So the big questions of the week… Where are you at with your Iceland wedding planning?  Have you sent out Save-the-Dates?

Sending out Save-the-Dates is one of the most sensational parts of destination wedding planning… Who doesn’t love a good surprise?  Shocking your guests with your breathtaking wedding location can be so much fun for all involved!  After all, your friends and family at that point already know you’re engaged and are now just anticipating the big news of where you’ll be saying “I do.”  How fun for them to open up their mailbox to see your Save-the-Date as Iceland!?!  Instant reaction, I guarantee, “Umm, Iceland?  Really?  Why?” Or my personal favorite that Chris and I (and all of our guests) would continually be asked by clients and acquaintances, “So who is Icelandic?”  That one made us laugh every time.  What has been your favorite comment you have gotten during your Iceland wedding planning?

So maybe you are still in the beginning stages of planning your destination wedding in Iceland and you wonder why save the dates are important or if you should even do them?

Our personal and professional vote is that you should, if time and budget allows.  Save-the-Dates serve as the official “kick off” to your wedding day in Iceland.  Your wedding becomes, real!  I know it sounds silly, but you’ll understand what I am saying once you send them out.  From your wedding guest’s perspective, having your save-the-date 8+ months before your Iceland destination wedding date gives them enough time to save, plan for vacation time, book flights and accommodations, daydream about the trip, and it undoubtedly adds to the anticipation of your big day!

So when do you send your save-the-dates out?

To figure out that answer we need to take one step back… Your first step (if you haven’t ready) is to secure your proposed wedding date with your favorite wedding venue in Iceland (or some other dreamy locale if you’re planning locally) this is key to launching the destination wedding planning process.  <Sidebar: If you do not have a specific place in mind to marry in Iceland, do not worry, Iceland Wedding Planner can help you with that!  One of the Iceland wedding planning services (in our Iceland wedding packages) we offer to you are venue appraisals (for your Iceland wedding ceremony, Iceland wedding reception, and host hotel) so you and your soon-to-be can make the right choice contingent on your budget and desired location.>   Once that has been completed then you can let your guests know your unforgettable wedding date!

Our professional suggestion to you would be to pick a wedding date in Iceland that is at least 8+ months away.

Why book your Iceland wedding earlier versus later?

• You will have enough time to reserve your first choice Iceland wedding venue (especially if you want to wed during Iceland’s high tourist season June-August).
• First choice on reserving a host hotel that can accommodate your group size (most hotels max out at 25-ish rooms).
• You have enough time to organize all of the awesome Iceland wedding details you will need to complete your day (Iceland wedding dress, Iceland wedding photographer, Iceland wedding official, Iceland DJ, Iceland florist, Iceland wedding cake, Iceland makeup artist, Iceland hair stylist, etc.).
• Time to handle all of the legal documents and marriage license you need to get married in Iceland.
• Enough planning time to organize an epic post wedding itinerary for you and your guests (Hello, Iceland honeymoon or wedding mini-moon!).  Remember also, your guests not only get to see you get married in an amazing locale but they get to go on a vacation too!  Thus planning early and making it memorable for all involved is important (and helps in creating a better turn out).  A perfect way to engage your guests is to have a specific post wedding itinerary that they can be part of.  <Note: As Iceland wedding planners, we can help you plan out the logistics this.  This feature is included in our Iceland wedding planning package.>
• Gives you time to savor the wedding planning process, send out awesome Iceland save the dates and create an Iceland wedding website!

Unfortunately, Chris and I did not have time (see our previous post here) to send out save the dates to our guests while planning our April Iceland wedding.  Instead, we just full out shocked our guests with our Iceland wedding invitation!  Luckily though, we now get to live vicariously through our incredible Iceland wedding clients.  To give you a real life wedding example: Meet one of our remarkable clients –Tiffany & Brian.  They are a really inspiring, thrill-seeking, incredibly cute and exciting couple from Saskatchewan, Canada.  These two are so much fun that Chris and I seriously wish they lived closer!

These two have kindly allowed us to share some of their dazzling Iceland wedding details we are creating for their October 2014 Snaefellsnes Peninsula wedding.  Originally, they contacted us when they were ~21 months away from their desired wedding date (totally an ideal amount of time to plan your Iceland destination wedding).  They decided to email their save-the-dates –how fun, right?  They compiled their guest list as you would typically but ensured they also had each guests email.  They wrote a short note, bcc’d each of their guests, added their wedding website, and then attached a digital file of their Iceland destination wedding save-the-date!  Voila!  This route can be a wonderful way to save within your budget as save-the-dates are on average $1.50 each printed plus postage.  That being said, I am pleased to share with you their gorgeous Iceland Save the Date along with another fun example from one of our 2013 other local bride and grooms.

