Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony – Iceland Wedding Planner

Iceland Elopement Photographer | Jasmon + Yi Ling

Iceland Wedding Planner — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 06:05:11 +0000

“Where there is love, there is life.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

There is so much about eloping in Iceland that I adore! It’s untamed, unscripted and unbelievably beautiful. Then add in Jasmon + Yi Ling and endless smiles ensue. Follow us along today and EXPERIENCE their lovely Iceland Elopement!

The Iceland wedding morning began early in the Hotel Stracta studio apartments. Our Iceland hair and makeup styling teams worked on getting Yi Ling all dolled up as we photographed their super fun wedding details!

…and can we take a second and SWOON over their Iceland wedding rings?!

They are one of my favorites! If you look close, you can see the coordinates for their ceremony location. How fun right?

The 10 minute hike into this offbeat canyon is a super fun walk to their Iceland wedding ceremony spot.

Yi Ling’s Iceland Bridal Bouquet was super dreamy!

I loved Jasmon’s boutonniere too, so stylish against his gray suit!

Choosing a Iceland wedding ceremony location that moves you to excitement is key to having an unforgettable experience. These two fell in love with this offbeat waterfall right away and they were thrilled to marry there rain or shine!

It’s been at least 3 years since we had photographed at Skogafoss Waterfall (as you are aware, we only go to tourist locations if the couple has a deep rooted request). But it was super fun seeing these two be marveled by it!

The fabulous cave below was not on the original adventure wedding plan for the day. But the weather got to be super fierce (extreme rain and wind) and our other location was too dangerous to hike up to safely so this secret spot was a perfect “plan b!”

But even in the rain, we must play!

Our clear umbrellas are a perfect accessory to combat the rain and windy conditions Iceland can bring to weddings sometimes!

Grass covered houses during your romantic Iceland elopement?! Hell yes!

So much fun and so much LOVE! Congratulations to the newlyweds!

The post Iceland Elopement Photographer | Jasmon + Yi Ling appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Iceland Wedding Location: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Iceland Wedding Planner — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 01:00:02 +0000

Hey hey hey Woohoo for the day!

I hope this finds you well! A few blog posts ago, we planned, photographed, and featured our 30th birthday party and we’re happy to share today that it was featured in the Emma Magazine, check it out here!

::Warning::

Since this post was originally written in early 2013, tourism has grown to an unruly amount. The space has changed and the amount of tourists coming here each hour is out of control. We do not suggest this waterfall as an Iceland wedding location if wanting any sort of intimate feeling ceremony.

Now back today’s awesome topic… Waterfalls are one of the most majestic natural wonders on the planet. To be married at one adds in an extraordinary amount of romance and a great start to happily ever after. Waterfalls have symbolized the source of life giving water in many countries. These traits are similar to the symbolic nature of a wedding ring because in many cases it symbolizes the lifeline to a marriage.

Iceland is suited for waterfalls because of the consistent snow and rain the country encounters during the year. But the good news is that awesome precipitation adds to the magnificent waterfalls, gorgeous rivers, lakes, and glacier pools that are found throughout Iceland. These elements set the scene for Iceland to be an unforgettable wedding location.

Those endless amounts of waterfalls, cliffs, canyons, glaciers, ruggedly unique terrain, and coastlines all create the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos to be unlike any other. Imagine yourself in front of this distinctive landscape saying your vows. It is truly dreamlike!

Today, we begin another fabulous 3 part series on Iceland Waterfall Weddings. First up is our personal favorite, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. Enjoy!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is ideal for an adventurous outdoor wedding, engagement session, or simply a post wedding adventure visit. Directions: Once you have passed the city of Hella in Southern Iceland you have about 15-20 minute drive to the waterfall. It lies between the city of Selfoss and Skogafoss. To help pinpoint it, here are the Seljalandsfoss GPS Coordinates: 63°36?57?N19°59?34?W.

