Today, though we wanted to wish a very happy 1st Iceland Wedding Anniversary to two amazing couples that were married within days of each other!

July 5th 2015 – Happy 1st Iceland Wedding Anniversary Shira + Matan!

Do you remember how AH-MAZING their 40+ person wedding was?  If not, please go back to our Iceland Wedding Planner blog post HERE to refresh your memory.  Or also check out Destination I Do to see their fabulous wedding featured!

July 7th 2015 -Happy Iceland Wedding Anniversary to D+G!

These two! Hardcore adventure seekers I will forever love. Tell me you recall their stunning Luxury Elopement in Iceland?!  If not, go back HERE to relive some of my favorite moments from their spectacular day!

Stay tuned over the next few weeks some really fun Iceland Wedding Planning topics!

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

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

The post Married in Iceland | Happy Anniversary appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Do you ever get those?

Living in Iceland, I get them a lot when I ice climb, hike, SUP, and of course while scouting secret Iceland wedding locations.  But on Iceland wedding days, it’s somehow amplified.  No joke!  I almost hyperventilated in excitement over the below image.  Right light, right mountain, and what an amazing couple!  When all of those elements come together my mind is blown!

Cross those fabulous things with adding in some epic Icelandic wildlife and this Iceland elopement went off the charts!  Do you see the sneaky little seal who photo-bombed the Iceland wedding ceremony?

Another thing that makes me smile during an Iceland wedding photo adventures, is surprising my clients with new super secret waterfalls.  These two didn’t even bat an eyelash when I told them the hike time!  ? ? ?

When you have an early April wedding in Iceland (which this fab couple did) you can usually expect some snow still lingering (unless we’ve had a more wet than snowy winter).  This often times adds to the dramatic landscape giving you the vibrant greens, browns, and whites like the beautiful below Iceland elopement wedding portrait!

Weddings in Iceland with us equal adventure, that simple.

Ideal for couples who love the outdoors (and will run around in them rain or shine), enjoy hiking, crave wedding photos in dynamic locations, and are wanderlust addicts.  Imagine yourself discovering uniquely shaped glaciers like this couple did!

Here at Iceland Wedding Planner, we are providers of EXPERIENCES, not just a “wedding day”  We stay away from  churches and the usually flooded tourist locations, so that there are not 100+ people Instagram-ing your wedding.

We prefer to have our clients totally immersed and connected to TRUE and PURE Iceland.  The unknown. The untouched. The places that will leave you in utter “Awe” and get you totally addicted to this island!  If adventuring to secret waterfalls, caves, cliffs, glaciers, private beaches and rock formations sound like fun to experience on your wedding day in Iceland… Contact us to get that exciting conversation started! ?

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

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

The post Iceland Elopement | Adventure Wedding Photography appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I hope this finds you well and super excited for the day!  Every quarter we like to share with you where you can delight in our work online or in magazines!  So whether it is for our Iceland Wedding Planning or for the wedding photography side of our business, Photos by Miss Ann we happily share our work with you today.  So please feel free to check out the below links and leave these awesome editors some love too…

• Fab You Bliss (Iceland Wedding – May 2014)
• Denim & Grace Magazine (May 2014 Print Issue)
• Love + Wander  (Belle Isle Engagement Session April 2014)
• Borrowed & Blue (Ann Arbor Wedding – May 2014)
• The Frosted Petticoat (May 2014)
• Beauty & Lifestyle Bride  (Bali Honeymoon April 2014)
• Beloved Darling (April 2014)
• KnotsVilla (Fall Wedding – April 2014)
• Home Confetti (April 2014)
• On the Go Bride (Pre-Wedding Session March 2014)
• Trendy Bride (February 2014)

Stay tuned next week for an Iceland wedding post on one of our favorite areas to marry in Iceland…

With a smile, Ann & Chris

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

Today being Monday, April 14^th 2014, we very happily celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary! Thank you for being a part of our journey and adventure as a husband and wife Iceland wedding photography and planning team. It’s been a really thrilling undertaking for us!