Below you’ll find some useful information for you to ponder about as you plan your Iceland destination wedding and create your own save-the-dates.

Items to include in your destination wedding Save the Date:

• Your full names.
• Your awesome destination wedding date.
• Where: Include the country and/or city you have decided to hold your destination wedding in.
• Wedding website (this is a wonderful tool to share information with your guests on your engagement, photos, travel plans, accommodations, day of schedule, menu, activity itinerary, registry, etc).
• Colors – Incorporate your wedding colors if possible.
• A fun tagline or statement to open with.  A few examples follow: “To the Land of Fire and Ice!,” “Love + Adventure = A Wedding in Iceland!,” “Pack your bags!  You’re invited to the wedding of…”  “It doesn’t matter how, just get there!”  Or how about a super exciting quote maybe from a literally sensation like Walt Whitman? My personal favorite: “I give you my love, more precious than money. I give you myself, before preaching or law. Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?” –Walt Whitman
• Then consider either emailing to your guests or have them professionally printed.  Try to send out when you are 8 to 24 months away from your big day, if possible.

Planning a destination wedding in Iceland takes time and patience to plan fully (unless you are eloping in Iceland with no guests or very few).  Specifically, if you are planning to have guests join you for your epic Icelandic wedding adventure then please contact us!  Chris and I have been in your shoes and know it can be overwhelming because of the lack of resources.  Luckily, we have spent time building wonderful relationships with the very best people and vendors in Iceland that will all come together to make your destination wedding in Iceland easy and flawless.  We’d love to hear from you and make that happen!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

The post Iceland Save-the-Dates appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Wedding favors typically serve 4 purposes:

1. To “thank” your guests for coming to your Iceland destination wedding.
2. To be a reflection of your style as a couple that also compliments your wedding theme.
3. To serve as a memento to your guests of the Iceland location you have chosen.
4. A snack for your guests if you have chosen to not have Hors D’oeuvres or a Night Glow hour.

Think back on the weddings you have attended…What types of local or destination wedding favors made the largest impression on you?  Usually, if you’re having a local or destination wedding in Iceland, wedding favors usually fall into 4 overall categories:

• Edible – You can be simple by having M&M’s, mints, coffee/tea, caramel corn, gumballs, etc, or you can be elaborate in your edible wedding favor design.  Some of our brides have had personalized treats like cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, cocktail jelly beans, mini champagne bottles, rock candy, chocolate covered items, or our personal favorite for a fall wedding in Michigan is caramel apples and apple cider!

• Practical –Guests love a wedding favor they can use and remember where they got it from when they use it.  A couple examples of practical wedding favors that hold a lasting impression would be seed packets, wine corks, frames, cookie cutters, love measuring spoons, whisk, ice cream scoop, engraved luggage tags, cheese board/knife, passport holder, local Icelandic books (about the dynamic sites, culture, or folklore) , etc.

• Sentimental –Wedding favors with heart are always super sweet because they convey a special thought and detail that is usually important to the bride and groom.  For instance, a destination wedding couple may choose to do a donation to their favorite charity in lieu of providing their guests with a favor.  That couple might print out a small card and put it at each place setting stating why they have chosen to do so (in honor of a family member who passed away, etc).  Or we have seen couples personally make a special item their guests like homemade wine, jam, sauce, so the item may be enjoyed at a later time.  Any wedding favor that manages to emit emotion from the bride and groom to their guests is truly noteworthy.

• Fun –If you’re a fun loving couple who just want to make your guests smile on your wedding day with entertaining wedding favor we have seen a few couples give their guests sunglasses, sandals, shot glasses, drink cozies, etc.  Destination weddings may also want to consider having a special memento from the state/country you’re holding the wedding in as guests usually get pretty excited for that extra detail.

What should you spend on a wedding favor?

There is not a specific algorithm to get the answer to this question.  It frankly depends on your budget and guest count.  For example, we only planned on 45 people attending our Seljalandsfoss wedding (traveling also to Vik Beach and Skogafoss during our Iceland wedding) so we splurged a little more and spent $12 per luggage favor tag.  Generally though, simple or homemade wedding favors may only cost .80-$5 per person; whereas, more extravagant or personalized favors may cost $6-15 each; and the top of the line wedding favors would be $15+.

