So now that I have you on the edge of your seat, the story goes like this… Katie and Joe boarded a plane leaving Istanbul going to Dushanbe and were surprisingly plane seat mates.  After several amazing moments talking through the overnight flight they decided they needed to have an official “first date” upon landing.  Both having a deep desire for adventure, outdoors, and hiking, they found themselves bonding while on a 4,000 feet hike up the Laylakul Pass.

Can much even top that first meeting and first date?  Um, yeah somehow Joe + Katie topped it.  When Katie’s plans to go to Kyrgyzstan didn’t pan out, they met in Cappadocia and Joe surprised her with an all-day adventure and an unforgettable hot air balloon ride!  Swoon! Swoon! Swoon!!

So happily ever after begins then, right?  Wrong!  After countless adventures in the following years, they settled on having an incredible elopement in Iceland!  So how where they going to top their daily lives and previous adventures with an elopement?  By hiring us of course!  We are the one and only skillful and experienced providers of Iceland adventure weddings in secret offbeat locations.  ….oh oh and we came up with an EPIC Iceland wedding adventure for these two!  I invite you to come along with me today as I share with you their unforgettable Iceland elopement.

When a bride asks me, “Ann, is it a good idea for me to have two wedding dresses and a cute coat?”  My response is always YES!  I love having options and I love that a bride is fearless too, to run around in her wedding dress with no inhibitions.

Hello waterproof boots!  You are a bride’s best friend during an adventure wedding in Iceland!  Did you know Hunter Boots make all kind of crazy cute colors too?

Katie and Joe, chose to have a “first look” and exchange sweet little cards with each other at the hotel before beginning their Iceland wedding adventure!

More often than not, our adventure weddings in Iceland require a hike or a fun river crossing like this!  Katie made it look easy!

The river crossing and the hike was worth it to get to this amazing ice cave spot for the Iceland wedding ceremony!

A little after the sun started peaking over the mountains is when we began the Iceland elopement ceremony.  It was beautiful spiritual ceremony led by my favorite Iceland wedding pastor in front of a huge ice cave wall.

Once the Iceland wedding ceremony was complete, it was time to begin the exploration adventure around this amazing area!  Oh oh and of course take amazing Iceland wedding portraits too

During summer in Iceland, ice caves are not typically stable enough to go into safely.  No worries, there are tons of other amazing Iceland wedding portrait spots around!  The magnitude and the power in this area always leaves me in awe, hope you see why!

After we left the glacier area, we ventured on to one of my new favorite secret spots!

Lunch time came quick!  We decided to stop at a gorgeous private black sand beach to have an Icelandic hot dog BBQ! Yum!

We leave the beach and go to another amazing glacier area?!  Hell yes!  On with the Iceland elopement adventure for more awesome discoveries!

One of the really special things about having a wedding in Iceland is the fact that you can encounter so many natural wonders in one day.  Which allows your awesome Iceland wedding photographer to capture really dynamic images of you near them!

An Iceland elopement would not be complete without having a beautiful cliff view and a cuddle.

We are constantly on the hunt for new secret spots for our Iceland weddings and this is one of our latest faves.  I mean come on, look at those pretty mountains!

I love love love caves and am a constant seeker of them.  Katie and Joe humored me with a quick stop to this gorgeous one for an Iceland wedding portrait!

After all of those epic spots, we didn’t have one waterfall!  …unless you count the mini waterfalls coming off the holes in the glacier?!  Anyhow, we did for sure have to include one!  These two had this waterfall to themselves on their Iceland wedding day!

Dinner at one of my favorite restaurants concluded their epic Iceland wedding adventure, but not before some sweet sunset photos!

Katie + Joe,

Wow-wee!  Now that day rocked!  Eloping in Iceland was the right decision for the two of you.   So much love and so much adventure and these Iceland wedding photos exude it in each one!  I welcome you back to Iceland anytime for more secret adventures!  ?

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

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

The post Enigmatic Elopement in Iceland appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

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

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

• Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
• Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You’ll find this gorgeous peninsula about 2 hours northwest of downtown Reykjavik. It’s a lovely drive on Route 1. Along the way you will encounter the Hvalfjarðargöng Tunnel which is a 3 mile tunnel that allows you to cross 165 meters underwater. Before entering the tunnel, you will pay a toll that is approximately 1,000 ISK (~ $9 USD) one way. You will then stay on Route 1 until you reach the town of Borgarnes, where you will then take a left onto Route 54 which will lead you the rest of the way to the peninsula.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula being such a fairy-tale location, is an exciting area to hold your Iceland destination wedding. It has endless unique places for Iceland wedding photos and romantic Iceland couples portraits. So what are the most fantastic spots in West Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula you should be sure to visit? Here are our personal Iceland Wedding Planner favorites (although not in any specific order):

• Snaefellsjökull National Park (Volcano / Glacier)
• Kirkjufell Mountain
• Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall
• Fishing Villages: Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður, Stykkishólmur and Búðardalur
• Arnarstapi Village
• Hellnar Church (Iceland Seaside Country Church)
• Eldborg Crater (The Fire Castle)
• Londrangar Basalt Cliffs (Sweet spot for puffin watching in the summer months)
• Djupalonssandur & Shipwreck Beach (where the ship wreck of the English Trawler Epine resides)
• Malarrifsviti Lighthouse
• Gatklettur Arch Rock (Near Arnarstapi village)
• Skardsvik Beach (“Golden Beach”)
• Budir Church (the famous black church for Iceland weddings)
• Hotel Budir (Hótel Búðir –Amazing locale for Iceland weddings with a beach, moss covered lava fields, endless mountain views, country feel, 5 star accommodations, traditional Icelandic foods, and Budir Church onsite).

The best way to fully show the exceptional charm this area has is through photos… So that being said, please sit back, relax, and explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in winter with us!

With a smile,

Ann & Chris Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographers)

2014, Iceland Wedding Planner & Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Iceland Wedding Locations: Snaefellsnes Peninsula appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.