Life for us here at Photos by Miss Ann is somehow stuck on the fast forward button so please forgive us on the delayed posts!  The baby-boom of 2013 has come!  So many little ones have come through the studio in a past few weeks, lots of baby snuggles!  Chris and I have also begun looking our “final home.”  We currently live in Plymouth, Michigan and have a 1920’s home just outside of the downtown.  Gorgeous, but we need more room!  So we’re on the hunt for the home where we will have acres of land to photograph our clients, woods, pathways, a separate studio on the property, and the perfect home where we will one day raise a family and retire in.  Big decisions and big excitement is surrounding us and we are blessed to be savoring every minute of it!  If you are apart of the Photos by Miss Ann Family- be excited!  Big exciting things are happening for the rest of 2013 and 2014!  Woohoo!  Feel that energy?! Now lets channel it back to Iceland wedding planning!

Today’s topic: Iceland Wedding DETAILS!

Last week Photos by Miss Ann mailed out a super awesome welcome package to a newly booked Iceland destination wedding couple.  The intent of the package serves several purposes.  First it is a “thank you for booking us and we are really excited to be working with you!” gift.  Second, it gives the bride and groom some instant details!  Third, it provides wedding inspiration tailored to the type of wedding the bride and groom are envisioning.  For this specific Iceland Bride and Groom, we included the following items:  Burlap “bride” bag, “I do” blue bridal shoe stickers, “She’s Mine” groom shoe stickers, a Diamond Ring Key Chain (design inspiration to be used as a napkin holder), “Love” Cookie Cutters (wedding favor inspiration), Heart Wine Cork (favor inspiration), Heart Purse Hook (design and favor inspiration), Mini Sewing Kit (always prepared!), Mr. & Mrs. Luggage Tags, and a few other PBMA items like a thank you card, Photos by Miss Ann pen, and business cards.  This sort of package instantly provides whirling ideas and starts the destination wedding planning momentum!

Details in Destination wedding planning may seem small and monotonous but they are the amazing little touches your guests will see and appreciate.  Most times, those details are the ones that set your wedding apart from other weddings.  So you ask…. How does the detail planning start?

1. Color schemes!  Play with them =)
2. Pick your Iceland ceremony location and Iceland reception place (An Iceland waterfall wedding? A church in Budir? Hotel Ranga? Vik Black Sand Beach? Glacial Lagoon,? Or have a wedding under the Northern Lights?)
3. Picking your one of a kind Iceland wedding dress! Vintage? Modern? Romantic? A traditional veil? Bird cage veil? A romantic hood?
4. Creating Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations that compliment your destination wedding location and colors.
5. Choosing what your future husband will be wearing!  It’s okay to be more on the simplistic side when getting married outdoors in Iceland.
6. Figuring out what your maid of honor and best man will be wearing.
7. Now it’s time for the fun decisions!!!  The food!  5-course sit down or buffet? Photographers will usually (if they are pro level like us) take photos of this because 20 years from now you will not remember how awesomely delicious it looked!  Your Wedding Cake: Have sample photos of cakes you like to communicate your vision.  Ensure your baker or wedding planner knows what style you are after.  Then comes flavors!!  Yum!  We were non-traditional and decided no formal wedding cake but rather each guest received their own chocolate lava cake with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream!  Maybe be unique and have Icelandic Skyr cake for your wedding dessert?
8. Other food decisions would be whether or not to have a cocktail hour, snacks for your guests, a champagne toast, a themed cocktail at the bar (Like: “Cranberry Kiss,” “Godiva Chocolate Martini,” Wedding Oasis,” etc.!)  So fun for guests and personally, I love to photograph these type details!
9. Party Favors at each place setting and/or a welcome bag.  These can be fun-themed by the country you are holding the wedding in, special to you and your soon to be, and/or useful items the guests can use later and think of you both!
10. Flowers:  Flower colors are very important to the details.  From your bouquets, boutineers, corsages, petals for the isle way, guest petals to throw or bubbles, to the centerpieces at the Iceland wedding reception tables.
11. Memorial Flowers to remember those who have passed before or unable to make the journey to your Iceland destination wedding.  Couple of ways to do this…  At our wedding we incorporated our passed love ones in 4 sets of white roses and ribbons and had the flowers in the first row at our ceremony and then someone carried them around as we did group photos.  One of my favorite ways I have seen this done is a bride ties small little locket size portraits of the grandparents.  See our below photos for examples and this shop on Amazon if you’re curious to purchase.
12. Table Design for your reception.  Will you have seating name tags?  How will you determine how your meal is being handed out to each guest- color code? Table runners? Pin-tucked Place-mats? Formal Napkins?  How do you want them folded? Silverware settings? Charger?  Will you have water glasses, champagne glasses, and 2 types of wine glasses on your table?  Round tables or long coupled tables?  Will you be at a sweetheart table? Bridal party table? Bride and Groom banner sides for your seats?
13. Gift table design?
14. Bar Design and Bar Menu
15. Decorations!  Elaborate or Simplistic?
16. 5 Course Wedding Meal: Will you have a menu card?
17. Will your maid of honor or best man be decorating the honeymoon suite?  Let the Iceland wedding photographer know, those setup details are special!
18. What sort of hanger will you hand your dress on?  Look into getting a gorgeous personalized on that says, “The Bride,” “Future Mrs,” Mrs. Peters,” etc!  My favorite website Classy Bride sells them, check it out.  Awesome details for your Iceland wedding photographer to capture.
19. Will you be traditional and have the something new, something old, borrowed, and something blue?  Lay it out for your photographer.  Details you spent so much time picking out should be captured!
20. The rings!  If they are in a special box like Tiffany’s have it out so your photographer can get some fun shots.
21. I know it’s going to sound silly but details that are often overlooked… Are the big kiss and cake cutting… practice!  Make sure you’re comfortable!  If doing a cake cutting, Photos by Miss Ann walks you through in the moment what needs to be done (and I always provide forks, lol!).