Once you have decided on what type of wedding favor you are going to give your guests the next step is to determine the presentation.  Ask yourself a couple of questions… Do you need certain packaging to hold everything together (wrapping, ribbon, etc.)?  Is there a theme you’re trying to exude throughout the day (IE, Married in the Land of Fire & Ice?)?  What will your wedding packaging and label look like?  Where will your favor be positioned on the table when your guests sit-down at your Iceland wedding reception?

Wedding Favor Label/Packaging Ideas:

• Incorporate your wedding colors.
• Match your invitation theme.
• Say “Thank You” to your guests somehow on it.  (DIY Iceland Detail: Maybe in the language of your destination wedding country?)
• Put your wedding date on the tag or engrave it on the item (Guests always appreciate this detail, especially when they use your gift at home later!).
• Have personalized ribbons (Iceland wedding planning tip: Double-faced satin looks the best).  For our Seljalandsfoss wedding we had “Ann & Chris” printed on rolls of ribbon to use for all of our Iceland destination wedding events.
• Make your wedding favor dual purpose (i.e. turn it into a place card, versatile to be used again or have it communicate something to your guests).

As Iceland wedding planners, we encourage our clients to choose wedding favors that serve a multiple purpose.  Here is a real Iceland destination wedding example:  Chris and I chose to have metal luggage tags.  Doesn’t really sound all that exciting and seems pretty simple for a destination wedding in Iceland, right?  We thought the same thing so we put our own twist to it.  We used our luggage tag favors in the following ways to serve several wedding day purposes (I know you detailed pretties out there will appreciate this!):

1. Our luggage tags were our wedding favors to our guests for our wedding reception at Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland.
2. The Iceland wedding favor luggage tags also served as a souvenir for our guests to instantly use (then and later).  The tags we felt, represented our Iceland wedding day adventure: from our Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony, a champagne toast at Vik Beach, and wedding photo stop at Skogafoss waterfall.  We specifically had the back of each guest luggage tag engraved with “Iceland 2012,” then Chris’s said “Groom Iceland,” and mine said “Bride Iceland.”
3. The front of our destination wedding luggage tags also operated as our seating chart (Iceland wedding place cards) and gave the Hotel Ranga staff information on each guest’s meal choice for that evening.  Iceland DIY Details: Before our Seljalandsfoss wedding weekend, we had purchased 4 colors of metallic card stock; designated a corresponding color to go with the 4 main meal choices (Example: Gray = Salmon; Gold = Lamb; White = Vegan; Blue = Child menu), printed out our Iceland wedding logo (A?C) at the top and on the next line we put the guest’s name.
4. The final function of our Iceland wedding favor was as a place setting napkin ring/holder for our pin-tucked napkins.  How fun, right?  Finished photo example from our Hotel Ranga wedding here.

Specific Iceland Wedding Favor Examples:

• Edible: Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks with a tagline that says “Married in the Land of Fire and Ice!”  You could even go so far to actually pair it with something that relates to fire like hot sauce or matches in a vial.  We used blue and orange rock candy swizzle sticks to emulate the glaciers and fire in our Iceland wedding photo examples.

• Practical Usage Wedding Favor: Luggage tags, Icelandic wool knit item ( everyone loves wool socks, right?), moss candles, a game unique to Iceland, and frankly the possibilities are endless because Iceland rocks!  Having an item that is dual purpose allows your guests to really remember how epic your wedding really was later too.

• Sentimental: A gift certificate for your Iceland wedding guests to do a post wedding activity.  Admittance maybe to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon?  Rent a bus a day following for your wedding party to tour Iceland’s famous Golden Circle together as a group?  Take a tour of Iceland’s other famous natural wonders such as the glacial lagoon, stunning waterfalls, black sand beaches, sod farms, boiling mud pots, lava fields, or glaciers?  If you do decide to go this route make sure you let your guests know ahead of time.  That way they can plan for it in their travel plans ahead of time and you are not disappointed that they have already done it.

