>>>> Meet Jen.  Meet Jeff. <<<<

This adventurous duo started dating and shortly after took their first trip together and guess where that was?  ….ICELAND!  They were hooked.  So when the topic came up of where they would hold their wedding, Iceland was the only place that felt right.

We had so much fun Iceland wedding planning with these two!  After much awesome debate, they decided that Hotel Glymur and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula needed to be part of their Iceland wedding adventure!

How cute and practical are these sweet little Iceland wedding welcome bags?

…and Jen’s Iceland wedding dress!!! Swoon! Perfect dress to blow in the Icelandic winds!

My favorite kind of Iceland wedding shoes, are BOOTS!  Love’me some Hunter rain boots and frilly dress for an adventure wedding!

Jen and Jeff held a STUNNING Iceland Wedding Ceremony at Hotel Glymur overlooking the whale fjord (Hvalfjörðinn).

They chose to hold a beautiful Humanist Iceland wedding ceremony.  The low lying clouds provided such a mysteriously beautiful backdrop.

Once the ceremony concluded their 40 guests loaded into a bus for the day to embark on a wonderful Iceland adventure wedding day.  Our first stop was the magical area of Arnarstapi.

Jen + Jeff spent a little while exploring these inspiring windy seaside cliffs.

The clouds may have been overcast and at times threatened rain, but Jen and Jeff continued to adventure, laugh hand in hand, and find time for kisses in between

If you already didn’t know, Iceland if flooded with waterfalls, especially on rainy days the island somehow becomes even more magically filled with them.  Do you see the secret one behind them that falls into the sea?  Dreamy!

How lucky are they to take a romantic stroll through this rocky sea arch?!  Heights worry Jen, but she was not worried along this stretch because from her perspective it looked like just a huge rock pathway (totally stable and awesome).  But from my perspective it looks like this! Storybook!

This one is one of my favorite moments during Jeff and Jen’s Iceland wedding adventure.  Why you ask?  Look at it!  The incredible look of adoration they have on their faces, the waves crashing, the colors, the textures, and the tones!!

What do you think about Jen’s Iceland wedding bouquet?! I adore the whites with pops of green!

Uh, and there are those boots and frills again! #yesplease

Did you know that Arnarstapi is also a super sweet little fishing village too?  Crazy cute houses line the area.

Jen + Jeff’s Iceland wedding day journey with their guests continued to taking breathtaking Iceland Wedding Photos at a Gorgeous Golden Sand Beach.

This fab beach was the perfect place to engage their guests in a delicious Iceland wedding champagne toast!

The third stop these two surprised their guests with was the famed area in the Snaefellsnes named Kirkjufellsfoss where an incredible mountain and waterfall reside.  This is a very special place and I was thrilled to take their Iceland Wedding Photos at this striking waterfall!

After the last stop, we were on our way back to the hotel and the guests had  an hour to rest and refresh.  Then at 8pm the guests were invited to enjoy a lovely Iceland Wedding Reception!

The decor theme held strong elements of an earthy vibe complete with a moss runner down the tables, twigs, and candles both high and low.

Hotel Glymur always puts on a mouth-watering show for our Iceland wedding clients.  Jen and Jeff’s wedding was no exception, as they created an amazing custom menu option.

A very special wedding dessert treat concluded Jen and Jeff’s very special night!

How remarkable are their Iceland wedding rings?  Custom and totally one of a kind!

Ohhhhh Jen + Jeff!!  Your day was extraordinary and filled with endless amounts of love, laughs, and just the right amount of adventure to delight in!  I know Iceland is forever engrained into your souls so I look forward to seeing you again! …and wish you the very best on your exciting months ahead!

Also head over to Mountainside Bride to see more of their beautiful day!

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

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

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For years Cassie and Kyle have plotted on a real life map where they have journeyed together and where they desired to go next.  They spend their trips doing offbeat adventures like dog sledding, canyoneering, ziplining, and incredible hikes.  Iceland has always been a top runner on that list.  So after a dreamy marriage proposal from the top of a hot air balloon in Vermont it was only fitting that Iceland wedding planning would begin!

Naturally being adventure seekers, they found us to put together an experience they would never forget.  Did you catch their Iceland Pre-Wedding Session we featured last week?  If not, go back here to see.