I hope this blog post today, has provided insight on some of the awesome things you get to plan for your epic wedding day in Iceland.  Chris and I planned our own wedding at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and hand picked all of our vendors.  We would love to have the opportunity to help you plan your flawless wedding day in Iceland and capture your epic Iceland wedding portraits!

Lots of smiles to you!  Yours truly as experts in Iceland wedding planning and Iceland Wedding Photography, -Ann Peters

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

The post Iceland Weddings: Detail Planning appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I know you have been patiently waiting on my next post and I so appreciate it!  Life seemed to go lightening speed for us the past few weeks!  The good news is we have booked some amazing Iceland brides for 2013 and 2014 and we are super stoked to be working with them!  Their visions for their day are truly one of a kind and we are honored to be planning and photographing their adventurous weddings in the land of fire and ice!  So if you’re thinking about Iceland as your one of a kind destination wedding locale please contact us!

We helped my mum launch her new retirement venture in the last few weeks too!  Check out: Regal Baby Boutique! Glamorous handmade goods for children and awesome portrait photographers!

A couple of press spots has kept us busy bees too!  Check out The Frosted Petticoat, Baby Life Styles Magazine (our image is full page on #40), My Inspired Light, The Bridal Detective, Done Brilliantly, In Bliss Bridal Blog, Borrowed and Blue, the Budget Savvy Bride, double cuteness from the Frosted Petticoat Blog, and we are delighted by word of a printed feature in DIY Wedding Magazine and The Knot this coming Spring/Summer for several of our beautiful destination weddings.  So much positive energy buzzing around us-  we are thrilled here at Photos by Miss Ann!  Woohoo =) Thanks for being a part of our excitement!

Enough about us!  Back to our wonderful topic today: Iceland Destination Wedding Etiquette

Destination weddings are tricky and proper etiquette for all involved is important.  Today, I am going to debunk some of the most common questions surrounding destination weddings in general and specifically Iceland wedding planning etiquette as well!

1.      Save the Dates: Are they needed? When do you send?

a.      Once you are engaged, picked a wedding state/country location, and are set on a wedding date it’s time to send out “Save the Dates!”  If planning a destination wedding, these are typically sent out 8 months or more before the wedding date.  You want to give your guests as much notice as possible to begin saving or planning their destination wedding itinerary.  We were engaged in Kauai Hawaii in October 2012 and set our wedding date for April 2012.  We decided on a short window for planning because we either had to get married before our high wedding season or after because we are wedding photographers in Plymouth Michigan, in Iceland and beyond.  That left either getting married in April 2012, November 2012, or April 2013. We settled on April 2012 and planning in less than 6 months does not require formal save the dates.

2.      Do you invite the masses to your destination wedding?

a.      Personal preference.  But I will give you a fabulous example!  When planning our Iceland destination wedding my husband and I are both only children with small family’s so we decided to look at it like this… Invite all immediate and extended family, all close friends we have kept in contact with over the last 5 years, our current or previous bosses, and selective workplace friends.  We ended up sending out 100 Iceland wedding invitations and ended up with 36 RSVP’s saying yes!

3.      If you are also having a local reception who do you invite?

a.      You must extend the invite to anyone who declined your destination wedding invite.  If you choose to invite additional people you should probably have your Iceland wedding photos available for their review.  That way, they feel somewhat included in your wedding day as well.

