Before you pop the champagne in celebration of choosing a destination wedding location and become totally intoxicated with the idea of getting married in Iceland, there are a few things you should know before you start Iceland Wedding Planning.  Today, we would like to advise you on 15 Things You Should Know Before Having a Wedding in Iceland…

1. Unpredictable Weather – No joke folks, Iceland is easily the most unruly weather place in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting married in Iceland on December 1^st, July 1^st, or October 1^st.  You can have an Iceland wedding or elopement full of rain, sun, sleet, snow, sand storms, 15mph winds or gale force winds, who knows!  The weather being so unruly through is part of the reason why you have such a vibrant landscape scenes, especially in Southern Iceland.  You will need to come to terms with the possibility of challenging weather (and go out and play in it so you can get those AMAZING Iceland wedding photos, okay?), because there is a high probability that it may happen.  So please be prepared (IE, Rain gear, Hot Hands, Have your Iceland Hairstylist super pin your hair back/up, use MAC cosmetics – HELLO waterproof Iceland wedding makeup, and an Iceland Wedding Coat)!

2. Icelandic Holidays and Events– There are MANY. Why does this matter to you?  In the countryside, many times restaurants will have limited hours or be closed.  Also, if you will be having an Iceland Wedding or Icelandic Elopement, you will need to get your marriage paper work / license from the regional District Commissioner and they are closed on Icelandic Holidays and only work M-F (outside of holidays) typically from 9-2pm GMT.  Likewise many times Icelandic celebrants will not work on the National holidays so keep that in mind when choosing a Iceland wedding date.  Have a look HERE to peruse the dates.  It is also very important for you to know what events may be happening during your desired wedding date… The last thing you want to do is pick a day/weekend and location that is going to be way over populated and filled with people EVERYWHERE or worst yet, sharing your wedding space with another couple!  Note: Our clients need not worry because we do not plan weddings at mainstream locations where this happens.

3. Driving in Iceland: We have a fantastic previous blog post HERE on that topic. If you don’t want to read then at least click on the below:

www.safetravel.is

www.road.is

www.vedur.is

4. Iceland is not a cheap country, regardless of how cheap your plane ticket is.  It is in fact one of the most expensive in Europe and most certainly in the world.  Remember: Iceland is an ISLAND and most of everything is imported (including most food) making it high priced to eat, adventure, and shop. Examples: Rental cars here in summer for an economy car range between $80-100 USD per day; Breakfast for 1 person $18 USD; lunch for 1 person: $28-35 USD; Dinner $48-65 per person.  There are only 4 American fast-food joints here also, KFC, Taco Bell, Subway, Quiznos and they are still fairly expensive to American terms (no dollar menus like you’re use to).  So unless you only want your diet to consist of hot dogs, I would urge you to be ready and save up.

5. Credit Cards (VISA / Master Card) are accepted 98% of the places you’ll go and most restaurants will also take AMEX. No need to exchange money (ISK – Iceland Kronurs) unless paying people on your Iceland wedding day (Celebrant, Iceland Hairstylist or Makeup Artist) or unless you want to buy a Pylsur from the famous hot dog stand or a snack from the downtown Reykjavik food trucks.

6. Icelandair “My Stopover” – This is one tidbit I wish was happening way back when I was first married here in Iceland (way back when before it was cool) because I think my guests would have LOVED to take advantage of it. What is Icelandair’s offer of a “Stop Over?”  They allow you to do a practically “free” stop in Iceland for up to 7 days on the beginning of your trip or after it.  Which means you could fly from NYC to Iceland (hold your Iceland wedding or elopement) for up to 7 days and then go honeymoon in some other awesome European destinations (like to Norway, France, Scotland, etc).

7. Natural Wonders in Iceland can be Dangerous!  No joke folks and that perfect Instagram photo or selfie is not worth your life, okay?  Examples of where to take heed:

• Fjadrargljufur Canyon – Heed the roped path okay? The place is often a mud slip-and-slide and falling 200 meters isn’t on the Iceland wedding agenda.