You will begin seeing her splendor emerge from the cliffs as you enter from the west on Route 1 (Or Þjóðvegur Road), on your left hand side and if coming from the east you are surprised by it on your right hand side. Once you park the excitement starts…

Consumed by its greatness, you’ll be in awe for a moment or two because you’ll look up and be greeted with 196 feet of sheer natural wonder. Finding yourself completely astounded by the jagged cliffs, grass landings and a cute little bridge. However its greatest secret is a small pathway that leads you up and around the back of the waterfall. If you continue to follow the path, it will loop you around and back to the front of the waterfall. See a view of our Iceland wedding being setup at Seljalandsfoss from the very top waterfall viewing point in the below photos.

A few words of advice as you venture in and around this waterfall: If heading behind Seljalandsfoss, shield your camera and bring your raincoat. One gust of wind charging in from the nearby ocean will get you soaked from head to toe. Have your Iceland wedding photographer or Iceland wedding planner scope it out first and direct you.

The pros of getting married at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall:

· Gorgeous backdrop for a wedding ceremony and endless unique spots for your Iceland wedding portraits!

· It is directly off of main road, Route 1.

· You can walk behind this waterfall.

· You can marry right in front of the waterfall.

· Beautiful scenery around the waterfall.

· There is a cute little stream that runs under a bridge offering a stunning view of the waterfall.

· There are no fees or special permission needed to marry here.

· The 5 senses experience! < See below>

The Cons of getting married at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall:

· The noise the waterfall creates. Consider having an Iceland DJ or some sort of sound system in place. Otherwise your guests will not be able to hear your wedding vows or ceremony over the sound this powerful waterfall creates.

· The waterfall is a public attraction so you may have other tourists in your wedding photos.

· This spot is also first come first serve, there is no reserving a specific area for your wedding ceremony.

· If holding your ceremony near the front of the waterfall there may be mist and you might get wet.

· If you go behind the waterfall you may get wet and the bottom of your dress dirty.

Remember how a few blog posts ago I talked about how my husband and I had these “somewhere in time moments” during our magical wedding weekend in Iceland? Well you can add Seljalandsfoss to that list! Both of us will never forget the sound and feel of this waterfall as we said our Iceland wedding vows. Even though we had 40 guests watching us it felt like it was just Chris, myself, and this enormous waterfall as we stated our forever promises to each other. Even over a year later, I remember vividly that Seljalandsfoss provided a total 5 senses experience to us and our guests. Hearing a waterfall now anywhere brings me back to that moment in time. I can even recall how the sun and waterfall mist felt on my skin that day, the earthy smell, and the raw desolate visuals of the landscape that corners the waterfall.

Choosing to have your wedding in front of a waterfall in Iceland is a tall order. Luckily, we’re here to help you –We have firsthand experience! My husband and I were actually married at Seljalandsfoss waterfall on April 14th 2012 (our Iceland destination wedding even made the news, see here). As a husband and wife team, we have wonderful packages that combine Iceland wedding planning, Iceland engagement photos and full day Iceland wedding photography. So please feel free to contact us if you are interested in more details on getting married in Iceland!

With a smile, Ann Peters

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20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:15:52 +0000

Hello and Woohoo to you considering Iceland as your destination wedding location!

Thanks so much for joining us for our second installment of 20 tips for planning your Iceland wedding! If you missed the first half of this series, feel free to go back and delight in it here. As having been married in Iceland ourselves, we know firsthand how crazy awesome it is as a destination wedding location. We also know how difficult it can be planning a wedding if you are unfamiliar with the country, so feel free to contact us! We’d love to hear from you!

We hope these tips prove to be a helpful tool in deciding if an Iceland weeding is in your future!

11. Before you embark on your journey, request that your Iceland wedding official/celebrant sends you the full service in print so you and your fiancé can review and make changes if needed. If writing your own vows or having a unity ceremony make him/her conscious of this ahead of time. Many of the priests and magistrates in Iceland are unfamiliar with North American wedding customs.