4.      Destination Wedding Invitations: When to send?

a.      Invitations for destination weddings should be mailed at a minimum of 4 months away from the wedding date.  This provides the guests with ample time to decide, request vacation, book flights, accommodations, and plan Iceland adventures. It is also proper to give your guests 40 days to RSVP.  Another real life Iceland wedding day example: We sent our Iceland wedding invitations out on November 15^th and gave our guests until January 9^th to respond which was ~50 days to respond.

b.      Why ask guests to RSVP early?

a.      By having all of our RSVP’s back by January 9^th we could chase down any folks who did not respond.  Having our guests RSVP 3 months before allowed us to begin finalizing our counts for our wedding plans as far as Iceland wedding ceremony location, Iceland wedding transportation logistics for a group of 40, champagne toast at Vik Beach, ordering our Iceland wedding flowers, our Iceland wedding linens, Iceland wedding Welcome Dinner, Hotel Ranga Wedding 5 Course Wedding Meal, and our post wedding itinerary for our guests.

5.      Does the traditional rules of who pays for what still apply?

a.      Sometimes, if planning a destination wedding in the United States I have seen the traditional road of groom’s parents paying for the “rehearsal dinner” and the wedding day alcohol while the bride’s parents or simply the bride and groom are responsible for the rest.    But if international, more often than not, I have seen the bride and groom be responsible for the costs.  So depending on your situation it is up to you!  I strongly encourage you to contact us to help you plan your Iceland destination wedding budget.

6.      Do you pay for your guest’s accommodations?

a.      It’s interesting on how destination weddings have developed.  8 years ago when destination weddings became popular, that was the protocol.  You hosted your guests from the moment they arrived until they left.  Your guests were there for you and not so much the vacation.  But now that the industry markets dictate destination weddings as a vacation so there is less pressure financially on the bride and groom.  But, I will say, if you can afford to comp your guests the night of the wedding, then do it.  If it’s not in doable then at least take the time to negotiate a group rate with your host hotel.

7.      Should you prepare your guests on how much they may spend on your destination wedding?

a.      Yes!  …and the perfect place to do this diplomatically is on your wedding website.  Industry average says that guests should be prepared to spend between $700-1200 per person on a destination wedding.  This cost would include flight, accommodations, average of planned activities, rough estimates for food, and transportation.  Hire us as your planner and photographer to help you properly budget plan!

Photos by Miss Ann (aka, Iceland Wedding Planner) also provides this budget and activity planning piece in all of our Iceland Wedding packages so please contact us for more information!

8.      Do you create a wedding website?

a.      Yes, yes, yes!  If you have not yet do so now!  Having a wedding website for your destination wedding gives you a voice to your guests (without badgering them).  It provides them tools to RSVP, book their flight, reserve their housing accommodations, take advantage of booking discounts, review your Iceland wedding itinerary, see activity suggestions, book Iceland transportation, and understand why you chose Iceland as your destination wedding locale!

It also provides space for you to tell your love story, post engagement photos, introduce your wedding party, post information on gift registries, bridal shower, post your invitation, wedding menu, and wedding day flow.  Super awesome tool to use as you plan as well!  Photos by Miss Ann includes this service as one of the Iceland Wedding Planning agenda items too so feel free to contact us!

9.      Welcome Dinner versus Rehearsal Dinner, do you do one?  Which do you choose?

a.      Over the past few years I have been witness to the transition from traditional wedding rehearsal dinners to destination welcome dinners.  The reason: Many destination weddings have fewer people standing up in the bridal party’s which requires very little day before organization. So in this case referring to a day before dinner gathering your guests would be called a “Wedding Welcome Dinner.”

Real life wedding example:  My husband and I held our destination wedding in Iceland and decided to kick off our wedding weekend in Iceland with a welcome dinner at Hotel Ranga for our 36 guests.  We also arranged for our guests to stay 2 nights at Hotel Ranga so they could relax, enjoy the countryside, and have the opportunity to be in the midst of the Northern Lights.  Having kept our Iceland wedding ceremony location of Seljalandsfoss waterfall a complete surprise to our guests, we could not go to the site to do a “rehearsal.” So when it was time for a pre-wedding day walk through we had our official meet us at the hotel to review our wedding ceremony, did a quick walk through with our maid of honor, best man, parents, and 4 good friends that were reading “The Art of Marriage” by Wilfred A. Peterson.  7pm came and it was time to welcome our guests to begin their Iceland wedding adventure with us!  There was a delicious 3 course meal (complete with Skyr Cake!), music, toasts, speeches, tons of laughter, excitement, a birthday celebrated, and destination welcome bags passed out!

10.  Gifts for Destination Weddings?

a.      Our personal vote is no gifts for destination weddings.  You simply request the presence of your guests.  Real Life Wedding Example: We were an established couple and felt we did not need anything to “jump start our marriage” and felt it was more important to share in the adventure of Iceland with our guests so we stated a section on our website for gifts that said, “Your presence at our Iceland Wedding is the best gift you could give us.”  …and really it was.

Faux Pas: Never ever send out a registry insert to your wedding invitation (or state on the invitation) on where you are registered.  If anything state it on your wedding website (believe me word will spread) or guests will go to all the typical spots and look up your names and hope for a registry.