• Fun Iceland Wedding Favors: If you’re not going to do a wedding welcome bag for your guests it would be really sweet to put together as your wedding favor to them a box or bag of Icelandic made treats (like candies, trinkets, coffee, lava rock/ash, Icelandic water, etc) or an Iceland Survival Kit.  I would envision an Iceland Survival kit to be similar to our Iceland wedding guest welcome bag with inclusions to accommodate all ages, folks from all different climates and needs.  Other amazing options you may want to consider specific to Iceland: Krona key chain, wool bookmark, Icelandic moss candle, Icelandic wool blanket for your guests to each take home, lava rock mementos, etc!  The possibilities are endless, be creative!

I hope that our post today on Iceland wedding favors generates your own awesome ideas for your destination wedding in Iceland!  Chris and I would love to hear more about you and your big day in the making feel free to contact us directly here for more information!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

The post Iceland Wedding Favors appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

There comes a point in your wedding planning where you hit a roadblock.  Whether it is with finding the right vendors or trying to get detail/design inspiration, either way it can be very frustrating.  But don’t fret!  At any point in time if you get overwhelmed, you can consult with a professional wedding planner like us who can help you unblock!  If you’re planning a crazy awesome destination wedding in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss, Vik Beach, or the stunning Faroe Islands, please contact us to see how we can help you make your day flawless.

Your wedding details are the little snippets that warm your guest’s heart, blow them away, really enhance the overall vibe and experience for all involved.  And they especially make your Iceland wedding portraits unlike anyone else’s!  Even if you are on a budget there are ways to make high-end niceties that go that extra mile.  It may be as simple as finding or creating an awesome template, buying fun metallic paper and printing yourself (DIY Iceland wedding details, ta-da!).  In our styled photo session we present to you this week, we combined some easy-to-do affordable details that can really make your Iceland wedding a show-stopper.

• Freeze Dried Petals!  …for your Iceland wedding ceremony aisle way, ceremony chairs, as décor for your reception, for playful wedding photos, or to have your guests throw in celebration of your newly wedded bliss.  One of our favorite vendors, Flyboy Naturals is the #1 company for destination wedding rose petals.  Mainly because their customer service and attention to detail is first-class.  But, the selection, the variety of colors, types of flower blends, prices, and the fact that they are 100% eco-friendly makes them unbeatable in the wedding industry.

As an Iceland wedding planner, I exclusively use their freeze dried rose petals for destination weddings because of the endless benefits.  For one, you can order 1-cup samples in every color they offer.  That way, you can trial ahead of time to ensure your color combinations go along with your design vision- my destination brides really love this feature!  Personally, I know because I have been in your shoes and planned my own Iceland destination wedding.  We held our wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall in April 2012, and I ordered at least 10 different samples trying to find that exact shades of pink I needed <bridezilla crisis aborted, lol>.

Second, they ship to Iceland and other obscure wedding locations- believe me not all industry vendors will (Note: You will need to pay import duties).  The really good news… Flyboy will also save your wedding budget.  Real life example: I was quoted over $2,000 USD for rose petals by an Iceland florist for 500 cups of petals (~30,000 petals) and they could not even guarantee me a shade of pink (only white petals).  But by ordering from Flyboy Naturals, I not only previewed my shades of pink but I happily saved $1,000 in my wedding budget (Hello more Bali honeymoon adventures!).  See how our Iceland wedding ceremony aisle way looked, here (we used Kara’s Blend).

Third, their petals are extremely vibrant, fragrant, and are light weight (regular rose petals are very dense in comparison) which create some super cute photo opportunities!  Finally, Jami Brown and the awesome team at Flyboy Naturals, care.  They care about you, your special event, and the colorful role their freeze dried petals will play in your Iceland destination wedding photos.

• End of Aisle Tie: This is one of my favorite details many brides planning forget!  Having a flower tie, a “love sign,” or simplistic ribbon tie closing the end of your ceremony aisle adds a very elegant detail and also adds to the anticipation of the bride’s arrival.  The bonus: It looks amazing in setup/detail photos and also keeps your petal walkway 100% intact!  Initially, you may think it is a inconvenience to your guests having to enter their seats from the outside but for a wedding less than 80 people it really isn’t.  We used 2 colored ribbons to tie the end of our aisle, see our ceremony Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony here.