12. Have your wedding budget detailed out in your own currency and in ISK (Icelandic currency). The exchange rate changes daily. When budget planning 12 months out from your Iceland wedding date, fluctuations in the rate (and VAT increases) can have a significant impact on your overall costs.

13. Do not be afraid to ship in your own wedding details ahead of time to ensure they meet your standards and vision. We imported over 16,000 freeze-dried rose petals for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss. For more information on this topic, please see our blog post on Importing Your Iceland Wedding Details.

14. Having a wedding Iceland wedding timeline card (schedule) available when your guests check-in to the hotel is a great way to help keep your guests on track. This extra detail will let everyone know what festivities are in store during their stay. Not sure what to include or why? Don’t fret! We wrote a great post about Wedding Issues you can check out to ease your mind.

15. For an extra special wedding welcome, provide your guests with an Iceland Wedding Welcome Bag. They made the trip to Iceland to see you get married, now spoil them with some local super sweet luxuries to use during their stay.

16. Take your Iceland wedding dress off the bridal store’s hanger and say no to plastic hangers! Bring a personalized wooden one that says your future name (Example: Mrs. Smith), or “The Bride,” “Love,” “I Do,” etc! This is a delightful detail for your Iceland wedding photographers to capture. Example of what that looks like, here.

17. Do not be afraid to talk with your photographers candidly about your vision and what you need captured, it’s important to make that clear. See why this topic is so important in our previous blog post, here.

18. Understand that you may not have an ideal weather day for your wedding in Iceland and just accept it. The day might bring rain, sleet, snow, be cloudy, or be blazing with endless sunshine, who knows! Storms approach and blow through quickly. You may just have to wait 15 mins or so. Above all, have a feasible “Plan B” option if holding your wedding ceremony outside. Our advice to you is to either an indoor locale on standby or umbrellas for each guest readily available.

19. If having guests attend your Iceland destination wedding, plan a fun post wedding day group activity that all ages can participate in. Idea: We designed a self-drive highlight tour of the Golden Circle, Seltun/Krýsuvík Lava Field, and the Blue Lagoon the next day with our guests. Check out our previous blog post here on that topic.

20. Make your honeymoon a separate trip and enjoy your trip to Iceland with all who have come to share it with you. We actually waited 6 months to take our honeymoon and were so glad we did! Check our Bali Indonesia Honeymoon Portraits here.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed today’s post and it has provided you with some better insight into the many things to consider when planning your destination wedding in Iceland. Think this may be for you? Talk to us today on how Iceland Wedding Planner and Photos by Miss Ann can complement your wedding day in Iceland! Please feel free to contact us directly here.

Today’s wedding day photo inspiration comes from a gorgeous wedding we had the pleasure of photographing on Saturday, September 7^th on the esteemed Infinity Ovation Yacht. Beth and Jarret have become very dear friends to Chris and I over the past few years. We were honored and super excited when they asked us to photograph the most important day of their lives! They are a pair who is very adventurous, challenge each other, and they have a relentless love and admiration for each other that is unmistakable.

Beth was already one of the most gorgeous women I know, but to see her as a bride on her wedding day took my breath away! Oh man and Jarret…in his bow tie, suit, and perfect smile -so handsome! The Day: It was an ideal moment in Saint Clair Shores with early fall temperatures and endless blue skies overhead for their ceremony. Chris and I spilt up for an early morning start to this amazing event. Beth and her ladies started at the MGM Casino and Jarret and his groomsmen began their day right around the corner from the Jefferson Beach Marina.