Alternative Destination Gift Registry Ideas: Honeymoon Wishes Registry, Wanderlust Registry, Upon Our Star, or the I Do Foundation (charity donations).

Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties are the exception to these rules.  So if you’re having one, register.

11.  Are Wedding Announcements Needed?

a.      Yes!  If you’re having a local reception they are absolutely needed.  It is also proper to send to any guest who was unable to attend the destination wedding.  The ideal situation is to have photos from the wedding on the card and send them out within 3 weeks of arriving home from your destination wedding. Your Iceland Destination Wedding Photographer can design gorgeous cards for you or if you have purchased your digital files you can do so on your own as well!  That way if you are also holding a local reception guests will feel more connected to your wedding day by seeing your Iceland wedding photos.

12.  Destination weddings and bridal party attendants… what to do?

a.      Don’t worry there are no hard and fast rules to this one.  Do not feel obligated to choose your sister if you’re not close or that cousin you barely talk to.  The really amazing thing about destination weddings is they are truly about the couple!  Because they are also smaller in attendance (industry average being 60 guests) the couple has the right to choose less!  We are seeing more often than not the bride & groom just choosing a maid of honor and a best man to stand calmly (lol, yes I said it!)  beside them.  Our real life Iceland destination wedding example: My husband and I are luckily only children (lol, I said that too!), have small extended families, and close-knit group of friends from around the world.  So realistically we could not honor each set of friends with being in our wedding party so we chose to honor them in other ways at the Iceland wedding ceremony and also during the wedding weekend.

13.  Do you invite your wedding photographers to your day wedding welcome dinner or wedding rehearsal festivities?

a.      Yes!  It is nice for you two, your families, and to have your guests become comfortable with them. It is also a great time for them to get acclimated to the scenery, locations, lighting, and your expectations ahead of time.

Plus, if they are rock star destination wedding photographers, chances are they will candidly photograph the event for free too in gratitude to you treating them so kindly as a guest.  Or at least that is what Photos by Miss Ann does for all of our destination couples =) Remember our key to photographing destination weddings is we need time with you!  Priceless moments should be captured professionally!

14.  Do you tip your destination wedding vendors?

a.      In Europe, it is not expected because typically the prices are higher to include, but it is still appreciated for exceptional service.  In any sort of country that is deemed developing or third world tipping is expected.  Canada and US it is not expected but if you had exceptional service the day of, feel free to!  But do be careful with vendors who still have yet to provide you a finished product to you as you may wish you hadn’t!

We had this specific experience happen to us with our hired destination photographers from Toronto, Ontario.  We felt the day of they were easy to work with and we had hoped they were behind the scenes capturing all of our details professionally- so we tipped them over $300 USD, in good faith.  We loved our Iceland engagement session but not our wedding photos. Unfortunately, we seriously regretted our generous decision as we found some serious issues upon the arrival of our high resolution images weeks later.  There were many technical flaws like blatant gear malfunctions, missed moments despite there being two of them, many of details we spent so much time planning were not captured, and we found the husband and wife duo to be very condescending in character to deal with after the fact.

Sadly, because of the negligence of our hired destination wedding photographers, my husband and I have had to spend the last year of our newly wedded bliss fixing their technical mistakes, recreating our missed wedding moments, retaking Iceland wedding portraits, and reconstructing our own Iceland wedding details professionally.   All that being said, Chris and I understand even more so how important is for you to choose the right Iceland wedding photographer who will amazing to work with from beginning to end.  So please check out Photos by Miss Ann to see how we would be an asset to your Iceland destination wedding planning!

15.  How to handle sensitive family issues:

a.      Divorced parents? Extended family not cordial to each other? A riff between in-laws? Do not fret!  Knowledge the issue before the wedding and make it clear to all involved you will accommodate to the best of your ability to ensure no awkward moments. Also make it clear the night before your wedding day everyone involved is to be as cordial to each other as possible and drama free.  Remind them the day is about you and your fiancé saying “I do” and not the ongoing family issues.  This problem could be as simply solved as having assigned seating at your dinners (name cards strategically placed can be professionally made with Pixels to Paper or personally made).

Another thought would be to brief your wedding vendors on the issue.  They may be an aid in diffusing the situation.  I know as a Iceland wedding planner and owning Photos by Miss Ann, we encounter almost 1 sensitive issue per wedding weekend.  It’s a delicate balance and the more information your wedding planner or wedding photographer has on the issue the more equipped they are to handle it and restructure the situation if needed.

