<<Insert serious cheese alert>>

As someone once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”   No joke folks, it rains in Iceland more often than not so if you are planning to have a wedding in Iceland you must embrace this simple fact and be excited to run around in it.  Come along with us today as Gina and Terry show you exactly how to do that!

A sunrise start in mid September began this Iceland adventure wedding day!

After crossing a few rivers via super jeep and then on foot, Gina, Terry, and their intimate wedding party made their way to their ice cave wedding ceremony spot!

The funny thing about rain on your Iceland wedding day, is that most of my couples don’t seem to notice (or care) because they are so high on adrenaline and love!

They may have been soaked and shivering at times, but they got married in front of their gorgeous ice cave in Iceland!  ….Note: Our teams always have your safety in mind so unless an ice cave is fully stable we cannot take you inside.

Gina and Terry held a traditional Asatru Ceremony in front of that ice cave in Iceland. It’s the closest thing to a Viking style wedding ceremony where you hold oath rings to say your vows and take your first drink as newlyweds out of a horn!

This ice cave was formed by snow that fell hundreds of years ago that has been traveling slowly down the glacier.  Pretty neat, huh?

Rain or Shine, this place is pretty flipping EPIC to explore!

One of my favorite moments of the day… It had rained so hard during the ceremony that the water levels were out of control making our bridge we brought useless.  Don’t worry, we always a “plan b” and  “plan c” in our pocket!  The bride and guests took “plan b” which was a piggyback ride through the river and the groom took “plan c” forging it on his own!

Sometimes we find it fun to breakup the Iceland wedding ceremony pieces.  So we continued the awesome “drink from the horn” Asatru tradition at another location.

Lunchtime brought a stop at a mountain hut to dry off and warm up during their fall Iceland wedding day!

What I enjoyed the most about Gina and Terry during their Iceland wedding day was that they genuinely loved and laughed their way through the rain savoring every silly awesome second of it! #couplesgoals

Our secret caves often provide fantastic shelter from the rain during Iceland wedding days!

Woohoo!!  A rain free moment and a rainbow!

But in Iceland they say… If you don’t like the weather, wait a few seconds, it’ll change! And change it did!

Rain is often challenging when it comes at you sideways, these two took it like seasoned champs and made it look GOOD!

Weddings and Waterfalls just go together on Iceland wedding days!

…and then sometimes you have to find your way to Mars to find some sunshine

After an action packed adventure wedding day, Gina, Terry, and their fabulous guests found their way to a delicious dinner!

© 2017, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Rainy Yet Radiant Iceland Wedding of Gina and Terry appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

There comes a point in your wedding planning where you hit a roadblock.  Whether it is with finding the right vendors or trying to get detail/design inspiration, either way it can be very frustrating.  But don’t fret!  At any point in time if you get overwhelmed, you can consult with a professional wedding planner like us who can help you unblock!  If you’re planning a crazy awesome destination wedding in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss, Vik Beach, or the stunning Faroe Islands, please contact us to see how we can help you make your day flawless.

Your wedding details are the little snippets that warm your guest’s heart, blow them away, really enhance the overall vibe and experience for all involved.  And they especially make your Iceland wedding portraits unlike anyone else’s!  Even if you are on a budget there are ways to make high-end niceties that go that extra mile.  It may be as simple as finding or creating an awesome template, buying fun metallic paper and printing yourself (DIY Iceland wedding details, ta-da!).  In our styled photo session we present to you this week, we combined some easy-to-do affordable details that can really make your Iceland wedding a show-stopper.

• Freeze Dried Petals!  …for your Iceland wedding ceremony aisle way, ceremony chairs, as décor for your reception, for playful wedding photos, or to have your guests throw in celebration of your newly wedded bliss.  One of our favorite vendors, Flyboy Naturals is the #1 company for destination wedding rose petals.  Mainly because their customer service and attention to detail is first-class.  But, the selection, the variety of colors, types of flower blends, prices, and the fact that they are 100% eco-friendly makes them unbeatable in the wedding industry.

As an Iceland wedding planner, I exclusively use their freeze dried rose petals for destination weddings because of the endless benefits.  For one, you can order 1-cup samples in every color they offer.  That way, you can trial ahead of time to ensure your color combinations go along with your design vision- my destination brides really love this feature!  Personally, I know because I have been in your shoes and planned my own Iceland destination wedding.  We held our wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall in April 2012, and I ordered at least 10 different samples trying to find that exact shades of pink I needed <bridezilla crisis aborted, lol>.