The 11am ceremony brought all who love them together in celebration. The captain of the boat married them and the horn of the yacht blew in announcement of the newlywed Mr. and Mrs.! How fun, right? After the ceremony, all of the guests boarded the boat to enjoy an afternoon cruise. A strolling gourmet lunch was served while the yacht boasted amazing views around the Detroit River including the historic Ambassador Bridge! Jarret and Beth, we hope these images speak to you and forever seal that marvelous moment in time for you! Thank you for choosing Photos by Miss Ann to tell your wedding day story! Now please delight in their wedding day BLISS below…

Lots of Smiles and positive planning vibes, Ann & Chris Peters

Husband and Wife Iceland Wedding Planning & Photography Team

The post 20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

20 Tips for Getting Married in Iceland (Part 1 of 2)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 01:15:55 +0000

Hi Friend!

There you are engaged, starry-eyed and in love debating on destination wedding locations… When you stumble over the idea of having your wedding in Iceland! Is it even possible? Do people actually get married in Iceland? Of course it is! We did it and now specialize in planning and photographing weddings for other amazing couples in Iceland! Okay, so now that we have you super excited that it’s possible, contact us for more information on being your wedding planner and Iceland wedding photographers!

Today we begin a two part series on advice for planning your Iceland destination wedding. Here is our 10 out of 20 Iceland wedding planning tips for this week!

1.) Give yourself an absolute minimum of 6 months to plan your destination wedding in Iceland. If you’re planning to elope in Iceland, plan for a minimum of 4 months before. To insure your Iceland wedding dream spot is available book 12-16 months before your date.

2.) Apply for a credit card that offers free foreign transactions. When we were planning our Iceland destination wedding, we chose the Chase Sapphire Card. We earned points for every dollar we spent while avoiding that 3% transaction fee on every international purchase. This savings on your Iceland wedding budget can be put towards that epic honeymoon!

3.) Fully explore all of the possible locations you could hold your Iceland ceremony. Maybe on top of a Glacier? In the middle of lava fields? Seljalandsfoss Waterfall? Vik Beach? Gulfoss? Ranga River? Lake Mývatn? Dettifoss Waterfall? In an Icelandic country church? Downtown Reykjavik? Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon? In one of Iceland’s many gorgeous canyons? In front of a basalt rock formation? The natural wonders for Iceland wedding venues are endless, so think hard on where you see yourself getting married.

4.) Do your research on the time of year you want to marry in Iceland. The amount of daylight varies depending on the day/month so be mindful. Iceland can range from 4 hours to 22 hours of daylight a day. We have a fantastic post here on the “Best Time to Marry in Iceland.” Also check out one of our favorite sites: Time & Date for specific information on how many hours of daylight you may have on your proposed Iceland wedding date.

5.) Currently you do not need a “permit” to marry at any of Iceland’s natural wonders.

6.) Make sure you’re in Iceland at least 2 business days before your wedding date. In order to obtain your Iceland marriage license, you must be in the country 2 business days before you get married. Hard copies of the documents are due 2-3 weeks before you arrive in Iceland. Please keep this in mind as you finalize your travel plans.

7.) Trip Advisor, Google Images, and Wikipedia are magnificent tools for understanding where things are in Iceland and what they look like as you plan your Iceland wedding adventure.

8.) When you’re getting ready to send out your Iceland wedding Invitations, create a wedding website detailing your chosen location, your booked flight information, Iceland wedding host hotel information, activities you want to do, coupon or booking codes, and your week/end Iceland wedding schedule so guests are comfortable booking ASAP. Send your Iceland wedding website URL with your wedding invitation.

9.) Change it up by having a “Love Letter Ceremony” in place of a sand ceremony, unity candle or tying the knot ceremony. It is very unique and will provide a very special moment for you both then and years later.

10.) If you plan to say “I do” at one of Iceland’s gorgeous waterfalls (like Seljalandsfoss Waterfall) we recommend renting a sound system with a wireless microphone. It is tough to compete the roar of a epic waterfall in the background. Having a sound system insures every word is heard and that music can be included in your ceremony.

We hope you have enjoyed our post today on tips for getting married in Iceland! Stay tuned next week for the remaining segment on this wonderful topic! (If you’re just joining us see the continuation to this post at 20 Tips for Planning Your Iceland Wedding (Part 2 of 2)).