Our real wedding example of this follows to provide you a better visual:  My gorgeous Hungarian Grandmother, Iren Soltesz had passed away the morning we were all flying to Iceland so it was a very emotional time for all of us before, during, and after our Aril 2012 wedding day in Iceland.  All of my family was shocked and a few were debating on whether or not to make the journey from Ohio-Toronto-Iceland.  This news also hit my mother especially hard as we were getting ready to leave that morning.  Bitter sweet that she did not have time to properly mourn her mother but had to focus on celebrating her only daughter’s wedding day.   It was tough for all involved to not have the proper time to grieve the loss of a loved one and focus on celebrate the joining of two others lives.  My Grandmother’s funeral was postponed until we all arrived home 7-10 days later which caused much angst across our family.  We maintained a positive approach every step of the way.  We also strategically placed our guests at both our Iceland wedding ceremony at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, our wedding welcome dinner and Iceland wedding reception at Hotel Ranga to ensure all negative emotions would be avoided between family members.  We also had memorial roses added to be a beautiful representation of our grandparents who passed before our special day could arrive.

Phew!  A lot of information, I know =)  Remember, this is just our two cents.  We’ve been there and this is our personal opinion on how things should work but keep in mind, we also photograph and experience weddings as our full time job so we know that side of it too!  Feel free to contact us for more information on how we can help make your day flawless in Iceland wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography!

Many smiles, Ann Peters

© 2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Destination Wedding Etiquette appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Welcome to the Weekend Brides and Grooms to be!

I hope this blog post finds you well and super excited to be planning your Iceland destination wedding!  You have officially started an amazing Iceland wedding adventure and we’re ecstatic you have consulted us here at Photos by Miss Ann (the “Iceland Wedding Planner“).

Where are you in your wedding planning process?  Have you committed to Iceland as your destination wedding location and now find yourself overwhelmed with next steps?  My husband and I were there once, so don’t worry you are in good company!  It is really interesting to see how the wedding industry in Iceland has not evolved as elaborately as it has in North America and Canada.  Iceland is such an amazing country offering perfect wedding photo locations, fresh foods and flavors, incredibly kind and generous people, epic adventure, stunning scenery, and is really not as far away as people think!  More brides and grooms should consider Iceland as their destination wedding location. …or we should all keep this our gorgeous little secret!

If you have not sent us a note about our Iceland Wedding Planning or Iceland Wedding Photography services, please contact us for more information on how we would be an asset to your special day!  We have established partnerships with the best in the country to ensure your Iceland wedding day is flawless.

Today, we would like to share with you some of the “general” Iceland wedding ceremony locations you could choose to to say “I do” at.  ….we typically plan off-the-beaten-path spots for our own clients!

Please Note: We no longer plan or photograph at the main stream locations we talk about below. We would rather take you on an adventure away from typical tourist locations via super jeep or helicopter for you Iceland Wedding Day or intimate Iceland Elopement! Please contact us for more details!

1. Iceland Wedding Location: The Blue Lagoon

2.  Iceland Wedding Location: Cape Dyrholaey

The most Southern point in Iceland

3. Iceland Wedding Location: Country Church in Budir, Iceland

4. Iceland Wedding Location: Country Church in Hellnar

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland (Iceland church by the sea)

5. Iceland Wedding Location: Dimmuborgir

(The area is composed of various volcanic caves,

rock formations and amazing for Iceland Wedding Portraits)

6. Iceland Wedding Location: Godafoss Waterfall

(Incredibly powerful and stunning for Iceland Wedding Photos)

7. Iceland Wedding Location: Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon

(Who else will have Iceland Wedding Photos with glaciers in them?! You!)

8. Iceland Wedding Ceremony Location: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

(One of our favorite Iceland wedding photography

locations where you can go behind the waterfall too!)

9. Iceland Wedding Location: Skaftafell National Park (Stunning traditional turf houses in the Sandar region of Iceland)

10. Iceland Wedding Location: Skogafoss Waterfall

(A very powerful waterfall where double rainbow wedding photos are abound!)

11. Iceland Wedding Location: Svartifoss Waterfall

(In the Skaftafell National Park- Sandar region of Iceland)

12. Iceland Wedding Location: Thingvellir National Park

(The path along Almannagja where the American and European

continental plates drift apart. Married at the Tectonic Plates…How unique!)

13. Iceland Destination Wedding Location: Vik Beach

(Black sand, a cave, basalt rock formations all equal an epically

romantic Iceland wedding photography location)!

Our post today is only a small representation of the most frequented Iceland wedding ceremony locations.  The country has many more beautiful locations to make your Iceland wedding photography incredible, so please contact us for additional details in planning your dream wedding in Iceland!

Stay tuned for our next post topic: Destination Wedding Etiquette

With a smile,  Ann & Chris Peters (Experts in Iceland Weddings)

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

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

Communication with your Guests

Will you begin the communication with your guests by sending our Save the Dates?  Maybe if your date is closer and your group smaller, you jump right into Iceland wedding invitations.  Either way or route, it is helpful to additionally a wedding website to continue to share updates and travel information.

