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.

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 of Iceland Wedding Guest Advice!  We are very excited to share and embark on this Icelandic adventure with you!  Photos by Miss Ann, has researched and personally participated in  some epic activities for you to add to your Iceland wedding weekend itinerary.  Truly, it is very valuable to your guests regardless of their age or activity level to include various types of activities.  That being said, we hope this blog post helps you in building your Iceland destination wedding itinerary, as we  personally know it can be a challenge.  On with the show!  Below, I have detailed specifically awesome things to do in the following areas of Iceland: Reykjavik, Southern Iceland, and other regions of Iceland.

Reykjavik Wedding Adventure Ideas:  

• Famous Hot Dog Stand in Iceland (Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur)
• Iceland Dog Sledding
• Golden Circle Tour:  The Golden Circle tour is popular tourist route that covers about 300 km looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back.  The three primary stops on the route are the national park Þingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss, and the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. Other stops if interested include Kerið volcano crater, Hveragerði greenhouse village, Skálholt church, and the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant.  Or hit the highlights like we did during our Iceland Wedding Weekend.  We had a convoy of cars venturing on this post wedding day Golden Circle driving itinerary.  See here for more information on our self driving Golden Circle Tour.
• Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Cathedral (the official church of Iceland) The tallest and most prominent building in Reykjavik. Their hours are 9:00AM to 9:00PM and there is a fee to go up to the bell tower for an aerial view!
• Horseback Riding Tours – Ride the unique Icelandic horse.
• Iceland Opera House (Harpa)
• National Museum of Iceland
• Nauthólsvík Beach:  Yes!  A beach in Iceland is a fun must do if you’re in the area June through the end of August.
• The one and only Penis Musuem
• The Perlan Muesum and Resturant: Gorgeous views of the city and delicious lunch in the café!  See our Iceland Honeymoon portrait below!
• Sólfar (Sun Voyager):  You will find this interesting sculpture along the sea wall northeast of the Harpa at the intersection of Frakkastigur & Sæbraut Roads.
• Volcano House – Offers two 20 minute movies on 2 famous Iceland eruptions.  Close to the city center.
• Viking – Maritime Museum Open daily from 10:00AM-5:00PM.
• Helicopter Tours or Private Planes to other parts of the island (or to the Faroe Islands and Greenland).
• Grayline Tours – A variety of tours offered.
• Shopping: Kringlan Mall
• Whale Watching Tour: The ship can bring you up close to whales in their natural habitat. See all sorts of minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and the popular humpback whales. You may be lucky enough to see sea birds such as gannets, puffins, guillemots, cormorants, gulls, kittiwakes, arctic terns, and many more.  Duration: 3 hours.
• Various tours on snowmobiles, 4×4’s, and other winter terrain vehicles can also be found out of the city center.

Things to do in Southern Iceland:

• Blue Lagoon: An amazing geothermal spa!  Which is naturally heated by geothermal activity, the water temperature in the swimming area of the lagoon averages 98–102 °F (37–39 °C) year round.
• Dyrhólaey Cliffs (Dyrhólaey Cape).
• Eyjafjallajökull Vistor Center  Super cute place with awesome details on the April 14, 2010 Eyjafjallajokull Volcano eruption (Fun Fact:  We were married 2 years to the date of this travel-stopping phenomena)!
• Fjadrargljufur Canyon.
• Ice Climbing Sólheimajökull (Glacier):  For our Iceland wedding weekend we took a group of ~7 people and it was amazing!  Safe, awesome views, and the folks we used were a very talented group of climbers.
• Icelandic Wool Shop (near Vik Beach): Vikwool Icelandic Wool Factory is super cute shops where you will find genuine Icelandic wool items and Icelandic themed souvenirs.  Best prices in Iceland!  They also have a few locations in Reykjavik and North side of the country in Akureyri/Mývatn.
• Inside the Volcano Experience (only available May 15th thru September 10th).
• Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is the largest glacier lagoon in Iceland and situated in south eastern Iceland. No cost but is ~5 hours from downtown Reykjavik so be prepared.  Boat Tours around the Lagoon are also offered in summer only.
• Keldur Sod Farm:  Walk around these beautiful grounds where you can have amazing Iceland Wedding Portraits taken.  One of the cutest spots in Iceland to see grass covered houses.  …and just around the corner from Hotel Laekur.
• Krýsuvík Mud Pots (Also refereed to as Seltun): A great hot spring area where magma boils underneath! The surface of land looks boiled and crazy colorful (rich browns and oranges). The hot springs are more than hundred degrees; steam geysers, water geysers and even mud pit geysers (No cost).  Example photo here.
• Mýrdalsjökull Glacier Hike –  This easy and safe glacier walk is for those who want to get a glimpse of the breathtaking on, and its surroundings.
• Reynisdrangar Basalt Columns (nearby Vik Beach).
• Seljalandsfoss waterfall:  This exquisite Iceland waterfall is found in the midst of stunning cliffs 200 feet high off the country seaside.  Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is a very popular spot to have as your Iceland wedding ceremony location.
• Skógafoss waterfall:  (Translation: Forest Falls).  Proves to be one of the fullest waterfalls in Iceland at a glorious width of 82 feet.  Many couples who visit here are able to get a rainbow or double rainbow in their wedding photos.  It’s massive, loud, misty, and offers a beautiful hike to the top as well.
• Skogar Folk Museum
• Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Iceland.
• Thingvellir National Park.
• Vik Beach (Vík í Mýrdal): Is a very interesting black sand beach where rocky formations emerge from the land and water.  The amazing texture of these formations expands into a sheltered cave offering up endless photographic spots in this small area.  Being a beach with such dynamite views, Vik Beach Champagne Toast is very popular to add to your Iceland wedding schedule.