These two held their Iceland summer wedding at the end of June this year and their details were gorgeous!  The blues, the light pinks, whites…Swoon!

…and how romantic is this Iceland wedding dress?

Kyle and Cassie decided to be traditional and not see each other the night before their wedding day.  So once they were ready, we held a first look before their Iceland wedding ceremony.  What a special moment they shared overlooking a very misty fjord!

When we arrived to their mystery Iceland wedding location, it was raining but their +15 guests didn’t even notice as they were so enthralled by the beauty that surrounded them.

One of the prerequisites of being one of our clients, is being excited about running around in the rain or shine on your wedding day in Iceland.  Plus it also makes for some amazing photo opportunities!  See how easy these two make it look?

Our second stop during Cassie + Kyle’s Iceland wedding adventure was pretty little golden sand beach in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula where they ran around  hand in hand.

Lava fields are abundant here in Iceland so it’s only natural for a bride and groom to find their way to them for a romantic walk!

No adventure day to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, would be complete without a quick stop at one of the oldest churches within that famed area!

Adventuring to one of the islands 100’s of waterfalls must always be on the Iceland wedding schedule!  This fab couple chose this gorgeous beauty!

Oh la la and do not even get me started on how dreamy their Iceland Wedding Reception setup was!  Shouldn’t every wedding in Iceland have an incredible fjord view?!

Greens, browns with pops of pinks set the dreamy color scheme.  The guests delighted in delicious Icelandic chocolates and salts as party favors.  And were pleasantly surprised by a 4 course traditional meal and an Iceland wedding cake!

Take a few minutes to peruse a few more of our favorites below from Cassie and Kyle’s magnificent Iceland wedding day!  Also see some additional images from their fabulous Iceland wedding, featured on MyWedding.com!

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

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

The post Iceland Wedding Photos | Cassie + Kyle’s Adventure Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

8,765 hours

525,949 seconds ago….

I was sitting in this same hotel room in the Snaefellsness Peninsula after an 18 hour wedding adventure day with the fabulous Tiffany and Brian.  So I would like to pause in my day today and wish these two a very adventurous and unforgettable Happy 1st Iceland Wedding Anniversary!!  Remember their wedding being featured on the amazing wedding blogs Fab You Bliss and Brides Without Borders?

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

The post Happy 1st Anniversary Tiffany + Brian | Iceland Adventure Wedding Photographer appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

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

The post Hotel Budir Wedding Featured on Brides Without Borders appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Skarðsvík Beach is a dreamy little gem in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula that is gloriously golden!  You’ll find this beach slightly off of Route 574 (Útnesvegur Road).  The road twists through moss covered lava fields and then opens up to beautiful basalt rocks with remarkable ridge-lines.  From the car park, you take a short stairway down to the beach and you will be instantly greeted with soft golden sand under your toes!

This was a sweet little stop during Tiffany and Brian’s Iceland wedding day adventure.  Feel free to go back to the earlier days events in case you missed them here:

• Iceland Wedding Ceremony at Hotel Budir
• Kirkjufellsfoss Mountain & Waterfall Iceland Wedding Portraits
• Iceland Engagement Session (here and here)

Tiffany and Brian very romantically ran around together hand in hand laughing and chatting!  <SWOON> The 700,000 year old Snæfellsjökull Glacier offered up a supreme backdrop as well!  Without further delay… Enjoy their stunning Iceland beach wedding photos below!  PS- Stay tuned next time for their Iceland wedding reception!

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

© 2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Skardsvik Beach Iceland Wedding Photos appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Good news fans, this epic waterfall is actually in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and less than a 30 minute drive from famous Hotel Budir.  From my own personal experience, this is hands down one of my favorite waterfalls in Iceland (and frankly maybe the world).  Plus from an Iceland wedding photographers, perspective there are so many different angles you can attack this waterfall from which transforms it into totally different looks, making it a very versatile spot for wedding portraits.

Alright folks, I won’t bore you with any more words this week! Onto the super awesome visuals!  Without further ado, please delight in Tiffany and Brian’s gorgeous Iceland weddings photos at Kirkjufellsfoss! But don’t go far friends… Next up is an incredible golden beach (yes Iceland totally has one of those too)!

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

© 2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Photos at Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

The Iceland wedding ceremony of Brian and Tiffany was held under the morning mountain sun at Hotel Budir in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  It was frankly, just as dreamy as I had pictured it 21 months ago when we began planning their beautiful Iceland wedding adventure weekend!

