Nordic Elopement Contest or their plans to take their relationship to the next level, but were thrilled to see the stunning images our sister company, Photos by Miss Ann captured afterwards!

The trek to Lapland begins in Helsinki, Finland and then you take a Finnair flight to Ivalo (approx. 2 hours).  The magnificent Kakslauttanen Igloo Village was chosen as the Lapland adventure wedding host hotel and resides an easy 40 minute drive from the Ivalo airport.

The morning of the wedding began at 6:30am with Sarah and Alex getting ready in their comfy Kelo-Glass Igloo Cabin and by 8:15am they were in route to their romantic wedding ceremony!  …and boy were they surprised when they arrived!  A beautifully lit glass teepee stood out in the early morning darkness!  (Side Note: There was only 1.5 hour of daylight during this specific day so time was needed to be planned and used wisely).  As they walked towards the teepee, candles and rose petals summoned them to come inside. The dreaminess doubled as they opened the door… Thousands of multicolored rose petals (compliments of Flyboy Naturals) and tea lights overtook the floor.  Your Adventure Wedding, honestly made it look like a romantic scene from a movie!  Sarah glided over them all smiles as she met Alex at the end!  They were married by a Scandinavian Civil Authority in a sweet little elopement ceremony and continued on with their epic adventure in Lapland!

We whisked them away to a path that led down to the famed glass igloos we have all had on our token “bucket list” and then onto a snowy quite cabin area nearby the national park and had a passionate toast to their newly wedded bliss!  They trekked around hand in hand in the knee high snow after for the perfect winter wedding portraits!  As the sun set and the darkness crept in, it was time for their afternoon adventure wedding activity, dog sledding!  Sarah and Alex bundled up and savored every second of their intoxicating journey mushing the dogs through the Lappish wilderness!  The action packed schedule, still allowed for a little break to warm up, relax, and catch their second wind too.  5 o’clock brought a visit to Santa’s Village, because after all how can you visit Lapland, the origin of Santa without paying the man a visit, right?!

Nighttime wedding portraits officially began and Photos by Miss Ann was fully equipped to create some amazing images that night.  A gorgeous bridge outside of Santa’s home provided the essence of the snowy backdrop that Sarah and Alex yearned for as you’ll see below.   They ran around together laughing and exploring the Igloo Village for about another hour then it was time for their sweetly styled (by us, Your Adventure Wedding) reception for two!

As they entered into their private luxury elopement reception space, they noticed the beautiful rose petals from Flyboy Naturals accented the table and transformed the floor into a magical space!  Finnish handmade reindeer His & Hers scarves served not only as their party favors for the night but also their chair ties!  A “Love” marque sign set the background of their sweetheart table.  Other Nordic wedding reception details they found where Mr. + Mrs. Burlap accented glasses, and slate colored napkins which were tied with a triangle mountain “bride” and groom” napkin ring.  Swoon-worthy details!

During their last course of their delicious 4 course dinner and conversation, the Northern Lights faintly appeared!  Perfect timing too as it was time for the last portion of their 16 hour wedding adventure through Lapland… a horse drawn sleigh ride through the fresh snow that fell throughout the day’s expedition!  Nothing like ending your whimsical Nordic elopement snuggled up in a sleigh together!  Half way through the ride we were able to stop the horse for some snowy and faint Northern Lights wedding photos!  What a grand way to end such a magical unforgettable day in Lapland!  Please enjoy Sarah + Alex’s Finland wedding portraits at the Igloo Hotel & Village below (compliments of  Photos by Miss Ann)!

See Sarah & Alex’s video entry and love story adventures here!

PS- Make sure you check out the beautiful feature (and more photos) Huffington Post and Brides Without Borders did on this gorgeous wedding!

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

© 2016, Your Aventure Wedding / Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Wedding Adventure at Kakslauttanen Igloo Hotel appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

…and today I write you from the “bottom of the world” in Ushuaia, Argentina.  The furthest most Southern city of the world.  I find it slightly ironic since my business first started at the token “top of the world” in the Nordic countries.  It seems only fitting I begin my best year yet here at the bottom!