When you send your invitations, will you let the guest know what is specifically planned or will you keep it a surprise in case a location needs to change?  Previous couples have done the following to share Iceland wedding guest advice:

1. Do you want to keep the ceremony location a surprise?  For example, it can be pretty fun to keep folks guessing.  Especially if you’re planning an adventure wedding with us… Why?  Because the chances of the guest visiting the location before are super low as our 90% of our locations require a super jeep as transportation.
2. However, if you haven’t hired our team, you may want to disclose the location in advance so guests do not visit it!
3. Maybe the location will need to change because of severe weather.  It is good to remain flexible and just give your guests the name or area of the wedding host hotel.
4. Also, having a surprise wedding ceremony location could start your wedding off uniquely.

Essential Information

Meanwhile, what is considered essential information to communicate as Iceland wedding guest advice?  Firstly, when you send our your Save the Dates or Iceland wedding invitations it would be good to have an insert sharing your wedding website info.  Secondly, or some verbiage addressing what they may be getting into.  Third, maybe something like this:

• Wedding Date
• Iceland Wedding Hotel Name
• Countryside Town Name
• RSVP Date

“The ceremony will be held outside, rain or shine.  The weather should be moderate to cold, around 40-45F.  Please layer and be prepared to be outside for up to 1.5 hours at one time for Iceland wedding photos and exploration.  Please keep in mind that you’ll be outdoors on grass, gravel, mud, and sand, so hiking boots or flats are recommended.  The wedding dinner / reception will be held indoors so feel free to bring a change of clothes!”

Iceland Wedding Guest Advice Topics

Next, you may be wondering what other topics would be useful for guests to have in regards to the wedding day itself?  Well good news, we have a plethora of topics we have written about over the past decade or more.  Additionally, you can see the list here:

• International Airport Code: KEF
• What to Pack for an Iceland Wedding
• What to Wear to Wear to a wedding in Iceland
• Weather in Iceland: How to Prepare
• How to Pack a “Go Bag” for an Adventure Wedding
• Driving in Iceland
• Car Rental Information (Note: Our clients can share a Hertz coupon code!).

Specifics on What to Bring:

If writing on your Iceland wedding website, it would be nice to start with what season you’re getting married in.  To illustrate, describe it!  For example, Spring months in Iceland are generally chilly, with average temperatures around 45F / 7C in the day.  However, sometimes the weather can be unpredictable, so pack different types of layered clothing. Also, note that in April Iceland has ~16 hours of daylight and long periods of twilight with the Northern Lights sometimes in display (earlier part of the month).  Sunrise is typically around 5am and sunset after 9pm.

Traveling to Iceland Packing Suggestions:

Just to get you thinking… We provide a short list of common packing items folks bring to visit Iceland.  Likely, it would prove to be useful as Iceland wedding guest advice too!

• Passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the period of intended stay in Iceland. No visa for US/Canadian citizens is required for a stay of up to three months in any six-month period. For other countries please visit this Icelandic Government website.
• Bring your Iceland wedding invitation– Some airlines/visa offices may require you to show proof/reason for travel.  Specifically if an in advance Visa needed to be secured.
• Camera.
• Adapter for Europe – Voltage is 220-240 Volts (U.S./Canada are 110-120 Volts).  Checkout favorite Travel Adapter.
• Bathing suit for Hot Springs or Hot Tubs!
• Walking shoes and/or hiking boots for exploring.  Our favorite are Salewas.
• Shoes for wedding day and night.
• Comfortable clothes for walking, hiking, and sitting in the super jeep, bus, or car. Layers would be best.
• Cocktail attire for the wedding welcome dinner and Iceland Wedding Reception.
• Warm coat(s) (for glacier walk, wedding day, and sight-seeing)
• Windbreaker or Under Armour cold gear.
• Warm pants to layer; thermal underwear or Smartwool!
• Gloves, check out Sealskinz!
• Scarf.
• Hat.
• Sunglasses.
• Stain Removers, we love travel Shout Wipes!
• GPS with updated international maps (or download offline Google Maps).
• Sunscreen.
• Rain jacket / umbrella.
• Medications (if needed).
• Hair conditioner – sulfur in the water everywhere can dry out your hair.
• Favorite snacks / protein bars.
• Travel Pillow, click to see our favorite!
• An appetite for adventure!

Iceland Travel Advice

Likely, your guests will choose to turn your wedding day into a perfect excuse for them to explore the island more.  Therefore, being able to share with them some tips from locals can certainly enhance their journey!  Maybe some of the below links would be applicable:

• Best Iceland Self-Drive Adventure 
• 55 Offbeat Things to Do
• Hot Springs!
• Best Restaurants in Reykjavik
• Adventurous Things to Do
• Best Restaurants in South Iceland
• Romantic Things to Do
• Luxury Things to Do
• Best Hikes in Iceland for Amazing Views!