Second, they ship to Iceland and other obscure wedding locations- believe me not all industry vendors will (Note: You will need to pay import duties).  The really good news… Flyboy will also save your wedding budget.  Real life example: I was quoted over $2,000 USD for rose petals by an Iceland florist for 500 cups of petals (~30,000 petals) and they could not even guarantee me a shade of pink (only white petals).  But by ordering from Flyboy Naturals, I not only previewed my shades of pink but I happily saved $1,000 in my wedding budget (Hello more Bali honeymoon adventures!).  See how our Iceland wedding ceremony aisle way looked, here (we used Kara’s Blend).

Third, their petals are extremely vibrant, fragrant, and are light weight (regular rose petals are very dense in comparison) which create some super cute photo opportunities!  Finally, Jami Brown and the awesome team at Flyboy Naturals, care.  They care about you, your special event, and the colorful role their freeze dried petals will play in your Iceland destination wedding photos.

• End of Aisle Tie: This is one of my favorite details many brides planning forget!  Having a flower tie, a “love sign,” or simplistic ribbon tie closing the end of your ceremony aisle adds a very elegant detail and also adds to the anticipation of the bride’s arrival.  The bonus: It looks amazing in setup/detail photos and also keeps your petal walkway 100% intact!  Initially, you may think it is a inconvenience to your guests having to enter their seats from the outside but for a wedding less than 80 people it really isn’t.  We used 2 colored ribbons to tie the end of our aisle, see our ceremony Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony here.

• Chair Sashes:  These add a striking splash of color to your outdoor ceremony or Iceland wedding reception setup.  Even if you do not want to have for every chair, at least have for the last row and the row of honor (parents), it will make a giant aesthetic difference in most cases!  In our photo examples below, we used coral for our Iceland wedding ceremony and reception chair mock up.  Another affordable suggestion for you to add to your Iceland reception decor would be to have Mr. & Mrs. (or Bride & Groom) signs on your chairs.  Our Amazon Storefront sells all sorts of unique ones from banner ties to antique styled, super neat to have for your reception candid photographs!  See one of my favorite examples of this DIY Iceland detail from a stunning October wedding I photographed, here.

• Umbrellas: If you are holding your ceremony outside or are planning your Iceland wedding at Seljalandsfoss or Skogafoss waterfalls, I highly suggest you provide umbrellas for your guests, just in case!  You can easily put them into your guests welcome bags or place one on each chair at the ceremony.  Real life example: For our wedding at Seljalandsfoss, we had purchased black umbrellas, tied a pretty fuchsia and silver ribbon on it with a metallic card that said, “In Case You Encounter April Showers!” Super cute, right?  That additional detail is still something our guests talk about.

• Rosette Table Cloths: As Iceland destination wedding photographers, we love seeing and photographing lots of different textures at weddings from rosette accents to earthy burlap table runners.  It adds a unique depth to your table designs and really adds a gorgeous touch of elegance.  In our Iceland inspired photo session you can see an example here.

• Satin/Pintuck Napkins:  I love napkins, totally nerdy I know!  I adore matching colors, different textures, and folding them is uber relaxing!  One of my favorite websites that feature different kind of wedding napkin folds is found, here.  For our wedding weekend we had the following: Silver pintuck placemats and white canvas napkins (starch folded as bird of paradise) for our Iceland wedding welcome dinner table design.  Our Iceland wedding reception design featured, brown rosette table runners and matching brown pintuck napkins folded in a downward boat fan held together by engraved “Iceland 2012” luggage tag favors.

• Charger Plate: Having decorative charger plates as part of the table design boosts the first impression your guests will have entering into your reception.  Recall the weddings you have attended, one that has had a buffet station setup and one that you had a plated meal.  Which had a bigger impact on you?  Hands down, you’re probably thinking the overall detail of experience of the latter one left more of an impression for you long term.  Same theory here.  Having charger plates imply there will be many courses to your meal which truly goes with the theme of “Eat, Drink, & Be Married” rather than the “get in line” feeling.

• MENU’s:  This classy little detail is a very easy do-it-yourself trick.  How to create your own wedding menus: I purchased 2 types of paper, rose petal embedded cardstock and metallic cardstock, found my desired templates, mocked up course driven menus and printed 2 per sheet (5×7 finished size) and voila, DIY Iceland wedding menus!  If you’re not having a charger plate for your reception tables this might be a nice alternative as it can easily add a splash of color and sophistication to the detail of your tables.

