Hopefully you are aware that we are not only Iceland wedding planners, but we are also local and destination wedding photographers. In general we love, love especially capturing it in action.  So although we have a sweet spot for photographing Iceland weddings we do delight in shooting local weddings in Michigan too!

On Saturday, June 1^st, Chris and I had the pleasure of photographing Danielle and Jon’s wedding day.  When they first came to our home studio in Plymouth, Michigan to meet with us, they expressed how detailed they were.  Instantly, we knew we’d be a perfect fit since Chris and I are the same way!  We were so excited to tell the story of their big day, photograph the love between these two and all of the people who adore them!

The entire week before their wedding there were crazy thunderstorms, heavy rain, and even on the actual day the skies still threatened 70% chance of rain hourly.  So, what are a bride, groom, and wedding photographers to do?  Embrace it!  I think by embracing the chance, knowing rain on your wedding day is good luck, and being armed with umbrellas we warded off most of the rain.  Chris and I had a blast photographing their bridal portraits along the river at Bishop Park in Wyandotte and also at Cass Benton in Northville.  You can clearly see their tenderness for each other captured in their wedding photos!  Congratulations Jon and Danielle!

A few days after their downriver wedding, they sent us this wonderful note, reviewing Photos by Miss Ann’s services so we’d like to share it with you today!

“Hi Ann and Chris,
Jon and I wanted to get in touch with you right away to let you know how impressed and thoroughly pleased we were with the wonderful job you did for us on our wedding day.  You were both absolutely wonderful in every way imaginable.  From the very beginning for the getting ready pictures you were prompt and took initiative getting photos and working with little help or direction as to what was going on while the girls and I were busy.  Then you were right in the heart of all the chaos and moving around furniture, clothes, makeup, etc. to make sure you were able to take all our pictures.  You were so fun to work with and very positive, which just helped to put everyone at ease.  Also, thank you for doing such an awesome job at getting all of the pictures that we listed on our must have photo list that we gave you at the last possible moment- we really appreciate that. 

At the ceremony you were both great about moving around and taking multiple shots, while also being discrete and staying out of the mix of things.  For the wedding portraits, family shots, and bridal party shots you did a great job of giving direction and working around our smiling and blinking issues.  We really appreciated how well you managed everyone and got in so many pictures in such a short period of time. 

Your attention to detail was also much appreciated and certainly contributed to making the pictures as perfect as they could be.  We were also really impressed with how good you both were with navigating each different setting that we were in (i.e. you were on a ladder, moving around couples dancing, helping to hold the umbrella, etc.).  We also appreciate your flexibility in working with finding the best areas at the locations we wanted to take pictures at.  You had some really great ideas for pictures that we never would have thought of that were also a lot of fun as well. 

Throughout the entire day you were consistently very professional, upbeat, positive, and cheerful- you were pretty much every adjective that conveys a positive connotation.  So many people have commented to us at how good of a job you both did and how accommodating and helpful you were in taking requests for pictures and just doing an overall amazing job.  Jon and I just wanted to convey how much we appreciate you both being such a wonderful part of our special day and adding to our confidence and happiness that day.  Everything turned out so much better than we could have even imagined and you were both an instrumental part of that success.  We are so glad that we chose to have you photograph our wedding day.  We are truly confident that no one else would have done a better job for us!

Thank you both for all that you do,
Danielle and Jon”

Awwww!  We love and so appreciate our clients!  See Danielle and Jon’s gorgeous wedding photos below!  Enjoy!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Photos by Miss Ann (Local, Destination and Iceland Wedding Photographers)

Iceland Wedding Planner (Iceland Wedding Photographers & Planners Combined)

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

The post Photos by Miss Ann Review [Iceland Wedding Photographer] appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Last weekend was action-packed to say the least!  Within minutes of arriving to the stunning Eyry of the Eagle Estate I knew it would be an eventful day and my expectations did not disappoint!  As the day unfolded, I had some firsts happen: I was spat on by an alpaca (first), had goose bumps, tears (first), acquired poison ivy, and for the first time ever, I had sunset couple’s portraits photo bombed by donkeys (yes, I said donkeys)!  Hilariously true and so worth it to endure for the crazy undeniable love Carrie and Wally have for each other!  I love my job being a wedding photographer not only because I never have a duplicate moment; but, I also get the chance to watch wedding plans unfold with an outside eye and capture it at its very best.  Truly, I really cherish that part.

This past weekend’s Michigan wedding at Eyry of the Eagle in Grass Lake really brought me back down to the basics, raw love.  No elaborate frills, no buts or what if’s but just crazy awesome I will love you until the end of time, love.  Carrie and Wally’s wedding day really left me inspired and grateful for love.

On that note, today’s blog post is going to be a 2 part series on some sensitive issues you may encounter while Iceland wedding planning.  This week we’ll be talking about how your “Iceland Love Will Conquer All Things” and next week stay tuned for “Protocol for Family Issues & Parents” while Iceland destination wedding planning.  That being said, I will add this disclaimer to my post:  Sensitive Issues will be discussed with real wedding examples, followed by my personal experience/opinion on how to approach. –Thanks!