The love these two share gives me goose bumps, seriously!  And, I don’t say that lightly.  I am a lover of love, but these two take it up to a not notch I had not witnessed before…  You can see it in the way that Brian holds Tiffany’s hand, leads her, or the way he kisses her –he adores her beyond words.  Geeish, then the swoon factor rises when Tiffany looks at Brian, there is no one else in the room even if it’s fully crowded –you can clearly know he’s her one.  A love like theirs is one we can all learn from!

The Scoop: Tiffany and Brian are from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada and brought 45 guests from around the world to join them on a weekend full of Icelandic adventures.  The Iceland wedding weekend kicked off with their fabulous Iceland Engagement Session (and here), a delicious 3 course wedding welcome dinner, and a kick-ass bonfire on the beach all evening before the wedding.

Beth and I woke up our soon to be newlyweds, with coffee in hand at 6:45am the following morning, to ensure their day started off perfectly =)  The two lovers parted ways to get ready within Hotel Budir and then our favorite Iceland makeup artist and hair stylist began their talent on Tiffany and her bridesmaid.  By 9am Beth and I were out setting up chairs on the side of the hotel down by the waters edge, but as the wind picked up and turned a little wicked, we had to sadly make the call of moving the ceremony back up to the hilltop of the hotel to ensure the comfort of the guests.  Luckily it still boasted the same dynamic view!

Their guests gathered together at 11am on that hilltop to celebrate their love and admiration, and Tiffany + Brian spoke their heartfelt vows to each other under that majestic morning light.  After bearing through the strong winds, we decided to take the group inside for their formal Iceland wedding portraits and it was so beautiful!  Hotel Budir has this gorgeous parlor room that boasts a phenomenal panoramic view and vintage red velvet couches, swoon!  It went perfectly as you’ll see below with Tiff & Brian’s “Old Hollywood Glam” look!

By 12:15pm we were having the guests load a giant bus to begin their action packed Iceland wedding day adventure!  Our first fabulous stop was the amazing… Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall & Mountain!  So that being said… I dare you to come back next week to swoon over those stunning images!

Hugs, Love, and Smiles to you,  Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner)

© 2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding at Hotel Budir | Tiffany + Brian appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

So it got me thinking that you as our fabulous readers might be curious to know about how one goes about preparing for your Iceland engagement session (pre-wedding or e-session)? Today, we’d like to use these two as our “poster couple” for how to plan for your Iceland pre wedding session (they followed this to a tee)!

Iceland Wedding Photographer Tips to have the Best Engagement Session Ever:

1. Hire a wedding photographer who is very familiar with Iceland. They’ll probably already know about super secret spots off of route 1 too (I know at Photos by Miss Ann, we pride ourselves on having LOTS of discovery trips before our clients Iceland weddings to ensure we’re always keeping it fresh!).
2. Brainstorm engagement session locations with your Iceland Wedding Photographer ahead of time. After all, you hired them because you love their work and trust they are going to make lifetime photographic magic for you!  So I encourage you to start idea compiling, in fact some couples even generate ideas on Pinterest!
3. Have time in your Iceland wedding schedule to do this amazing pre-wedding session at least 1 day before (or after) your Iceland adventure wedding. Another thought, many of our couples actually like to hire us post wedding to travel around with them and we flip between their wedding attire and casual.
4. Have your Iceland wedding photographers drive you to the spots! It makes for a little fun date for the two of you to sit in the back seat (as we are your guide), see the incredible landscape, and be able to have time together before the weekends wedding awesomeness begins! We always do this for our couples because we’re the experts on the lay of the land and want our couples to 100% enjoy the day (#noweddingstress)!
5. Have 2 outfits! Having 1 outfit that is fun and totally the two of you adds a playful element. My vote on second outfit is having solid colors that complement each other. As I said above, Tiff and Brian are my poster children because they wore every photographers dream in Iceland: Black shirts and jeans. Why? See for yourself as you look through the images… The outfits are not distracting- I see both the couple and landscape first before I notice their outfits. Imagine if my dear Tiff would have been wearing a polka dot dress? As much as I love polka dots, it would not have had the same dynamic and I would be looking at her dress before her gorgeous face!
6. Last and most important… I urge you (beg you) to Be Adventurous! Seriously, do it! You only get married in Iceland once, so make it the most memorable moment in time for you both! Suck it up and bear the cold, gale force winds, possible rain/snow/sleet, or whatever element the land of fire and ice brings your way. You’ll thank yourself later, I promise. …Ladies this is also your opportunity to accessorize (IE, cute boots, hats, muffs, etc)!