• Rose Favors:  Having rose favors is a fabulous alternative if you are considering opting out of providing traditional favors for your Iceland destination wedding.  A very pretty alternative could be a mini flower in the center of your menu/charger plate.  It adds a dreamy softness to your reception tables especially when you incorporate your wedding colors in the ribbon tie or flower colors.

• DIY Iceland Wedding Flowers:  Your wedding bouquet is important to your Iceland wedding portraits.  In a country where much of the terrain is barren for most of the year, your wedding bouquet and boutonniere will add a very fun splash of color and amplify your wedding day attire.  I always suggest colored flowers because you never know if it will rain, snow, be foggy, or abundant sunny on your wedding day in Iceland (Famous saying in Iceland, is to wait 15 minutes for new weather to roll in off the coast).  I think we had all of those elements during our April wedding day at Seljalandsfoss, champagne toast at Vik Beach, and Iceland wedding portraits at Skogafoss waterfall.  I will say, also that my fresh flower fushia bridal bouquet was stunning against every scene even to the end of our Hella, Iceland wedding reception at Hotel Ranga.  For this styled photo shoot, we DIY our Iceland wedding bouquets and centerpieces.  Out of this entire Iceland inspired shoot this by far was my fave to do as prep.  I love playing with roses!  I used ~100 roses total (2 shades of peach, ivory, and dark orange), 1 bunch of greens, rhinestone floral picks, silver and peach ribbon to create the following: 1 bridal bouquet, 1 bridesmaid bouquet, 2 round centerpieces, 2 vased centerpieces, and 6 flower favors.  If you have the time and patience, it is quite fun to create your own Iceland wedding flowers.  We had a great bridal bouquet post a few weeks ago that may help you determine what kind may be perfect for you, here.

• Cupcake Banners: One of my super fun 2014 bride and grooms said it best when I asked them “what is most important” to them in their Iceland wedding planning: They “wanted their guests to Eat, Drink, and be Merry” in an amazing locale.  <3 On that note, I thought how fun would it be to include cupcake banners that express just that, as a DIY Iceland wedding detail.  Although the cupcakes scream delicious butter-cream beauty, the banners also add a whimsical element that will make your guests giggle.  The cupcake wedding banners how to is as simple as typing up some playful wedding terms, printing on metallic paper, gathering up toothpicks, a glue stick, fancy scissors, and assembling!

Putting your own hallmark on your wedding day details is a fantastic way to make your wedding memorable to all involved.  Whether you choose to do that by selecting a unique wedding location in Iceland, DIY particulars, or combine some of your favorite things you have seen through the years- do it, make those details forever yours!  After all, you only get to find and marry your soul mate once!  We hope the post today on our Iceland wedding styled session details finds a way to unblock your creative planning juices.  If not, the photographs below are sure to stir up some awesome ideas for your own Iceland destination wedding!  Also see this fabulous styled shoot published on Storyboard Weddings Blog here.

Lots of planning smiles to you, Ann Peters

Iceland Wedding Planning & Iceland Wedding Photography

About Us:  We have over 10 years of destination wedding photography and planning experience.  We are very detailed, adventurous, have a passion for Iceland and wedding photography in the unmatchable terrain.  In April 2012, we were married in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, had wedding day stops at Vik Beach for a champagne toast, rainbows at Skogafoss, and Hotel Ranga in Hella Iceland.  Truly, we know first hand how epic of a country Iceland is and how special it is for you to plan your wedding in Iceland!  So whether you are planning an Iceland destination wedding for 10 guests or 100, we can help you plan every stage, very detail, and then photograph your amazing wedding weekend in Iceland, forever pausing that time for you!

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Kudos to our awesome vendors who participated in this Iceland wedding styled session!  Please spend some time checking them out!

• Rose Petals:  Flyboy Naturals – Provided the stunning freeze dried rose petals in 2 colors (Romantic Rendezvous and Living Easy).
• Bridal Bouquets & Centerpieces: PBMA Rose Boutique (Look familiar?  Yes, this is us too!  We love everything about weddings!).  The peach/orange bouquets and centerpieces were inspired by one of our 2014 Iceland couples.
• Event Design & Setup: Iceland Wedding Planner
• Photography: Photos by Miss Ann (Ann Peters)
• Chairs & Linens:  Your Event Party Rental of Plymouth, Michigan
• Hair: Donald Steven’s Salon
• Makeup: Brittany Lambert
• Model: Jacqueline Ann
• Cupcakes: Perfect Desserts in Novi, Michigan
• “Love” Sign: Expressions in Design, check out her super cute Amazon Shop

The post Iceland Wedding Styled Session 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.