• Chair Sashes:  These add a striking splash of color to your outdoor ceremony or Iceland wedding reception setup.  Even if you do not want to have for every chair, at least have for the last row and the row of honor (parents), it will make a giant aesthetic difference in most cases!  In our photo examples below, we used coral for our Iceland wedding ceremony and reception chair mock up.  Another affordable suggestion for you to add to your Iceland reception decor would be to have Mr. & Mrs. (or Bride & Groom) signs on your chairs.  Our Amazon Storefront sells all sorts of unique ones from banner ties to antique styled, super neat to have for your reception candid photographs!  See one of my favorite examples of this DIY Iceland detail from a stunning October wedding I photographed, here.

• Umbrellas: If you are holding your ceremony outside or are planning your Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss or Skogafoss waterfalls, I highly suggest you provide umbrellas for your guests, just in case!  You can easily put them into your guests welcome bags or place one on each chair at the ceremony.  Real life example: For our wedding at Seljalandsfoss, we had purchased black umbrellas, tied a pretty fuchsia and silver ribbon on it with a metallic card that said, “In Case You Encounter April Showers!” Super cute, right?  That additional detail is still something our guests talk about.

• Rosette Table Cloths: As Iceland destination wedding photographers, we love seeing and photographing lots of different textures at weddings from rosette accents to earthy burlap table runners.  It adds a unique depth to your table designs and really adds a gorgeous touch of elegance.  In our Iceland inspired photo session you can see an example here.

• Satin/Pintuck Napkins:  I love napkins, totally nerdy I know!  I adore matching colors, different textures, and folding them is uber relaxing!  One of my favorite websites that feature different kind of wedding napkin folds is found, here.  For our wedding weekend we had the following: Silver pintuck placemats and white canvas napkins (starch folded as bird of paradise) for our Iceland wedding welcome dinner table design.  Our Iceland wedding reception design featured, brown rosette table runners and matching brown pintuck napkins folded in a downward boat fan held together by engraved “Iceland 2012” luggage tag favors.

• Charger Plate: Having decorative charger plates as part of the table design boosts the first impression your guests will have entering into your reception.  Recall the weddings you have attended, one that has had a buffet station setup and one that you had a plated meal.  Which had a bigger impact on you?  Hands down, you’re probably thinking the overall detail of experience of the latter one left more of an impression for you long term.  Same theory here.  Having charger plates imply there will be many courses to your meal which truly goes with the theme of “Eat, Drink, & Be Married” rather than the “get in line” feeling.

• MENU’s:  This classy little detail is a very easy do-it-yourself trick.  How to create your own wedding menus: I purchased 2 types of paper, rose petal embedded cardstock and metallic cardstock, found my desired templates, mocked up course driven menus and printed 2 per sheet (5×7 finished size) and voila, DIY Iceland wedding menus!  If you’re not having a charger plate for your reception tables this might be a nice alternative as it can easily add a splash of color and sophistication to the detail of your tables.

• Rose Favors:  Having rose favors is a fabulous alternative if you are considering opting out of providing traditional favors for your Iceland destination wedding.  A very pretty alternative could be a mini flower in the center of your menu/charger plate.  It adds a dreamy softness to your reception tables especially when you incorporate your wedding colors in the ribbon tie or flower colors.

• DIY Iceland Wedding Flowers:  Your wedding bouquet is important to your Iceland wedding portraits.  In a country where much of the terrain is barren for most of the year, your wedding bouquet and boutonniere will add a very fun splash of color and amplify your wedding day attire.  I always suggest colored flowers because you never know if it will rain, snow, be foggy, or abundant sunny on your wedding day in Iceland (Famous saying in Iceland, is to wait 15 minutes for new weather to roll in off the coast).  I think we had all of those elements during our April wedding day at Seljalandsfoss, champagne toast at Vik Beach, and Iceland wedding portraits at Skogafoss waterfall.  I will say, also that my fresh flower fushia bridal bouquet was stunning against every scene even to the end of our Hella, Iceland wedding reception at Hotel Ranga.  For this styled photo shoot, we DIY our Iceland wedding bouquets and centerpieces.  Out of this entire Iceland inspired shoot this by far was my fave to do as prep.  I love playing with roses!  I used ~100 roses total (2 shades of peach, ivory, and dark orange), 1 bunch of greens, rhinestone floral picks, silver and peach ribbon to create the following: 1 bridal bouquet, 1 bridesmaid bouquet, 2 round centerpieces, 2 vased centerpieces, and 6 flower favors.  If you have the time and patience, it is quite fun to create your own Iceland wedding flowers.  We had a great bridal bouquet post a few weeks ago that may help you determine what kind may be perfect for you, here.