And if you just can’t wait or find “Part 2” here it is!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Planning and Photography Team)

The post 20 Tips for Getting Married in Iceland (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Music Ideas for Iceland Wedding Ceremony (Iceland DJ)

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sun, 12 May 2013 01:00:21 +0000

Hello to You Lovely!

This week, we received the nicest letter in the mail (Yes, in the mail, who doesn’t love getting things in the mail still?). One of our Iceland bride and grooms-to-be writes us saying:

“Ann & Chris,

Deciding to have a wedding in Iceland we thought was one of our best decisions we have made as a couple, until we found and then met you both! Our engagement session was so fun, thank you for flying to DC and for having endless creative ideas. The portraits you took in our favorite spots around the city capture us. You guys are such a great husband and wife photography team. You impressed us already with your blog, responsiveness, thoroughness, portfolio, but frankly your attention to detail is extraordinary and still is blowing us away. By holding the highest standards and consistently exceeding them, you have helped us achieve an unforgettable plan for our Iceland destination wedding. Because of you, our wedding is going to be flawless. Thank you for your outstanding work! Forever Grateful, E & M ”

Aww, shucks, we really have the best clients! We are beyond excited for the upcoming Iceland weddings we have on our Photos by Miss Ann books. Each bride and groom is from a diverse part of the world, brings different Iceland wedding locations, unique style, and a distinctive vision for their wedding adventure in Iceland and that is REALLY exhilarating for us as Iceland wedding photographers. Okay, okay, okay, enough gushing and more Iceland wedding planning!

Our topic this week: Iceland Wedding Ceremony Music

Figuring out your music selections for your Iceland wedding ceremony can be overwhelming in your destination wedding planning. It can be a lot of pressure. After all, you want your guests to be excited, in awe, and inspired while taking in the dynamic scenery, finding their seat and anticipating the bride and grooms wedding vows. Phew, tall order, or at least we felt it was when we were planning our Seljalandsfoss Iceland wedding! Have no fear, today’s blog post will give you some ideas for doing just that because having an Iceland wedding ceremony music plan helps set the scene even more so.

If you’re planning to have your Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Snaefellsness Peninsula, Vik Beach, Lake Myvatn, or Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon and have more than 6 people in attendance, my advice to you is that you need to rent a sound system for the courtesy of your guests. Holding your wedding ceremony in one of the stunning natural wonders Iceland offers is incredible but do not forget your guests! One of the frustrating things at times for outdoor wedding guests is that they cannot hear readings, vows, the exchange of rings, etc and they really want to be a part of it!

As Iceland wedding planners, we can help you secure an Iceland DJ for your event that will setup battery powered sound system with speakers, wireless microphones, and an IPOD connection. That way, your guests will be able to hear your Iceland wedding music, understand your officiant, listen to your wedding vows, and have fun background music while you take your stunning Iceland wedding portraits! Now that you have figured all that out, your big question is now, “What kind of music do I play for my Iceland wedding ceremony?” We have found that our bride and grooms have had the most success thinking in terms of words and the feelings songs exude. So think about what inspires you and your soon-to-be and in the meantime, here are a few more ideas to get that creativity flowing!

Before Ceremony Music:

Inspirational, Light, Dynamic and Exciting.
General rule is to begin playing 30 minutes before the wedding ceremony.

Bridal Entrance Song Ideas:

Dreamy and Transcendent (like you’re walking on clouds).
You can easily choose two songs for this, one for the parents to be seated, groom, and bridal party to walk down the aisle and the other for the bridal entrance.
No music played during the Iceland wedding ceremony (unless doing a sand/knot ceremony, partaking in communion, or you see a need for filler music for another part of the ceremony, etc).

After Your Iceland Wedding Ceremony Music:

Bouncy, Fun, and Starry-eyed!
Typically played for 45 minutes after the wedding ceremony in Iceland. Songs that are fun to exit the ceremony hand in hand and greet guests too. This is also enjoyable for guests to listen to while you take your dazzling Iceland wedding photographs!