Chris and I are continuing with our anniversary tradition (as you read here on our 1^st Iceland wedding anniversary) by popping a bottle of bubbles tonight and writing each other a love letter. In case you missed it, the intention is to place the notes in our Love Letter Ceremony box originally from our Seljalandsfoss Iceland wedding. Not to be read until our 25^th wedding anniversary celebration (in 2037). So much suspense –now only 23 more years to wait!

It has also been a tradition on our anniversary for me to put my Iceland wedding dress back on to make sure it still zips, fits, and while doing so it somehow centers me back to that sensational time in our lives. (By the way, I totally snatched this fab idea from my super awesome MIL who has been doing this herself for the last 34 years!).   …and I am happy to report today that I didn’t have to wiggle in, it was actually loose! It’s a tight trumpet style satin wedding dress. So ladies knowing that; you can appreciate my enthusiasm about it having slack 2 years later right?

Several weeks ago, we embarked on a trip to photograph our Iceland wedding anniversary photos at a few of our beloved spots in Southern Iceland. Those Iceland wedding locations included:

• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (Iceland’s Iceberg Bay).
• Reynisfjara Beach (Iceland black sand beach that has basalt columns protruding from the sea, a beautiful cave, and is often mistaken for Vik Beach)
• Dyrholaey Cliffs (Amazing arch rock, lighthouse, epic 360 views, and inspiring cliffs)
• The stunning barely visited Fjadrargljufur Canyon (Love! It totally feels like you have just discovered this stunning canyon by yourself for the first time, ever).

Although my original Iceland wedding dress did not make the trip back for this year’s wedding anniversary photo shoot, I did bring another exquisite long sleeve lace dress in ivory that was handcrafted by one of my favorite UK dress designers, Baylis and Knight. The Baylis and Knight team offers gorgeous custom dresses with a totally personalized experience. Their designs would be brilliant to wear for your destination wedding day in Iceland. They could be worn also as a wedding reception dress, or for your Iceland pre-wedding photo session.

As a side note to my ladies who love glam… a pair of my treasured beige Badgley Mischka’s and vintage hairpiece made it to Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. Although I will say, stilettoes and the glacial lagoon rocky terrain didn’t go easily together! But, Chris and I had been hoping to have formal portraits there since before our 2012 April Iceland destination wedding and it was soo worth it!

Chris wore his brown suit he had custom made while we were on our Honeymoon in Bali Indonesia. Swoon! I am always in awe of that man when he is in a suit, he looks so debonair! To make it even more special, one of our Iceland florists even made us a sweet little Iceland wedding bouquet for our couple’s portraits we had planned at sunrise at the lagoon. Even though it was winter in Iceland and many of our days were rainy or snowy filled, the weather cooperated during our portrait session times.

So all that being said, we hope you have fun looking through our wedding anniversary portraits in Iceland, and find yourself inspired for your own Iceland wedding or elopement!  If you’re interested in having us plan and photograph your Iceland wedding or elopement, please head over to our contact page.  Thanks!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Husband and Wife Iceland Wedding Planner & Photographer)

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

The post Iceland Wedding Anniversary at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Hey hey hey! Wake up and smile because it’s a gorgeous day!

The level of excitement I have for this post is off the charts!  Hope you’re as excited as we are to talk about elaborate destination wedding invitations.

Deciding to have a destination wedding anywhere is a really unique and special decision.  But choosing a destination wedding location such as Iceland, Greenland, or the Faroe Islands takes a lot of guts and commitment!  Not only in the planning stages does all that bravery come into play, but also on your actual wedding day as well because of the ever changing weather and dramatic scenery.  Your Iceland destination wedding invitation should follow suit and entice your guests to be brave and join you on this lifetime adventure.

Let’s be straightforward… Your destination wedding guests first reaction to your seeing your wedding save-the-date location as Iceland will be shock and they may have the initial response of “Why would I ever want to go there for a wedding or vacation, its cold?!”  Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: Educate them and prove them wrong!  That being said, today we are starting an awesome 3 part series on different types of destination wedding invitations to help you decide which kind of invitation suits you best- So welcome to part 1 of 3!

