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we compiled… Feel free to use it to generate your own ideas for your Iceland destination wedding vows but please do not publish, thank you!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.

I don’t know where you are… but I am writing from Plymouth Michigan today and it is a balmy 55 degrees on January 12th!  Wowza- where did winter go?  Well let’s get wedding planning!

Today’s topic is Wedding Day Timelines:

Depending on the location you have chosen and the type of bride and groom are… your schedule will vary obviously!  However, having over 10 years of wedding day experience Photos by Miss Ann would like to offer up a better visual to help you in your Iceland destination wedding photography schedule and beyond.

First Step: Decide whether or not you want to see each other before the ceremony.  First Look versus Traditional Schedule.  There are truly pro’s and con’s to each one.

Second Step: Hire a Iceland Wedding Photographer that does not limit you to silly “continuous time” rules.  Some of the time will be traveling around to the the epic Iceland Wedding Portrait Spots so they will not be photographing anyhow so don’t hire anyone that limits you (we made that mistake).  Photos by Miss Ann does not limit you as far as timing on your wedding day we are there for you!

Photos by Miss Ann is personally a fan of not seeing each other before and having your wedding day be an adventure!  Our wedding day in Iceland is a perfect example of a traditional but adventurous wedding schedule.

Our Wedding Day in Iceland Schedule Follows:

Friday:

7-11pm – Welcome dinner for all guests!

Guests were given Iceland wedding welcome bags and wedding timeline cards after their 3 course welcome dinner meal.

Saturday (Wedding Day):

9-10am: Buffet Breakfast.

10-12pm: Hair and makeup for the Iceland bride and maid of honor in the Royal Suite.

12:00pm: Bus Departs from hotel for Iceland wedding ceremony with groom and all guests.

12:15pm: Bride and maid of honor depart hotel in Icelandic Super Jeep for ceremony entrance.

12:30pm: Arrival to wedding ceremony site: Seljalandsfoss wedding.

12:30-1pm: Iceland Wedding Planner sets up Iceland ceremony chairs, chair ties, lays down rose petal aisle way, and Icelandic DJ plays pre ceremony music from our playlist.

1-1:30pm: Iceland Wedding Ceremony at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.  We said our own wedding vows, held a love letter ceremony, and greeted our guests after.

1:30-2pm: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Wedding Photos.

2-2:40pm: Our 40+ guests hopped on to a chartered bus for a surprise day trip to Vik black sand beach for a champagne toast!

2:40-4pm: Vik Beach Wedding Photos: Group champagne toast, bridal party destination wedding portraits, friends, just the two of us for romantic Iceland wedding portraits.

4-4:50pm: Pit Stop at the Iceland’s best wool shop.  It’ll be hard to get your guests out of here!  Be diligent.

4:50-5:30pm: Travel to Skógafoss Waterfall for Iceland wedding portraits.

5:30-5:50pm: Skógafoss Waterfall for double rainbow wedding photos!

5:50-6:30pm: Travel back to hotel for wedding reception along the Ranga River.

6:30-7pm:  Bus arrives back at the hotel – Guests freshen up after their Iceland Wedding Adventure! …I will say our guests were exhausted at this point- but easily found their second wind!

7-11pm:  5 course wedding reception dinner.

Our 5 course  Iceland wedding menu consisted of the following amazing items:

Course 1: Mushroom Soup

Course 2: Lobster Skewers

Course 3: Smoked Icelandic Puffin

Course 4: Lamb or Icelandic Salmon

Course 5: Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (Our Iceland Wedding Cake!)

11pm We closed our reception with sharing our first dance, Chris with mother, and myself with my mother.

::Note::

Before the trip, we made it very clear to our guests that this trip to Iceland was not our honeymoon. We asked them to please plan on joining us on some of these wonderful adventures in the days following of our Iceland newly wedded bliss!

Sunday, April 15th:

Driving Day Tour of some of Iceland’s most iconic spots!

10:30am Guests Depart from our wedding hotel, Hotel Rangá to visit Keldur, home of the oldest Turf Houses in Iceland (15 min drive).

Next stop is one of the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland Gullfoss (1h 15 min drive).  Following, we will visit the most active Geyser in the world (erupting every 4-8 min) Strokkur (26 min drive).

Then, we are off to the Kerid Volcanic Crater Lake, (30 min drive) followed by a stopover at the Seltun/Krysuvik Lava Fields (1h drive time).

Our last stop was at the relaxing Blue Lagoon Geothermal Lake (1 hour drive time). Prices for the Blue Lagoon here.

This will be a good place to have dinner at, and after we have a therapeutic dip Chris and Ann will check in to their hotel the Hilton Reykjavik (45 min drive).

Monday, April 16th:

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling & Caving: Begin by exploring the hidden world of the lava field under the Þingvellir national park. Walking in a cave and discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past is a trip that everyone can undertake. The Gjábakkahellir cave is a perfect example of an Icelandic lava tube and is situated in one of the most active volcano areas in the world.  Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in the Silfra (in between the tectonic plates!) is our second adventure. The Silfra fissure is one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets, an otherworldly scene that is world famous for its heavenly shades of blue. The crystal clear water in the deep fissure gives you a feeling of being weightless as you float down with the lazy current.  6 hours total time.  See our post here for photos of our adventure!

Tuesday,  April 17th:

We will be hiking and ice climbing the Sólheimajökull Glacier on this 9 hour tour.  There is also a glacier walking tour that is less strenuous.

Wednesday,  April 18^th:

At 10:00am we will depart the Hilton for the Iceland National Museum in Reykjavik.  Next we will have lunch and some spectacular views at The Perlan.  After lunch we will depart on Icelandair Flight #603 to Toronto at 5:00pm.

__________________________________________________________

So!  You’re not getting married in Iceland?  Photos by Miss Ann, would love to help you still!  Even though we are wedding photographers in Plymouth, Michigan we are still a premiere destination wedding photographer and I am very experienced on all types of weddings, cultures, and schedules.  That being said, I would like to share with you two more schedules you will find helpful: traditionally not seeing each other before VS the first look schedule.

Traditional Wedding Day Schedule (not seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: Brides before portraits- Alone, with bridesmaids, and immediate family.

30 Minutes: Grooms before portraits- Alone, with groomsmen, and immediate family.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal family portraits.

10-20 Minutes: Fun Bridal Party Portraits!

20-30 Minutes: Formal Couples Portraits; Relaxed and crazy fun ones too!

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hour: Reception Coverage.

First Look Wedding Day Schedule (seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: The First Look!  An amazing spot to see each other before, be your playful selves, and have some epic wedding couples portraits done by your photographer, Photos by Miss Ann!

20 Minutes: Bridal Party + you two!

30 Minutes: Formal Family Wedding Portraits.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal portraits with any additional important folks at the ceremony site.

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hours: Reception Coverage.

I hope these wedding day schedules help you lovely brides-to-be in your wedding day organization!  Photos by Miss Ann would love to be a part of your special day so please feel free to contact us for additional information.  We are here for you in the start to your epic life adventure!

Epically yours as a Iceland wedding planner and a Iceland wedding photographer,  Ann

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

The post Destination Wedding Day Timeline Advice 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.