So right about now, I’m sure you’re dying to know what music Chris and I planned for our Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, right? Our Iceland ceremony music picks follow below:

Before our Seljalandsfoss Wedding (Ceremony Playlist):

“Hellelujah” by The Canadian Tenors

“Color My World” by Chicago

“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban

“Annie’s Song” by John Denver

“Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk

“Marry Me” by Train

“The Wedding Song” by Kenny G

Aisle Walk and Bridal Entrance:

“Somewhere In Time” by Maksim Mrvica (Such a romantically dreamy song!).

After our Wedding at Seljalandsfoss Ceremony we played:

Bride and Groom Exit Song: “Better Together” by Jack Johnson

Greeting Line & Iceland Wedding Photographs Background Music:

“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters

“Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes

“My Girl” by The Temptations

“One Fine Day” by The Chiffons

“How Sweet It Is” by Marvin Gaye

“Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations

“Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest

“Earth Angel” by The Penguins

“Wishin’ And Hopin’” by Dusty Springfield

“Tell Him” by Exciters

“Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” by Solomon Burke

“Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me” by Mel Carter

“Be My Baby” by The Ronettes

** Stay Tuned for Part II of this topic in our next Iceland wedding planning post- Wedding Reception in Iceland: Music Ideas **

Keep Smiling and Iceland Wedding Planning,

Ann Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographer

The post Music Ideas for Iceland Wedding Ceremony (Iceland DJ) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Seljalandsfoss Wedding Anniversary

Iceland Wedding Planner — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:38:31 +0000

As our newlywed status comes to a close, Chris and I spent a long weekend celebrating but at the same time, reflecting. This last year has truly been an adventurous whirlwind. I’m not sure where the time has gone! It seriously seems like only a few months ago we were in front of Seljalandsfoss waterfall having our Iceland wedding and saying our wedding vows. Nearly a year later, we are now planning Iceland weddings for similar couples like ourselves who want their wedding day to not only be a elegant affair but a lifetime adventure to remember. We could not be more excited for them and cannot wait to photograph their gorgeous events!

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

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Planning an Iceland Destination Wedding

Iceland Wedding Planner — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:12:55 +0000

Hello Readers!

Thank you for stopping by our blog! Planning a destination wedding in Iceland is a tall order even for super planners. With no elaborate wedding industry as there is in North America it surely complicates things. There are so many twists and turns that you could have within your day it takes a professional to pull it all together and capture your vision flawlessly.

That being said… Welcome to the Iceland Wedding Planner Blog! It is our intention in creating this blog to be informative about planning a wedding in Iceland and leave you inspired during each visit.

My Story:

My name is Ann Peters (formally Ann Rezbanyay) and I have a passion for destination weddings! I am a seasoned destination wedding photographer and owner of Photos by Miss Ann. Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of being a part of and photographing over 500 wedding weekends/days local and destination weddings. In October of 2011 my fiancé (now husband) Chris and I brainstormed on where to hold our wedding day. So one thing was for sure, it was a no-brainier we were going to plan our wedding in a crazy-awesome-adventurous location that would stun our guests.

Our Must Have List:

The location needed to be somewhere Chris and I had never been to.
A location where no one on our guest list had visited.
A locale that offered endless outdoor adventures.
A place where the scenery was completely different than all the yearly weddings I photograph (from beaches to mountains). We needed dramatic scenery!
Where the food was full of flavor and unique to the country.
We would receive personal service from our vendors.

What locations made the list!

Sweden Destination Wedding
Iceland Destination Wedding
Bali, Indonesia (we ended up doing our honeymoon 6 months later there)
Greenland Wedding
Antarctica Wedding
Faroe Islands Wedding

Loving Nordic cold weather, Chris narrowed the list down to Sweden or Iceland. I sent away for travel guides, books, spent hours researching, and calling. Because the next most important thing was securing locations within our country of choice.