Did you realize there are different levels of wedding invitations?  Wedding invitations do not always just give the nitty gritty details of your wedding day, but many times they tell the story of your love, location,  why you chose it, and why your guests should want to visit to see you marry there!   One of the most impressive ways to do this is to give your guests an extravagant destination wedding invitation.  Hands down, the most amazing wedding invitation we have seen is from the super cute husband and wife team, Bri and David the owners of AtlasArtistry.  This dynamic duo was so much fun to work with!  Bri and David actually started their company shortly after they personally struggled to find a “knock your socks off” wedding invitation for their own destination wedding in South America.

They delight in the details just as much as we do so it was a no brainier for us to commission their services for one of our Iceland 2014 clients.  I won’t go into all of the wonderful specifics of their process (because that is fun in itself!) but they are extremely professional, very detailed, take serious pride in their work and the quality of the end product is outstanding.  When the invitation package arrived it was beautifully addressed (Bri has the best handwriting ever), carefully wrapped, packaged, and the invitations were secured safely inside.  These weren’t even our wedding invitations and Chris and I gathered around the dining room table together to as if it was Christmas morning!  Ha, totally happened!  We were totally welled up with excitement for our Iceland destination wedding couple who are going to say their Iceland “I do’s” beside of the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon in 2014.

I think my husband said it best when he opened the invitation… “The old world charm the book exudes seriously transports you the moment it is in your hands.”  He’s right you feel the weight of the book, the key, the texture of the twine, see the romantic seal and it all blends together to create such an incredible experience.  Albeit your guests will get goose bumps as they untie this exceptional destination wedding invitation!  I know we did!  Once you open the invitation you quickly realize that it’s a real book and it has been painstakingly fastened and then hollowed out to create cubby hole.  In this spot you find the wedding invitation passport that is 100% customized to your wedding adventure.  The passport is very authentic looking and includes such components as the following:

• Live passport page featuring the couple.
• Engagement photos.
• Official date, location, and time of ceremony.
• Wedding day itinerary.
• Iceland wedding menu.
• Post Iceland wedding itinerary.
• “Your Adventure Awaits…” beginning page and “Our Happily Ever After Begins…” final page.

Your wedding guests are instantly transported to Iceland with this extravagant destination wedding invitation.  Inside the cubby hole, you will also find matching fun luggage tags featuring the airport code yours guests will be flying into on one side and on the other an area for your guest(s) information.  On the left hand side you see a pocket which holds various elements that really grab your guest’s attention like mock plane tickets to Iceland that are customized to each guest name (and QR code), a mini Iceland travel brochure, and a fun destination wedding checklist.

Having crazy awesome details like this included in your destination wedding invitation makes it a very real experience for you, your guests, and for sure amps up the excitement for your big day.  For an impressively elaborate destination wedding invitation such as this or something similar you can expect to budget around $30-60 USD per wedding invitation plus packaging and postage to each of your guests.  I cannot say enough good things about this stunning wedding invitation so without further ado, please experience it yourself through our Iceland wedding invitation photos below.

In case you have just found us… check out our other posts within this awesome series:

Creative Iceland Destination Wedding Invitations (Part 2 of 3)

Whimsical Iceland Wedding Invitations (Part 3 of 3)

Many Smiles and Positive Planning Vibes Your Way, Ann Peters

Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

The post Extravagant Destination Wedding Invitations (Part 1 of 3) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

We hope this finds you well and super excited for the fabulous week ahead of you!  Working in the wedding industry for more than a decade now, has given Chris and I a lot of insight into all different types of wedding locations and situations.  That is one of the reasons why we planned to have a destination wedding -we personally wanted somewhere different that most.

Specifically, we were interested in a location we had never photographed before, that none of our guests had been, offered dramatic backgrounds for our wedding photos, and a place that would have more natural wonders then we could count –this was Iceland for us.  In April 2012, we flew in 40 of our closest friends and family from around the world for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  Following our Iceland wedding ceremony, we had planned a wedding day adventure for our guests that included a fun champagne toast at the famous black sand beach –Vik Beach, a stop at the powerful Skogafoss waterfall and an amazing 5 course wedding dinner alongside of the Ranga River.  During our adventure wedding in Iceland, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights too <yes even in April>!