Carrie and Wally contacted me over a year ago to be their Michigan wedding photographer.  Although, they were not planning an Iceland destination wedding, Photos by Miss Ann still loves having local Michigan weddings in unique locations!  From the minute I spoke with Carrie on the phone, I knew that they were a fun-loving, laid back, super sweet retro couple and were oh-so excited to be engaged.  They had reconnected a decade later after knowing each other in high school.  A lot had changed over the years for each of them.  But if you spend 10 minutes with them you would know that they were destined to come together so they could not only strengthen each other but also serve as an inspiration to all who love them.

In January of this year, Carrie and Wally stopped wedding planning to manage through a time of trials and tribulations.  Even before they were married, life was testing their relationship resilience.  First, they had found out they were expecting a baby, who would make her appearance into the world on April 14^th (destined by dates, I think)!  After that exciting news came, baby prepping overtook their life; that is until more life changing news came.  What started out as Wally having a minor back injury, evolved into weeks of doctors’ visits, MRI’s, and numerous other tests, that then turned into a very real conclusion of cancer.  They found out together on Valentine’s Day of this year that Wally had a very rare form of cancer in his spine.  Not only that, but that the cancer had also spread into his lymph nodes and began spotting in his lungs.  Weeks before their May 25^th wedding day, Wally began rounds of aggressive chemotherapy.

The groom, Wally said to me on his wedding day while I was photographing their Michigan couple’s portraits, “Carrie has brought me an endless amount of strength.  This is my second battle with cancer in 10 years and she has been there for me more than anyone.  She has been my rock through the good, bad, and ugly somehow always bringing a smile to my face.”  The bride, Carrie told me during her bridal portraits before the wedding that they, “have endured insurmountable struggles in the last year and prevailed.  They will prevail over this too.” <Insert goose bumps!>

Spending the day with Carrie and Wally last weekend, I saw firsthand how love conquers all things.  From the positive energy they exude together, encouragement they give each other, the endless love and excitement their family’s shared, and the look of adoration they held in their eyes for each other, totally made my eyes well up!  Their love has been tested, tried, and totally true.

It was fitting they have the most beautiful day in Michigan for their wedding day.  The scene was set in the Grass Lake Michigan countryside where you hear and see chickens running around, a gorgeous 125 year old barn, walk a stone path passing by alpacas and donkeys to get down to a beautiful lake, stunning tall woods, a brick pathway to charming wedding pergola.  The bride and groom had a playful funky style, created all of their flowers, reception decorations, and other details all themselves and were so ready to get the show on the road!  Their wedding vows expressed their unremitting adoration and respect for each other.  It was lovely along with the rest of the evening’s events!  Feel free to check out a few of their Metro Detroit wedding photographs below.

I went home that evening and while my wedding images were uploading to the computer, (I totally interrupted the Red Wings playoff game) and bombarded my husband with “what if” scenarios.  Some were valid and I’ll be honest some were farfetched and ridicules but I felt the need to ask to understand that if we were challenged with such situations how we would handle together.  Chris and I have gone through our own struggles as a couple over the years with health distresses, losses, along with other sensitive family issues that have surfaced, but none to the life-threatening level that Carrie and Wally have been united through.  Going through a time of uncertainty of your future is scary especially when you are wedding planning and faced with the detrimental odds.

So you ask, how do you cope?  How does love conquer all things before and after your Iceland destination wedding?

• Positivity.  Staying optimistic is one of the most important things you can do when faced with health, economic, or other dramatic life changing events.  It affects your attitude, demeanor, outlook, and those you love.  At times it may be very difficult and you may have to “fake it to make it” but it will make a world of difference.
• Get educated.  Take the time to do research and understand what is really going on along with your immediate/long term options and a timeline.
• Turn the negative into a learning lesson that you will come out of a better and stronger willed person/couple.
• Honesty.  Be truthful about everything with yourself, your soon-to-be, with family, and other involved professionals.
• Open Communication.   If you feel sad, anxious, fear the unknown, or frustrated –talk about it, don’t hold it in!
• Get professional help.  If its health related seek additional opinions, the best doctors, etc.  If it’s economic, seek professional advice (i.e. financial advisors, resume gurus, career sites, etc).  If it is personal, seek 3^rd party professional help from a counselor, psychologist, or life coach.
• Be a Team.  The key though is to do this together and incorporate your families; they can bring you additional support, a shoulder, an extra ear to vent to, etc!
• Compile a plan of attack.  Sort out what things you have control over and what you do not and create a plan of how you will tackle the situation and respond to the different outcomes.  Having a strategy allows you focus short and long term.
• Take up a new hobby to refocus your negative energy/thoughts.  Blogging, collecting, clubs, etc!
• Take time to smile and laugh with each other.  This could be as simple as having a date night picnic in the living room!  Even in time of hardship, let your love thrive.