Enough education from us right now! We hope you enjoy Tiffany and Brian’s final Iceland engagement installment below. In case you missed the first part in Hellnar… go back here to explore! In the meantime, please come back to see the exciting start of their Iceland wedding in the Snaefellness Peninsula! It’s coming and it’s awesome!

Lots of smiles to you, Ann & Beth (Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner)

© 2002-2014, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Pre-Wedding Session: Snaefellsnes Peninsula appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

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

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

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

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

With a smile,

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

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

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

Welcome to Part 3 of 3 of our series on destination wedding invitations.

A few weeks ago, we featured the fun topic of Extravagant Destination Wedding Invitations and last week, we chatted about Creative Destination Wedding Invitations for Iceland Weddings that were of a moderate cost and added in few unique inclusions.  Today, we are going to talk about the final level and option for destination wedding invitations: the whimsical kind!

One of the really wonderful things about having a wedding invitation that has minimal frills but still is fanciful, is that you save on you wedding budget.  Who doesn’t love that?!  Having no specific needs for elaborate inserts, visuals, extra envelopes, (etc.,) really decreases the costs that can quickly emerge as you design your local or destination wedding invitations.

I’ve peaked your curiosity you say?   So you’re dying to know what is classified as a whimsical invitation design, I bet.  According to us, it is an invitation that is vibrant in color, has a dreamy font, eloquent in statement and most of all reflects you as a couple!  An invitation that makes your guests say, “Aww, how cute are they?!  I cannot wait for their wedding!”  We’re seeing a new trend emerge that takes a lighter and even humorous approach to the usual RSVP/Reply Card for weddings which add in some guest banter like inserting your own wedding “Mad Lib” for your guests to fill in (example below).  That option may be something you’ll want to consider if you’re not head over heels about the typical reply cards.

The invitation does not need to be elaborate in fact; many guests appreciate the frankness of a modest destination wedding invitation rather than having the cutesy frill inclusions.  They simply just want to know who, what, where, and when.  Each to his own, right?  I can appreciate all sides particularly when this side of the fence can be a significant Iceland wedding budget saver.  Especially if it means you can allocate those funds toward other things like having an awesome  destination wedding planner and a husband and wife Iceland wedding photography team! =)

To give you a real wedding in Iceland example, one of our favorite couples for 2014 made the unique decision to email their wedding invitations to their 50+ guests.  They plan to have each guest respond via their fun wedding website (Think: Iceland destination wedding RSVP).  This could easily be a savings of $200+ USD depending on how large your guest list is.  So now I’m guessing the big question you have is how do you execute this idea properly?  Good question!

Here’s our advice on the steps to a flawless destination wedding invitation timeline:

• First, set a wedding date that is more than 10 months before your desired date.  If you have done so, make sure you send out Iceland Save-the-Dates several months before so your guests know to reserve that time period ahead of time (emailing this is an option too!).  But giving everyone an opportunity to plan/save ahead time is proper wedding etiquette.

• Second, know your vision for your wedding day… do you want it to be soft and sweet, bold and adventurous, or an in between neutral mix?  Figuring this out will allow you to choose colors and the vibe your invitation will exude to your Iceland wedding guests.

• Narrow down what you would like to include with your destination wedding invitation (see last week’s post here on what is usually included).  [Invitation wording can be tricky but don’t fret; we’ll have a future blog post guiding you on this subject!]

• Have your awesome Iceland Wedding Planner design/find/present to you unique options for your wedding Iceland wedding invite.

• Discuss with your fiancé(e) the pros, cons, and feel of each option.  Which option reflects the two of you and your wedding style best?  How do you think your guests will react?

• {If printing} Decide on your favorite and get them ordered! (Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: Order 8+ months before your big day to avoid rush charges).

{Step by Step Directions: If Emailing Your Wedding Invitation}

1.   Create a wedding only email address that will be used strictly to catch all of your Iceland wedding guest RSVP’s (IE, EmandPenIceland20XX@gmail.com).  This makes life more organized if your guest list is larger than 10 people.