Wedding at Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
Wedding in Southern Iceland.

Iceland was our answer. More endless hours of research brought us to the decision of getting married at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and hold our Iceland wedding reception in Hella, Iceland.

We bravely decided on April 14^th 2012 as our wedding date (ask any Icelandic native and they will tell you we were crazy!). We kept the location a secret until our custom wedding invitations went out in November (see our destination wedding invitation samples below).

The benefits of holding your wedding November-April in Iceland follow:

1) Best chance to see the unforgettable Northern Lights every day.

2) Seeing Iceland in its winter/spring glory. It looks like a completely different country!

3) In April the temperatures can still be a balmy 45 degrees! Our day was and with that sun shining it felt even warmer!

4) Low tourist season. No fighting crowds for your stunning wedding photos.

5) Vendors cater to you during the off-season which equal discounted rates and individualized service!

6) Slower time to import goods which equals less hassle (IE, I imported my own rose petals as a cost saving) and assurance you’re getting the right shade of pink!

7) Although there may be a chance of snow or rain on your wedding day (which both are good luck!) wait 10 minutes and you’ll probably get some sunshine. The weather is always changing. I think we had all 4 seasons in 1 day and it rocked!

8) You’ll make headline news from being the brave souls who said “I do” at a waterfall in winter or late spring! See our wedding on the Icelandic News! We still get photos emailed to us from random people who witnessed our wedding there =)

Our Iceland guest list included a total of 120 guests both from as near as Syracuse, New York and as far away as Perth, Australia (42 hours of traveling). Our wedding invitations gave the initial shock to our guests of “Iceland! Really, Iceland?!” Luckily, we had ~40 guests RSVP yes before January, so we were stoked! Honestly, we would have been happy if it had just been ourselves, a glacier, a waterfall, and our parents. So we were seriously overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our family and friends.

When our guests received the wedding invitation, they received 4 things in the envelope:

1) The actual Iceland Wedding Invitation.

2) An “Accommodation” Card that shared our wedding website: chrisandann2012.com – This website (when it was fully active, communicated air transport, lodging, car rental coupons, and schedule for the week).

3) The RSVP return card and envelope (We went for the 5-course menu).

4) 4 photos of the amazing sites our guests would see if they attended.

It was important to us to communicate to our guests why we were drawn to marry in Iceland and why they should travel to the Land of Fire and Ice. This trip was not only about saying “I do” for us but to have all the people we love, adore, and appreciate all in one amazing place to partake in this adventure with us. Once guests visited our website and saw that everything was planned and available for them to easily book through the website- excitement began!

Chris and I spent weeks planning all of the available activities in and around the area. Although, when we arrived in Iceland we devoted the first 1.5 days to finalizing food and wine choices, putting together welcome bags, decorations, and getting our marriage license we made ourselves available to our guests. This was our wedding week/end, not our honeymoon so it was critical for everyone to feel included young and old.

For more tips on planning a wedding in obscure locations check out the article written by Ann on Wedding Photos USA along with the rest of this Iceland wedding planning blog! This is just the beginning so some really awesome posts on Iceland weddings!

Who are we? We’re a very detailed, adventurous, energetic husband and wife team who have a passion for weddings and Iceland. We are, Ann and Chris Peters and we have 10 years of destination wedding photography and planning experience. Traveling the globe photographing love stories and wedding adventures is seriously the best career on the planet (in our opinion)! Not only all that, but we were also married in Iceland at the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall on April 14th 2012 (our 40 person Iceland destination wedding even made the Icelandic News)! So we truly know first hand, how epic of a country it is and how special it is for you to plan your wedding in Iceland!

Throughout the last decade, we have learned what our couples desire in a wedding planner & destination wedding photographer. Which means knowing what you want and us providing the most cherished experience possible. We’re so excited to meet you!!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Feel free to contact us directly here)

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