As many of my weekly followers know, 2015 was a big year of changes for me personally and also professionally.  But taking a big bird’s eye view back over the last several years (and maybe you will to?), I sit for a moment, smile and am reminded at how different each year has been for me as well.  Different in gratitude, grace, in mission, and adventure.  I am addicted to it, crave it, live it daily, and breathe adventure every day in my life and in my career.  When those two things aligned, my life changed to purely positive.  I learned how to love, live in the moment, embrace my passions, found where there is a will there is always a way, and a renewed respect and admiration for people and cultures, I frankly didn’t know was possible.

I committed to myself after my divorce was finalized in January 2015, I very would very bravely pack up everything I own, put it in a storage unit, and leave the USA to travel for a year in order to bring my Adventure Wedding concept to life.  I did and I have absolutely no regrets (even after flipping a car in Galloway, Ireland) as I come to the close of 2015.  The things I have seen, tasted, and experienced, I could write for years on (and I will, so please follow Your Adventure Wedding).  The new offbeat locations I have brought into my destination wedding planning repertoire are unbelievable!  Did you see my travel schedule I posted?  That was just a simple taste as to what I have planned… if you know me, you know I get down and offbeat, not mainstream tourism!  My travels continue on into 2016 and I will continue to live out of only 3 suitcases and a purse =)  It’s a lifestyle I have come to love and embrace whole heartedly with all my being.

Follow me on Instagram to see daily updates and/or inspiration!

Additionally, I am incredibly thankful to the couples who trusted me in 2015 to plan and forever document their Iceland weddings and elopements (and locations beyond), it was so amazing to be a part of history with you!  No one can rock out rainy, snowy, and cloudy weddings with a smile, like you!  I have the best most hardcore clients ever, THANK YOU for being so badass!  …and to my fabulous couples upcoming in 2016 and 2017, you have challenged me and more importantly, trusted me to step it up a notch and plan some indescribably unique things in some incredible places, I heart you!!  THANK YOU and I look forward to making it the best year yet!!

To my amazing partners all over the world… Without you I wouldn’t be able to rock out adventure weddings in some of the most obscure locations people told me weren’t possible!  Thank you for supporting and running with me in my crazy awesome visions!  I’m really excited to having you as part as our “A-Team” of vendors as we change the way the world views destination weddings!

So, I left you a little teaser from last week’s Christmas Eve post about some big news, right?!  In an effort to continue our mission of leading the change in the destination wedding industry to equal Adventure Weddings… I’m happy to announce that we have officially opened up our South American market!  If you’re an outdoorsy couple who loves to hike, be in the middle of epic landscape scenes, and be completely awed by nature then allow me to introduce you to the underrated: Patagonia.  ….wondering where it is?

Patagonia sits within the Andes mountain range in Southern sections of Chile and Argentina.  This is also where the mysterious and most intriguing “W” trek of mountains live and breathe.  There are volcanos, lakes, rainforests, glaciers, fjords, caves, penguins, bird watching, endless mountain views, and so many unique experiences to be had, you will not be able to sit patiently still!  We would love to chat more with you about this location being your unforgettable destination wedding location, please contact us for more information and if you’re up to the challenge of being the first!

Every year, must conclude with reliving some lovely moments in time, right?  Today, I’d like to share with you a few of our favorites from the 2015 Iceland wedding year (Note: We do not post the majority of our Iceland weddings or destination weddings on this blog because we respect the privacy of our high profile clients) but some of our clients love and allow us to share them with you, so let’s look back and delight in those today along with a few of my favorite travel photos!

Enjoy!  …and cheers (Skal!) to you and yours as we head into 2016 being our best year yet!
With a smile, Ann Peters (Adventure Wedding Planner and Photographer)

PS- Come back next time to see the most amazing elopement we planned and photographed at the Igloo Hotel in Lapland!

© 2015, Your Aventure Wedding / Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post 2015: We Came, We Conquered, and We Continue (Our Mission of Changing Destination Weddings to Adventure Weddings) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.