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.

It’s hard to believe a year ago I was sitting in this same spot as a Plymouth Michigan Wedding Photographer planning my own Iceland Destination Wedding from hundreds of miles away.  The thought had crossed my mind at that point… How was I going to photograph my own wedding?  Would Photos by Miss Ann need to hire another assistant?  Could I trust a local?  Do I bring in my own destination wedding photographer and trust they are as wedding detailed as I strive to be?  Many sleepless nights were spent contemplating this dilemma.  We contacted many folks from one person shows to married couples who said they would “knock our socks off and offer unlimited time coverage.”  Everyone claims to be an “experienced destination wedding photographer” so please be careful and aware as you search for your Iceland destination wedding photographer.  Here is a list of helpful questions to ask that may help you decide:

1)      How many destination weddings have you photographed by yourself and under your current business name?

2)      What countries and environments have you photographed in?

3)      Do you offer destination wedding weekend coverage or only “continuous” day coverage?  If so for how long and what are your limitations?

4)      What makes you more desirable than hiring a local photographer?

5)      What sort of lighting equipment do you bring?  Are you prepared for all types of conditions and photographing every detail we spent so much time planning?

6)      Do you travel with backup gear?

7)      Do you interact with the guests (IE, grouping couples together or being forward enough to group of friends/family together)?

8)      How detailed do you feel you are?  Can you give examples during a destination wedding? IE, May I see a full wedding gallery you delivered to a couple?

9)      Can you give me an example on how you exceeded a brides expectations?

10)  Can you give me an example when you disappointed a client and what the end result was?

11)  Do you carry travel and liability insurance?

12)  What happens if you miss your flight, a family emergency happens, or you are late to our wedding day?

13)  If it rains during our outside ceremony, how do you handle your gear?

14)  Do you carry an emergency survival kit?

15)  Do you photograph in RAW?

16)  Will I receive the high-resolution files in RAW or JPEG files?

17)  What is your processing workflow timeline once you have photographed our images?

18)  What is your turn around time from my wedding day?

19)  Do you offer a pre or post Iceland wedding session?

20)  What places would you suggest we photograph nearby our ceremony and reception location? IE, Have you photographed in our region of Iceland before?

21)  Do you offer nighttime photography and/or Northern Lights Wedding Photography to be done after our reception?

22)  Will you check in with us before you leave for the night and the weekend?

23.) Will you be following up with us once your service is complete?

24.) Will you be posting our images or using them in any way without our permission?

25.) Do you use off camera lighting?

26.) Is drone photography at our Iceland wedding locations an option?

Asking those types of questions will allow you understand and gauge their experience level in photography, customer service, travel, and how they could be an asset to your wedding day before, during, and after.

Deciding on a wedding photographer is on the same level of picking your wedding date.  After all, those are the two things is all you’re going to have once the day is over outside of the actual memories!   We chose Saturday, April 14th 2012, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall for our ceremony location and Hotel Ranga for our beautiful 5-course reception dinner.

For our destination wedding in Iceland, we unfortunately did not have a positive overall experience with our hired wedding photography team from Toronto Ontario.  Their technical quality was disappointing and their lack of attention to details was an even bigger problem.  They basically left with having to edit our own wedding portraits and recreate just about all of our wedding day details to ensure they were properly documented.  So please, please be careful out there as you choose your Iceland destination wedding photographers!

At Photos by Miss Ann, we thrive on adventure (details!) and love… We also strive to be your premiere Iceland wedding photographer by always exceeding your expectations and creating portraits you will love for a lifetime.  So whether you are getting married at the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall like Chris and I did or at the hundreds of other gorgeous Iceland wedding photography spots we would love to be your destination wedding photographer and destination engagement session expert!

Yours in Iceland wedding planning and Iceland destination wedding photography,  Ann

Please visit: Photos by Miss Ann for more information!

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

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

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:

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

What locations made the list!

1. Sweden Destination Wedding
2. Iceland Destination Wedding
3. Bali, Indonesia (we ended up doing our honeymoon 6 months later there)
4. Greenland Wedding
5. Antarctica Wedding
6. 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)

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

The post Planning an Iceland Destination Wedding appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.