Things to do in other areas in Iceland:

• Birdland Exhibition
• Bird Musuem (next to Lake Myvatn)
• Dettifoss Waterfall is a powerful waterfall in the Vatnajokull National Park.
• Dimmuborgir Rock Formations (translation Dark Cities) are volcanic rock formations nearby Lake Myvatn.  There are several walking paths you can navigate through as you photograph some stunning scenery!
• Hvitserkur Sea Arch
• Krafla Lava Fields (in Myvatn).
• Lake Myvatn
• Mud Pots (Akureyri)
• Myvatn Nature Baths (similar to the Blue Lagoon).
• Rock formations at Hellnar
• Scuba Diving the Artic Circle, Geothermal Chimneys, and Puffin Island.
• Sailing and Whale Watching in Husavik.
• Vatnajokull National Park: Hljóðaklettar Cave.
• Westfjords which face Greenland and offer up rocky coastlines and waterfalls such as Fjallfoss.
• White Water Rafting
• Whale Museum in Husavik.

The amount of adventure you can find in Iceland is endless this list is simply to get you started!  We hope this blog post on things to do in Iceland has been helpful to your Iceland wedding travel planning.  Iceland weddings are complicated to plan as there are many moving parts, but with the extra thought and experienced professionals it can be done flawlessly, I assure you!   Photos by Miss Ann would love to pause your forever moment as your Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner!

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

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

The post Wedding in Iceland: Things to do! appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

By planning a destination wedding, you are already committing to go outside of the general wedding planning “box.”  So why not continue with adding an element to your wedding ceremony content that is as unique as your love?

Since we’re local and destination wedding photographers and own, Photos by Miss Ann, we have witnessed endless amounts of ceremonies that draw in religious, cultural, and spiritual elements and have seen them done in a hundred of different ways.  Think: unity candle, tying the knot ceremony, sand ceremony, Irish braid, crowning, hand ceremony, etc.  When we were planning our destination wedding we were looking for an alternative for our Iceland wedding.

After researching back into historical wedding ceremonies, we found it: The Love Letter Ceremony.  It gracefully combined our affection for history, our love for each other, and provided a piece of our own history with our parents as well.

The idea:

You and your soon to be write a letter to each other talking about the following:

1. How you felt when you met.
2. Your favorite adventure together.
3. How much you have grown from then to now.
4. Your feelings as you anticipate your wedding day.
5. Your wishes for your future together.
6. Your promise to him/her.

The Parents:

1. The bride’s parents write a letter directly to her only.  Expressing their excitement for her arrival, her childhood, successes, how proud they are, advice, etc.
2. The groom’s parents write a letter directly to her only.  Articulating their excitement for his arrival, his childhood, successes, how proud they are, and advice, etc.
3. Each set of parents then write a letter addressing the couple together stating their excitement for finding each other, the marriage, wishes for the future, and words of wisdom.

This is how described the Icelandic love letter ceremony to our guests on the back of our Iceland destination wedding timeline card:

“During the wedding we will perform a ‘love letter ceremony.’  This entails the bride and groom writing heartfelt love letters to each other prior to their wedding day.  Each of the parents have also written letters of encouragement, future wishes, and advice to make the couple’s marriage strong.  The wedding officiant will then lock the letters in a box.  The letters will be opened at a later time as a celebration and reflection of their marriage.”

How amazing, right?  It gives me goose bumps just thinking about reading them as we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary when our parents may have passed and we may have a family of our own!  This is a very special ceremony I believe has an enormous long-term impact to all.

We hauled the box from Plymouth, Michigan to Hella Iceland to our wedding ceremony at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, then to Skógafoss waterfall and finally out to Vik Beach for Iceland wedding photos and a champagne toast!

How to create your own local or destination wedding love letter ceremony:

• Buy or build a box that will be big enough for letters and additional mementos.  We had an 8×11 box that was ~3 inches wide.  This was big enough for our letters, vows, speeches, our bouquet/boutonniere when it dried out, etc.  It was travel friendly.  We brought from Michigan to Iceland with no problem.
• Some people like the idea of it being large enough to house a bottle of wine/champagne and wine glasses – your choice!
• Have your names painted or engraved on the front.  Example, we had the following:

Chris & Ann

Iceland

April 14^th 2012

• Purchase super cute acid-free stationary.  Ours was white with a simple red heart at the top and a matching red envelope- Our Amazon Storefront may be a good source for you on this.
• Plan what you are going to write at least 30 days in advance!
• Give your parents time to plan and write too!
• Get the letters in advance and put them in the box for safe keeping until the ceremony.
• Our wording for the love letter ceremony follows below:

Wording for a Destination Wedding Love Letter Ceremony:
“Christopher and Ann have chosen as a couple to unite together in a Love Letter ceremony.

This box contains a love letter from each to the other.   The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry today in Iceland.   Ann’s mother, Irene and Christopher’s parents, Donna and Bill have also written the each a letter individually and a letter to the couple expressing their hopes and advice for their future together.  The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and the couple has not seen what the other has written.
I recommend that you keep the box in a place of honor prominently displayed in your home as a constant reminder of your commitment to each other.

Christopher and Ann, should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to as a couple, open this box, reflect while reading the letters you wrote to one another when you were united as a couple, in marriage.   By reading these love letters you will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here in Iceland today.

The hope is, however, that you will never have a reason to open this box.   And if this is the case, you are to open this box to share and enjoy on your 25^th wedding anniversary!”
All that being said, Christopher and Ann, you may now lock the box and be forever bonded.”

Hope you enjoyed and will pass the word around… Let’s get more couples inspired by doing a love letter ceremony as part of their wedding ceremony!  ::Also see our update to this love letter ceremony here::

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers)

© 2012, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Alternative Unity Ceremony Idea: Love Letter Ceremony appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.