• Cupcake Banners: One of my super fun 2014 bride and grooms said it best when I asked them “what is most important” to them in their Iceland wedding planning: They “wanted their guests to Eat, Drink, and be Merry” in an amazing locale.  <3 On that note, I thought how fun would it be to include cupcake banners that express just that, as a DIY Iceland wedding detail.  Although the cupcakes scream delicious butter-cream beauty, the banners also add a whimsical element that will make your guests giggle.  The cupcake wedding banners how to is as simple as typing up some playful wedding terms, printing on metallic paper, gathering up toothpicks, a glue stick, fancy scissors, and assembling!

Putting your own hallmark on your wedding day details is a fantastic way to make your wedding memorable to all involved.  Whether you choose to do that by selecting a unique wedding location in Iceland, DIY particulars, or combine some of your favorite things you have seen through the years- do it, make those details forever yours!  After all, you only get to find and marry your soul mate once!  We hope the post today on our Iceland wedding styled session details finds a way to unblock your creative planning juices.  If not, the photographs below are sure to stir up some awesome ideas for your own Iceland destination wedding!  Also see this fabulous styled shoot published on Storyboard Weddings Blog here.

Lots of planning smiles to you, Ann Peters

Iceland Wedding Planning & Iceland Wedding Photography

About Us:  We have over 10 years of destination wedding photography and planning experience.  We are very detailed, adventurous, have a passion for Iceland and wedding photography in the unmatchable terrain.  In April 2012, we were married in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, had wedding day stops at Vik Beach for a champagne toast, rainbows at Skogafoss, and Hotel Ranga in Hella Iceland.  Truly, we know first hand how epic of a country Iceland is and how special it is for you to plan your wedding in Iceland!  So whether you are planning an Iceland destination wedding for 10 guests or 100, we can help you plan every stage, very detail, and then photograph your amazing wedding weekend in Iceland, forever pausing that time for you!

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

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Kudos to our awesome vendors who participated in this Iceland wedding styled session!  Please spend some time checking them out!

• Rose Petals:  Flyboy Naturals – Provided the stunning freeze dried rose petals in 2 colors (Romantic Rendezvous and Living Easy).
• Bridal Bouquets & Centerpieces: PBMA Rose Boutique (Look familiar?  Yes, this is us too!  We love everything about weddings!).  The peach/orange bouquets and centerpieces were inspired by one of our 2014 Iceland couples.
• Event Design & Setup: Iceland Wedding Planner
• Photography: Photos by Miss Ann (Ann Peters)
• Chairs & Linens:  Your Event Party Rental of Plymouth, Michigan
• Hair: Donald Steven’s Salon
• Makeup: Brittany Lambert
• Model: Jacqueline Ann
• Cupcakes: Perfect Desserts in Novi, Michigan
• “Love” Sign: Expressions in Design, check out her super cute Amazon Shop

The post Iceland Wedding Styled Session appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Thanks for stopping by!  A fun fact about us… We went from having an Iceland destination wedding to a honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia.  We loved having the two extremes for our wedding adventures.  Our honeymoon was featured on the fabulous Aisle Perfect / Perfete blog, so a take moment to check it out!

Definition of HONEYMOON  (Source: Merriam-Webster )

1: a period of harmony immediately following marriage

2: a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship

3: a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple

Ah, yes every engaged couples “light at the end of the tunnel”- the honeymoon.  Long awaited and well deserved.  After planning our Iceland destination wedding from October 2011 to April 2012 and coordinating travels and activities for our 40 guests we knew we would need a break right after the wedding, not another vacation.  To us, it seemed like terrible etiquette to have all the people we love fly in for just a few days of wedding events and then not spend time with them.

Whether you are planning a local wedding in Plymouth, Michigan or destination wedding at in Iceland I assure you, breaking tradition and waiting to take your honeymoon 6 months later is the way to go.  Every bride gets wrapped up into the excitement and planning of the day and once she goes back to normal life with no wedding planning to keep her busy a type of “post wedding depression” sets in.  Even being a super planner and being a destination wedding photographer as myself (please visit: www.PhotosByMissAnn.com), I was actually surprised at what a void I felt.  Planning my Iceland wedding became a hobby.  The excitement level crashed upon our return to Plymouth Michigan; my wedding was now ancient history.