With the above tools in use, you can conquer just about anything and everything together.  So if you find yourself in love, engaged, planning a wedding in Iceland (or anywhere) or you’ve already been married in Iceland and are faced with a misfortune somewhere along the road remember these tips!  And also remember Iceland Wedding Planner and Photos by Miss Ann is here to help you tackle that overwhelming task of planning your wedding in Iceland with inclusive Iceland wedding photography packages too!  Please feel free to email us for more details!

Lots of Iceland wedding photography & planning smiles to you, Ann & Chris Peters

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

The post Iceland Love Conquers All Things appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Many of you have been curious as to how Chris and I went from dating in Michigan to being married in Iceland… so here you go ladies!  Our relationship adventures went something like this:

• We met in September of 2009.
• Rang in 2010 in Los Cabos, Mexico (woohoo first vacation together!).
• Had the merging of friends at an amazing ski trip to Banff, Alberta Canada in February 2010.
• Photographed a fabulous destination wedding (our first together) in Vieques, Puerto Rico in March of 2010.
• Found our way to several coasts and back photographing destination weddings and doing lots of high altitude hiking in Colorado (Yes I always keep a dress in my hiking bag for just such a photo occasion. After all, we’re wedding photographers, there is always an amazing locale nearby!).
• We learned new things together like how to race at Bridgestone Racing Academy in Pontypool, Ontario, to scuba dive, to fence, I celebrated my 500 skydive and Chris tried his first (Yes that is totally camera gear mounted to my helmet. Check out why I skydive here).
• May 2011, we moved in together!  Settled in a super cute 1920’s home in downtown Plymouth, Michigan.  See one of our photos from our 1920’s styled session here.
• Ann went on a trip to Jeju Island, South Korea while Chris went engagement ring shopping.
• Engaged:  We took a trip to Koloa, Hawaii (island of Kauai) in October of 2011 to photograph a gorgeous Kauai destination wedding.  We added a few days before to do some hiking, scuba diving, and an incredible biplane tour of the island… Through all of those awesome events I was totally anticipating a marriage proposal and nothing!  I’ll be honest, I ransacked all we brought trying to find any indication on whether or not he was going to propose (who’s with me ladies, lol?!).    A night or two later we were watching the sunset with a bottle of champagne on our private beach and he asked me to marry him.  It turns out sneaky Chris had hidden my Tiffany Ribbon Ring in a box of thin mint girl scout cookies in the fridge, something I would never ever go near!  Alas, he knows me all to well =)  See one of our destination engagement photos from that weekend here.
• We brainstormed on wedding locations (see our blog post here).
• From October 2011 to March 2012 we planned our Iceland Destination Wedding (we’re super planners so 5 months was doable, we would not suggest such a short timeline for anyone else).  We settled on a Iceland waterfall for our wedding ceremony and Hotel Ranga for our wedding reception location.
• On Wednesday, April 11th 2012, everyone we love and adore was getting ready to fly to Iceland that day for our adventurous destination wedding.  Unfortunately that morning, I received the unexpected phone call that my grandmother, Iren Soltesz had passed away.  Heartbreaking news to receive and deal with days before our wedding day.
• Saturday, April 14^th 2012, we were married at the exquisite Seljalandsfoss waterfall and held an incredible wedding day adventure for our guests.  Our Iceland wedding day timeline can be found on our previous blog post, here.  My grandma even brought us rainbows throughout our week trip through Iceland =)
• October 2012, we made the move to focus our Photos by Miss Ann business on Iceland wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography.  We felt that after all of our Iceland wedding planning trials and tribulations, Iceland needed a more visible wedding industry and we wanted to be at the front of this exciting adventure to help future brides and grooms!
• November 2012, we honeymooned in Bali, Indonesia.  See our Bali honeymoon photos on our previous blog post, here.
• Our Favorite Things:  Our bengal cat Oliver, the 1920’s, extreme sports, being silly (yes, it totally happened!), British cars (Chris), polka dots (Ann), champagne, bad horror movies, mountains, unique antiques, destination wedding photography, and Iceland!

In celebration of our first anniversary, Chris and I decided to forever pause the occasion with an Iceland inspired wedding anniversary portrait session!  It was a whole 18 degrees when we ventured out into some gorgeous caves and waterfalls to capture these Iceland inspired couples portraits.  We also spent 30 minutes of our time during that weekend to renew our wedding vows in front of another pretty waterfall!  After all, when you spend the time to write your own wedding vows, I am a firm believer they should be said again each year on your anniversary.  It truly brings back the euphoric feeling of newly wedded bliss!  Anyhow, we hope you enjoy our photos as much as we did taking them!

Now that you are up to speed on us, what is your love story?  Are you dying to plan a wedding day in Iceland?  If so, please contact us to understand why Photos by Miss Ann / Iceland Wedding Planner, would be a fabulous asset to your Iceland destination wedding day!

Lots of smiles from the not-so-newlyweds, Ann & Chris Peters

Professional Iceland Wedding Photography & Planning

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

The post Seljalandsfoss Wedding Anniversary appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.