Lastly, with this Iceland wedding guest advice, your faves will appreciate insight more than you know!  Meanwhile, it also gives you piece of mind that you put every bit of information out there to help them in their travels and get to Iceland prepared for your awesome wedding day!!  If you need help planning your journey to Iceland, we would love to hear from you.  Feel free to contact us today!

© 2002-2023, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Guest Advice (Updated for 2023) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I don’t know where you are… but I am writing from Plymouth Michigan today and it is a balmy 55 degrees on January 12th!  Wowza- where did winter go?  Well let’s get wedding planning!

Today’s topic is Wedding Day Timelines:

Depending on the location you have chosen and the type of bride and groom are… your schedule will vary obviously!  However, having over 10 years of wedding day experience Photos by Miss Ann would like to offer up a better visual to help you in your Iceland destination wedding photography schedule and beyond.

First Step: Decide whether or not you want to see each other before the ceremony.  First Look versus Traditional Schedule.  There are truly pro’s and con’s to each one.

Second Step: Hire a Iceland Wedding Photographer that does not limit you to silly “continuous time” rules.  Some of the time will be traveling around to the the epic Iceland Wedding Portrait Spots so they will not be photographing anyhow so don’t hire anyone that limits you (we made that mistake).  Photos by Miss Ann does not limit you as far as timing on your wedding day we are there for you!

Photos by Miss Ann is personally a fan of not seeing each other before and having your wedding day be an adventure!  Our wedding day in Iceland is a perfect example of a traditional but adventurous wedding schedule.

Our Wedding Day in Iceland Schedule Follows:

Friday:

7-11pm – Welcome dinner for all guests!

Guests were given Iceland wedding welcome bags and wedding timeline cards after their 3 course welcome dinner meal.

Saturday (Wedding Day):

9-10am: Buffet Breakfast.

10-12pm: Hair and makeup for the Iceland bride and maid of honor in the Royal Suite.

12:00pm: Bus Departs from hotel for Iceland wedding ceremony with groom and all guests.

12:15pm: Bride and maid of honor depart hotel in Icelandic Super Jeep for ceremony entrance.

12:30pm: Arrival to wedding ceremony site: Seljalandsfoss wedding.

12:30-1pm: Iceland Wedding Planner sets up Iceland ceremony chairs, chair ties, lays down rose petal aisle way, and Icelandic DJ plays pre ceremony music from our playlist.

1-1:30pm: Iceland Wedding Ceremony at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.  We said our own wedding vows, held a love letter ceremony, and greeted our guests after.

1:30-2pm: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Wedding Photos.

2-2:40pm: Our 40+ guests hopped on to a chartered bus for a surprise day trip to Vik black sand beach for a champagne toast!

2:40-4pm: Vik Beach Wedding Photos: Group champagne toast, bridal party destination wedding portraits, friends, just the two of us for romantic Iceland wedding portraits.

4-4:50pm: Pit Stop at the Iceland’s best wool shop.  It’ll be hard to get your guests out of here!  Be diligent.

4:50-5:30pm: Travel to Skógafoss Waterfall for Iceland wedding portraits.

5:30-5:50pm: Skógafoss Waterfall for double rainbow wedding photos!

5:50-6:30pm: Travel back to hotel for wedding reception along the Ranga River.

6:30-7pm:  Bus arrives back at the hotel – Guests freshen up after their Iceland Wedding Adventure! …I will say our guests were exhausted at this point- but easily found their second wind!

7-11pm:  5 course wedding reception dinner.

Our 5 course  Iceland wedding menu consisted of the following amazing items:

Course 1: Mushroom Soup

Course 2: Lobster Skewers

Course 3: Smoked Icelandic Puffin

Course 4: Lamb or Icelandic Salmon

Course 5: Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (Our Iceland Wedding Cake!)

11pm We closed our reception with sharing our first dance, Chris with mother, and myself with my mother.

::Note::

Before the trip, we made it very clear to our guests that this trip to Iceland was not our honeymoon. We asked them to please plan on joining us on some of these wonderful adventures in the days following of our Iceland newly wedded bliss!

Sunday, April 15th:

Driving Day Tour of some of Iceland’s most iconic spots!

10:30am Guests Depart from our wedding hotel, Hotel Rangá to visit Keldur, home of the oldest Turf Houses in Iceland (15 min drive).

Next stop is one of the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland Gullfoss (1h 15 min drive).  Following, we will visit the most active Geyser in the world (erupting every 4-8 min) Strokkur (26 min drive).

Then, we are off to the Kerid Volcanic Crater Lake, (30 min drive) followed by a stopover at the Seltun/Krysuvik Lava Fields (1h drive time).

Our last stop was at the relaxing Blue Lagoon Geothermal Lake (1 hour drive time). Prices for the Blue Lagoon here.