Ah, love + Iceland, still gets me off track every time!  Now back to today’s Iceland wedding planning topic of the week…When Chris and I photograph each wedding, one of the “swoon worthy wedding moments” we always enjoy is capturing is the kiss!  It is such an epic moment that signifies so much and is frankly loaded with a ton of firsts.

• Usually the first kiss of the day!
• First kiss as husband and wife.
• First kiss of the rest of your lives <insert corny cliché, lol!>
• The culmination of so much awaited anticipation.
• Your first kiss in front of one of Iceland’s dramatic landscapes!
• Serves as the seal of your marriage vows.
• Your first PDA in front of all you love and adore!
• The foundation of your marriage and your wedding vows (Remember, each time you kiss your husband/wife it should bring you back to that moment in time).

*Disclaimer: Alright so the rest of this post is a tad bold… But we seriously hope it stirs some dialogue between the two of you as you plan your dream wedding ceremony in Iceland.*

One of things we like to encourage our destination couples to is practice their Iceland wedding ceremony kiss.  I know it seems totally silly, but you both need to be on the same page on when and how you will.  <Insert slightly awkward moment>.  Ha, yes I said “how!”  So now that I have you thinking about the big moment and picturing yourself in it, let’s go over some helpful guidelines from our perspective as Iceland destination wedding photographers.  Without further ado here are 10 tips to the perfect wedding kiss:

1. Know when the kiss is going to be.  Will it be at the end of the vows? After your unity ceremony?  At the end of the ceremony?  Will your Iceland wedding official make a formal announcement?
2. Whose nose will be towards the crowd?  Do you care?  I personally did because I’ll be frank and say I’m not a fan of my nose.  So when Chris and I practiced our kiss for our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, I was adamant about ensuring Chris’s nose would be towards the crowd.  Practicing helped this be totally natural the day of our April wedding day in Southern Iceland.
3. Don’t rush it!
4. Put your hands on each other, yes I said it!  Your kiss at the end of your Iceland wedding ceremony will be way more amazing if you go from standing side by side to holding hands or embracing.  Cannot stress enough how important this is for photos so we can document that amazing connection.  So grab her, grab him and bring each other in to really kiss!
5. Make eye contact, smile, do the “slow lean in,” and tip your head.
6. Close your eyes!
7. KISS!  Now, when I say “kiss” this does not condone “making out” in front of your wedding guests.  You need to find a nice balance between the above and the millisecond kiss.  Real Iceland Wedding Example: When we said “I do” during our Iceland wedding ceremony, we opted for holding hands and we went for the “1 one-thousand, 2 two-thousand, 3 three-thousand and complete,” kiss!  That route adds to the dreamy feel your wedding photos will have and also allow for your Iceland wedding photographers to get a couple of shots and angles.
8. Iceland Wedding Photographer Tip: Sneak in another kiss ½ way down the aisle.  This makes for a gorgeous photo opportunity with your ceremony site in the background!
9. Practice!  …and repeat!
10. Share with your photographer ahead of time if you plan to do something epic like a “woohoo” with the fist, jump for joy, or first kiss dip.

We hope our Iceland wedding blog post today, will prove to be catalyst of conversation between you and your soon to be so you can be ready for the sweetest kiss ever!  Below, we share with you some super sweet first kisses!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers

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

The post 10 Tips for the Perfect Kiss from an Iceland Wedding Photographer appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

As Iceland wedding planners and destination wedding photographers, we strive each week to bring you unique Iceland inspired blog posts that motivate, elaborate, educate, and offer support to aid you for your biggest adventure yet, your wedding day!