Luckily, I had my honeymoon to plan! Bam, easy transition out of my post-wedding-blues!  Much like the same way we attacked finding a destination wedding location we compiled a list of possible honeymoon locations:

1. The Maldives
2. Antarctica (via Santiago, Chile)
3. Bali, Indonesia
4. Faroe Islands

Being a wedding photographer and specializing in destination wedding photography, we needed to work around my high season of photographing and plan for a trip in November or December.  That sadly eliminated the Faroe Islands since there would only be 4-6 hours of daylight during that time.  In the end, we chose Bali, Indonesia.  We rented “The Honeymoon Villa” in Candidasa.  Candidasa is 1.5 hours northeast of the DPS airport and the waypoint to all of the adventure and amazing food the country has to offer.

Each couple has to decide what sort of honeymoon they want to have and we are 100% action-packed adventure (and “sleep when you’re dead,” sort of travelers).  Our itinerary truly reflected the same.  If you’re reading this and are like us I suggest the following awesomeness for your destination honeymoon:

Day 1: Fly to LAX and stay overnight.

Day 2 and 3: Arrive in Bali (DPS airport).

Day 4: Check out our favorite beach Padang Padang then head to Ayana Resort for their “Pesta Lobster” dining experience.  Uber romantic!

Day 5: Check out the Tirtagangga Water Palace and the White Sand Beach. 11pm leave for the Sunrise Hike to the top of the highest peak in Bali, Mount Agung.

Day 6: Hike 9,900 feet to watch the sunrise on Bali’s highest volcano and then visit Pura Besakih (Temple in the Clouds).

Day 7:Day trip to the oldest most traditional Baliense village Tenganan and and then go to Ubud to shop the 4 story market.

Day 8:  Go Canyoning in Bali

Day 9: Head to the Taro jungle and ride an elephant at the Elephant Safari Park.

Day 10: Scuba Dive Tulamben – USAT Liberty Wreck.

Day 11: Spend the afternoon at Pandang Bai Beach, dinner at Rouge in Canidasa, and fly out of DPS at midnight.

As we planned our honeymoon in Bali, we debated on hiring a professional photographer to do some post wedding / honeymoon photography locally.  But, me being the perfectionist I am, I could not bear the thought though of anyone else photographing my honeymoon, but me!  So alas, against my husband’s pleas not to bring… the professional Nikon gear was packed!

Honeymoon Photography is a new upcoming phenomenon. As couples begin to choose more out of the norm locations (or luxury honeymoon locales) this becomes increasing important to document.  This is the couples chance to forever seal their wedding year glamor and turn it to printable legend.  It is certainly not every day or even every year you can take such an elaborately striking vacation so take advantage of it.  Forever pause this time in your lives and hire a professional to capture it!

Picture this… It’s just the two of you- no family, no friends, no obligations to worry about and certainly no time constraints as you did during your wedding day.  Plus ladies,you can choose to have another fun dress to be photographed in (or don your gorgeous wedding dress again!), bonus!  Destination honeymooning in Iceland, Fiji, Bora Bora, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, or even Bali Indonesia is a lifetime adventure and you need to capture that matchless beauty in couples portraits!  Especially if you have chosen to stay in one of those glorious over the ocean bures!

After having a destination wedding in Iceland in April my husband and I needed a break, not honeymoon!  So we waited 7 months on our official honeymoon and decided on Bali Indonesia.  Choosing such an exotically dreamy place, we knew we needed to document it.  We professionally photographed our own couples portraits and also hoped to fast-track this new trend in our destination wedding photography packages going forward.  We began our photography adventure at Padang Padang Beach (the Bali beach featured in the movie Eat, Pray, Love) and it was stunning!  Next up was a very romantic sunset dinner on Ayana Resorts Private Jetty.  A few days later we finished with a couple of random spots in around the city we stayed, Candidasa.

What a fun week of portrait sessions!  My husband and I were relaxed, playful, and uber romantic as we had every spot to ourselves.  I was so excited that I was already envisioning 19×23’’ acrylic prints to hang and designing our Christmas cards in my head!  This was truly a special session for us.  Here we were in the middle of an unusual countryside celebrating our 7 month anniversary (delaying the honeymoon was the best decision) and we were savoring every second.

Our honeymoon portrait session was unlike any other session we have to date experienced.  It was not as awkward as our engagement session nor as stressful as our wedding day- it was us in the essence of the moment and at our best.  These are by far my favorite images we have taken because taking them was an adventure in itself!  I know many of you may not have ever thought of it, but why not take your wedding photographer on your honeymoon?  Especially those of you bride and grooms that are planning destination weddings- I bet all of your destination wedding photographers would offer you a special package to continue on with you on your honeymoon too, just ask!  The wedding is critical but the honeymoon is epically you!