This will be a good place to have dinner at, and after we have a therapeutic dip Chris and Ann will check in to their hotel the Hilton Reykjavik (45 min drive).

Monday, April 16th:

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling & Caving: Begin by exploring the hidden world of the lava field under the Þingvellir national park. Walking in a cave and discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past is a trip that everyone can undertake. The Gjábakkahellir cave is a perfect example of an Icelandic lava tube and is situated in one of the most active volcano areas in the world.  Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in the Silfra (in between the tectonic plates!) is our second adventure. The Silfra fissure is one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets, an otherworldly scene that is world famous for its heavenly shades of blue. The crystal clear water in the deep fissure gives you a feeling of being weightless as you float down with the lazy current.  6 hours total time.  See our post here for photos of our adventure!

Tuesday,  April 17th:

We will be hiking and ice climbing the Sólheimajökull Glacier on this 9 hour tour.  There is also a glacier walking tour that is less strenuous.

Wednesday,  April 18^th:

At 10:00am we will depart the Hilton for the Iceland National Museum in Reykjavik.  Next we will have lunch and some spectacular views at The Perlan.  After lunch we will depart on Icelandair Flight #603 to Toronto at 5:00pm.

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So!  You’re not getting married in Iceland?  Photos by Miss Ann, would love to help you still!  Even though we are wedding photographers in Plymouth, Michigan we are still a premiere destination wedding photographer and I am very experienced on all types of weddings, cultures, and schedules.  That being said, I would like to share with you two more schedules you will find helpful: traditionally not seeing each other before VS the first look schedule.

Traditional Wedding Day Schedule (not seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: Brides before portraits- Alone, with bridesmaids, and immediate family.

30 Minutes: Grooms before portraits- Alone, with groomsmen, and immediate family.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal family portraits.

10-20 Minutes: Fun Bridal Party Portraits!

20-30 Minutes: Formal Couples Portraits; Relaxed and crazy fun ones too!

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hour: Reception Coverage.

First Look Wedding Day Schedule (seeing each other before):

1-2 hours: Getting Ready!  Photographing the Details: dress on hanger, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, getting hair and makeup done, getting in your dress, laughing with your ladies, finishing touches, dropping in on your soon to be husband.

30 Minutes: The First Look!  An amazing spot to see each other before, be your playful selves, and have some epic wedding couples portraits done by your photographer, Photos by Miss Ann!

20 Minutes: Bridal Party + you two!

30 Minutes: Formal Family Wedding Portraits.

30 Minutes before the ceremony start time: No formal portraits, details, candid photographs of guests arriving, last minute jitters, additional shots of your awesome details, and setup time for photographers.

30 Minutes-1 hour: Ceremony.

15-20 Minutes: Exit & Guest Greeting Line.

20-30 Minutes: Formal portraits with any additional important folks at the ceremony site.

30-60 Minutes: An additional portrait spot at another locale?

30-45 Minutes: Cocktail Hour.

3-4 Hours: Reception Coverage.

I hope these wedding day schedules help you lovely brides-to-be in your wedding day organization!  Photos by Miss Ann would love to be a part of your special day so please feel free to contact us for additional information.  We are here for you in the start to your epic life adventure!

Epically yours as a Iceland wedding planner and a Iceland wedding photographer,  Ann

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

The post Destination Wedding Day Timeline Advice appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

You’ve chosen Iceland, lucky you!  You are one of the few in the world that have be proud of that!  Planning an Iceland wedding is a lot harder than you think.  Especially in a country where the internet is not used as a crutch as it is elsewhere.  You cannot just go to The Knot and pick your wedding vendors as you would here in the States.  Those wonderful in the country wedding vendors cannot get their name out there like we can here.  So we’re here to make that happen!  I know, planning your Iceland destination wedding during the holidays can be very stressful.  The best advice I can lend is make a list and take a break!  Your must be booked list ASAP should consist of at least the following:

1. The Date!
2. Book your Iceland Wedding Planner
3. Order save the dates or Iceland wedding invitations.
4. Book your Iceland destination wedding photographer (Please visit: Photos by Miss Ann)
5. Ceremony Location
6. Reception Location
7. Your plane tickets.
8. Hotel Rooms for Guests.
9. Order the dress and tux/suite.
10. Ceremony & Reception Design.
11. Flowers and Centerpieces
12. Relax!  Start back up after a little break!

My husband and I are having guests in from around the world for the holidays so my apologies for some delayed blogging!  I will pick back up after the new year.  Please look forward to the Iceland Wedding Planner’s next topic:

• Importing your wedding details!

To tide you over here in the meantime, here are a few Iceland wedding photos celebrating Christmas!  Ornaments compliments of Hotel Ranga.

Yours in Iceland wedding planning and destination wedding photography, Miss Ann Owner of Photos by Miss Ann

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

The post Iceland Wedding Planning During the Holidays appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.