2.   Setup an RSVP page on your wedding website and also input your meal choices if possible (so you do not need to collect this information separately).  Note: If having an Iceland Wedding Welcome Dinner (Iceland Wedding Rehearsal Dinner), you may also want to have folks RSVP at that time as well.  Or else send another RSVP for that event 3-4 months before.

3.   Collect everyone’s email addresses (if you haven’t yet).

4.    Plan to email the invitation ~8-12 months before your wedding date and give your guests 2.5 months to acknowledge and reply.  For instance, if getting married in Iceland in October 2014 you would want to send out your wedding invitations no later than November 2013 and ask for your guests for the favor of their reply by February 1^st 2014 (8-9 months before) or sooner.

Two options on how to approach actually emailing the wedding invite:

•  Blind Copy (BCC) your guests in a mass email wedding invitation.

• Personalize to each guest (our recommendation to you).  If personalizing, you should formally invite your guests.  For instance, address by saying, “Ms./Mr. & Guest” or “Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Peters.”  Wedding invitations are formal so it is important to still convey that even through an email.

5.    About 3 weeks before your requested RSVP date, plan to send out a follow up email gently reminding your Iceland destination wedding guests about finalizing their decision.  Usually when people get that kind reminder they will jump into gear to request time off, book flights, reserve a room at your Iceland wedding host hotel, and browse around your wedding website for your pre/post wedding itinerary.

6.    Any stragglers that have not responded two weeks past your requested response date I would email them a personal little note checking in to make sure they received the email invitation and were able to open it.  That simple, leave the ball in their court with no pressure and if more time passes (another 2 weeks) and no response call them.  Whoever is closer to the friend or family member reach out to them individually and understand what might be keeping them from replying.  Is it a timing issue, money, travel fear, inexperience, etc?  See what you can do to help get them there.  …and if nothing, do not worry yourself over it, you tried your best to accommodate their situation.

7.    At the 90, 60, 30 day countdown to your wedding day in Iceland send an email or write a blog post about your excitement and share your activity itinerary with your guests.

8.   If you’re a super planner like we were, calling your guests 15 days before to ask them if they had any questions is a really sweet gesture especially to those who do not travel all the time.  That call will give them confidence!  [Personal Experience: The majority Ann’s family members had never traveled outside of the Midwest, so many of them had anxiety over traveling to Iceland.  That phone call days before gave them the boost they needed to put on their “adventurous game face.”]

9.    Remind your guests it’s a good idea to bring the wedding invitation, a copy of their passport (along with the real thing), and travel itinerary so that they can quickly get through customs with no issues.  Feel free to also share with them our previous blog post on what to pack as an Iceland wedding guest here.

Hopefully you found the above a pretty straightforward timeline on how to execute your destination wedding invitations.  Below, you’ll find some gorgeously fun examples of some whimsical Iceland destination wedding invitations.  We’d like to thank Brian & Tiffany for allowing us to share some of their Iceland wedding invitation options they were considering and Paisley & Robert as well! Thank you!  Lastly, we’d like to give our compliments to the two gorgeous vendors that worked with us on some of these design elements within the invitations below:  Thank you May and Belle and Wedding Chicks!  Check them out!  [As a side note about May and Belle: She is a talented designer from Australia who creates map related stylish wall art and a few are geared specifically for weddings, so fun!  She so beautifully created the Iceland heart map used in Paisley & Robert’s Vik Beach wedding invitation you see below].

In case you’re finding this blog post at the end of this series; feel free to go back to our previous posts for additional Iceland wedding inspiration:

Creative Destination Wedding Invitations for Iceland Weddings (Part 1 of 3)

Extravagant Destination Wedding Invitations (Part 2 of 3)

Otherwise, we hope you have enjoyed our posts the past few weeks as much as we did creating them.  These posts made us feel like newlyweds all over again swooning all over these choices and details!  If you’re planning a wedding in Iceland, love details, adventure, and awesome photography- we’d love to hear from you feel free to contact us!

With a smile,  Ann & Chris Peters

Iceland Wedding Planner & Iceland Wedding Photographers

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

The post Whimsical Iceland Wedding Invitations (Part 3 of 3) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.