• Geysir – Stand behind the designated ropes because I promise, 3^rd degree burns will ruin your Golden Circle tour.

• Gullfoss Waterfall – In winter (December-March) the path down to the waterfall is closed for a reason and the reason is because it is ICY and you could plummet to your Niagara Falls style death. But then during Spring/Summer/Fall – Don’t take silly risks either.  The other day I saw a photographer on Instagram post a photo of a couple standing on a moss cliff edge inches from the powerful waterfall (search the “icelandwedding” hashtags for around May 11^th 2016 and you’ll see it).  Moss/Dirt piles are unstable and dangerous and that is why you should not venture off the roped path. Too many tourists before you have made that area unstable and you could now be the one that serves as the risky example.  Think about consequences, not “the perfect shot,” okay?

• Godafoss / Dettifoss Waterfall (Northern Iceland waterfalls) – Be careful here too folks. The above warning applies to these waterfalls too.

• Jökulsárlon Glacier Lagoon – So we all know ice melts and is generally unstable, right? Only hop onto ice that is fully stable on LAND, not with water under it.  Otherwise you could be a laughed at news article and face fines if the Iceland Search and Rescue team have to come rescue you like these silly tourists.

• Reynisfjara Beach – This beach is gorgeous, yes. However during the winter months (November-April) this location has limited accessibility because of the strong currents/waves.  So the cave or the basalt rocks will not be accessible to you, so just come back in summer okay?  But know, even in summer venturing out into the water at this black sand beach is not a good idea.  Remember what I said about strong currents?  I’m not joshing.

Don’t tempt fate and respect nature.

8. Arctic Char: It’s more delicious than salmon, order it wherever you go and never ever be disappointed.

9. Best Places to see Icelandic Wildlife:

• Reindeer Deer – Egilsstaðir (Eastern Iceland)
• Puffins – Vestmannaeyjar or Dyrholaey (Southern Iceland)
• Whales – Husavik (Northern Iceland)
• Arctic Foxes – Hornstrandir /Ísafjarðardjúp (Westfjords)

10. If you’re planning on going the budget route and camp around Iceland, I encourage you to get the “Camping Card.”

11. Duty Free Upon Arrival is one of my favorite things about flying into Iceland. Why?  Mainly because the alcohol sold there has a better selection and a fraction of the cost of what it costs in stores around the country. Second, because you can order online and in advance.  So for someone who HATES shopping, I can place my order online, give them the reference number upon landing and then they have it ready and ring it all up for me right then and there.  You should try it out, HERE.  Also see a calculator for how much alcohol you can purchase upon arrival HERE.  Remember though, you still must stay within the usual customs boundaries if you do not wish to pay duty.  See those rules again HERE.

12. Tax Free Shopping all around the country! Most of the places you’ll want to buy Icelandic wool sweaters, blankets, souvenirs, etc, have a Global Blue sticker outside of their door which means you’ll get money back (if you spend more than 6,000 ISK per purchase).  So make sure you ask for the form / receipt upon check out if the location participates!  Fill it out and then when you’re leaving Iceland, you will follow the signs to “Tax Refund.”

13. Will your phone work in Iceland? Check with your provider before you come here.  Otherwise… If you’re not going to be doing “f-roads” or offbeat adventuring and you have a GPS with Icelandic maps installed, then you can get away with just using your cell phones on wifi.  Best option: If you have “unlocked” phones you can buy a SIM card to put in your phone (they sell in the Duty Free Shop nearby to where you get your checked luggage).  Otherwise another option would be buying a cheap prepaid phone at duty free upon arrival, but I would suggest you pre-buy to ensure they have ready and in stock when you arrive.  See HERE.

14. Grocery Stores in Iceland:
    1. Best American grocery items store: Kostur (sadly this store has no closed!)
    2. Hagkaup
    3. Kronan
    4. Bonus (cheapest)
    5. Netto (later hours)
    6. Costco (Note: They sell U.K products, not American)

15. Buying Alcohol in Iceland: Where can you buy Icelandic Beer, Spirits, Wine, and Champagne?  There is only one company allowed to sell outright and that is as follows:  Vinbudin.  Note: You can not buy alcohol in grocery stores (sorry my American friends).