Yours in Iceland destination wedding photography and planning, Ann

13 Must Dos for your Wedding Day

Best Destination Wedding Tips for Obscure Locations

Aisle Perfect / Perfete Bali Honeymoon Feature

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

The post Destination Honeymoon Photography: Bali Indonesia appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

It’s hard to believe a year ago I was sitting in this same spot as a Plymouth Michigan Wedding Photographer planning my own Iceland Destination Wedding from hundreds of miles away.  The thought had crossed my mind at that point… How was I going to photograph my own wedding?  Would Photos by Miss Ann need to hire another assistant?  Could I trust a local?  Do I bring in my own destination wedding photographer and trust they are as wedding detailed as I strive to be?  Many sleepless nights were spent contemplating this dilemma.  We contacted many folks from one person shows to married couples who said they would “knock our socks off and offer unlimited time coverage.”  Everyone claims to be an “experienced destination wedding photographer” so please be careful and aware as you search for your Iceland destination wedding photographer.  Here is a list of helpful questions to ask that may help you decide:

1)      How many destination weddings have you photographed by yourself and under your current business name?

2)      What countries and environments have you photographed in?

3)      Do you offer destination wedding weekend coverage or only “continuous” day coverage?  If so for how long and what are your limitations?

4)      What makes you more desirable than hiring a local photographer?

5)      What sort of lighting equipment do you bring?  Are you prepared for all types of conditions and photographing every detail we spent so much time planning?

6)      Do you travel with backup gear?

7)      Do you interact with the guests (IE, grouping couples together or being forward enough to group of friends/family together)?

8)      How detailed do you feel you are?  Can you give examples during a destination wedding? IE, May I see a full wedding gallery you delivered to a couple?

9)      Can you give me an example on how you exceeded a brides expectations?

10)  Can you give me an example when you disappointed a client and what the end result was?

11)  Do you carry travel and liability insurance?

12)  What happens if you miss your flight, a family emergency happens, or you are late to our wedding day?

13)  If it rains during our outside ceremony, how do you handle your gear?

14)  Do you carry an emergency survival kit?

15)  Do you photograph in RAW?

16)  Will I receive the high-resolution files in RAW or JPEG files?

17)  What is your processing workflow timeline once you have photographed our images?

18)  What is your turn around time from my wedding day?

19)  Do you offer a pre or post Iceland wedding session?

20)  What places would you suggest we photograph nearby our ceremony and reception location? IE, Have you photographed in our region of Iceland before?

21)  Do you offer nighttime photography and/or Northern Lights Wedding Photography to be done after our reception?

22)  Will you check in with us before you leave for the night and the weekend?

23.) Will you be following up with us once your service is complete?

24.) Will you be posting our images or using them in any way without our permission?

25.) Do you use off camera lighting?

26.) Is drone photography at our Iceland wedding locations an option?

Asking those types of questions will allow you understand and gauge their experience level in photography, customer service, travel, and how they could be an asset to your wedding day before, during, and after.

Deciding on a wedding photographer is on the same level of picking your wedding date.  After all, those are the two things is all you’re going to have once the day is over outside of the actual memories!   We chose Saturday, April 14th 2012, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall for our ceremony location and Hotel Ranga for our beautiful 5-course reception dinner.

For our destination wedding in Iceland, we unfortunately did not have a positive overall experience with our hired wedding photography team from Toronto Ontario.  Their technical quality was disappointing and their lack of attention to details was an even bigger problem.  They basically left with having to edit our own wedding portraits and recreate just about all of our wedding day details to ensure they were properly documented.  So please, please be careful out there as you choose your Iceland destination wedding photographers!

At Photos by Miss Ann, we thrive on adventure (details!) and love… We also strive to be your premiere Iceland wedding photographer by always exceeding your expectations and creating portraits you will love for a lifetime.  So whether you are getting married at the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall like Chris and I did or at the hundreds of other gorgeous Iceland wedding photography spots we would love to be your destination wedding photographer and destination engagement session expert!

Yours in Iceland wedding planning and Iceland destination wedding photography,  Ann

Please visit: Photos by Miss Ann for more information!

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

The post Iceland Wedding Photographer 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

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