I hope this informational post has helped you begin your planning for your Iceland wedding!

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

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

The post 15 Things You Should Know Before Having a Wedding in Iceland appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

During their last few days of their journey through the land of fire and ice, they spent a day with us exploring the dynamic and colorful Icelandic wintry landscape!

They hiked.  They climbed.  They even said “yes” to my request for them to repel down into cave through a snow tunnel!

True adventurers who were after an unforgettable honeymoon!  …and they got it! ?

Thank you Maegan and Jesse for choosing us and Your Adventure Wedding to plan and photograph such a gorgeous honeymoon session in Iceland!

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding and Honeymoon Photography)

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

The post Iceland Honeymoon Adventure | Maegan + Jesse appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Six things that keep me always coming back is the following:

The quality of food.

The flavor ingenuity.

Presentation: How it’s plated.

The vibe and atmosphere.

The drink options.

The service of the staff.

That being said, I would love to share with you my favorite restaurants in Reykjavik today!

1. Snaps
2. Fiskmarkaðurinn (Fish Market)
3. Grillmarkaðurinn (Grill Market)
4. Matarkjallarinn (Food Cellar)
5. Public House Gastro Pub
6. Slippbarinn
7. Dill
8. Fjallkonan
9. Mathús Garðabæjar
10. Apotek
11. Kol Restaurant
12. Duck & Rose

Note: If interested in dinning at any of them, I strongly encourage you to make in advance reservations, especially on the weekends or high season summer days.

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

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

The post Iceland Honeymooning | Top 12 Restaurants in Reykjavik appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

But!  For good measure, let’s take a moment and rewind back to 2012… When this amazing couple went on their first adventure to Iceland and well, guess what?  That handsome devil, Danny romantically proposed underneath the Northern Lights!  And my blue haired beauty Chloe, of course said YES!  Ummm yeah, who wouldn’t right?!  Can we all have an Icelandic marriage proposal please (or a do-over, right?)?  You set the bar high Danny!

After returning home to England, they began thinking about where they wanted to wed and truthfully could not top the idea of going back to Iceland to get married!  So they contacted Iceland Wedding Planner, to turn their day into an unforgettable adventure for themselves and guests!

The day began at the wonderful Northern Lights Inn, where at 8am the guests all loaded a bus to go to the famed Thingvellir National Park for the couple’s Iceland sunrise wedding ceremony at Öxarárfoss Waterfall.  Despite the rain, the scene was set by uber romantic mini lanterns and white chiavari chairs (yes they exist in Iceland)!  Chloe and Danny vowed their undying love for each other and their friends and family totally swooned!

From there the journey continued into downtown Reykjavik for lunch and more exploring the sights and sounds the bustling downtown offers.  The group then made their way to the gorgeous Krysuvik-Seltun geothermal area.  A picturesque natural wonder where the couple ran around hand in hand in the midst of bubbling mud-pots and dramatic steam!  After returning to the hotel, the guests and couple had a chance to relax and catch their second wind. The details and reception vibe eluded to a very bewitched beauty, so the accouterments did not take away from the amazing adventurous wedding day in Iceland. It was a non-traditional Iceland wedding day full of adventure and the night ended with a gorgeous nighttime shoot (shot about 1am) at the famous Blue Lagoon!  It was windy and cold but Danny and Chloe kept each other warm!  Enjoy their Iceland wedding images below!

Chloe + Danny,

I heart you, that simple!  I didn’t want your fantastic wedding day to end…I needed like 12 more hours with you!  Since I can’t rewind time, I encourage you to come back and celebrate your wedding anniversary here every year, okay?  Or else I’m going to kidnap you both next time I’m in Bristol and hold you captive here for endless amounts of Iceland post wedding photo sessions  Thank you for choosing Photos by Miss Ann and IWP to plan and photograph your unforgettable Icelandic wedding adventure!  Lots of hugs and love to you! 

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

© 2012-2015, Iceland Wedding Planner, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Photographer | Chloe + Danny’s Adventure appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

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.