A few of you have privately messaged us to ask how Iceland Wedding Planner began… Short Answer: Our love of wedding details, planning, destination wedding photography, and Iceland fueled it.  Long Answer: Must be over wine and a Skype session

Good news though!  You are not alone; we’ve personally been in your shoes trying to plan an unique and adventurous wedding in Iceland.  We actually held our April 2012 Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, took our guests for a wedding day tour by having our champagne toast at Vik Beach, stopped for rainbows and horses at Skogafoss Waterfall, held our reception on the Ranga River (in Hella, Iceland), and also organized pre/post wedding itinerary for 40 guests from around the world.  Countless hours were spent researching, phone calls, designing, creating, asking endless questions, scouting trips and networking with Iceland’s premiere wedding vendors.  All of which have led us to be an experienced leader in Iceland’s wedding industry who can now help you plan your dream wedding in Iceland.  Please feel free to contact us for more information on planning or photographing your stunning Iceland wedding day!

For this week’s Iceland wedding blog post, we are going to expand on everyone’s favorite detail: The bridal bouquet and teaching you how to preserve it!  When choosing your Iceland wedding flowers, first check out our blog post on this very topic, here.  It may be helpful to you as you Iceland wedding plan and consider the endless Iceland wedding bouquet options out there.

So it’s months later and there you are in Iceland and it’s your wedding day, woohoo!  Your Iceland florist or Iceland wedding planner delivers your wedding flowers to your hotel room and hopefully you’re in awe!  You will be if we are organizing your Iceland wedding arrangements.  Do a little happy dance and squeal a bit in excitement because you’re getting married in Iceland today!

Iceland Wedding Planner Tip:  If you have chosen a fresh flower wedding bouquet, keep them in water as much as possible when you are not holding them.

Iceland Wedding Photographer Tip: Bring a special and/or colorful broach to put on the stem of your flowers, it’s a super sweet detail that helps make your bouquet pop in your Iceland wedding portraits!  Rhinestone pins also bring an incredible elegance to your bouquets and centerpieces. <Real Wedding in Iceland Example: We had some vintage rhinestone pins mixed in with our Iceland wedding reception centerpieces and got so many compliments from our guests for this extra detail!>  See our Iceland wedding photos below for an example of wedding bouquet broaches.

Once you’re in your Iceland wedding dress, ready to walk down the aisle at your gorgeous Iceland wedding ceremony,  pack a vase (or more if you have bridesmaids) to take with you along with you as you travel throughout your wedding day adventure.  Being able to keep the bridal bouquet hydrated throughout your wedding day gives your fresh flowers the best chance to have continuous beauty during all of your Iceland wedding photo locations.  It is also a good idea to bring a small towel or wash cloth to wipe off the excess water each time you pull it out.  That way, as you travel around with your Iceland wedding photographer to iconic wedding photo spots, your dress stays dry and your flowers hydrated!  Once you arrive back to your reception spot, get them back into water if possible.  If not, this is the point that you can begin your preserving process.

Preserving your fresh flower Iceland bridal bouquet is super easy if you follow these steps <We personally did this, so rest assured it is tried and true>:

Step 1: Keep the wedding bouquet in water until it begins to wilt.

Step 2: Take a satin ribbon/yarn that is ~2 feet and on one end tie a tight knot to the bulk stem of your bouquet.

Step 3: Turn the bouquet upside down (so that it is hanging upside down) and take the other end of that ribbon and tie it to something in the hotel room (a lamp or closet hangers are perfect for this part).

Step 4: When you are leaving Iceland to go back home, wrap the bouquet in a plastic or cloth bag, add silica drying beads (if you have them) and pack it in with your clothes in the bag that you are checking <this is easiest because each county’s custom rules are different>.

Step 5:  When you arrive home from your Iceland wedding adventure, hang the wedding flowers back up in a cool dry place so they can continue to dry out.  <Mine hung in our basement>.

Step 6: After 3-4 weeks, your bouquet should be dried out and ready to be put away as your special keepsake of your wedding day in Iceland!

Back when all of our parents were getting married, fresh flowers were not as popular as they are now (silk flowers were most popular then).  As the eras have gone on, it seems as though wedding niceties have become more detailed and elaborate.  One way many years ago to preserve your wedding details was to shadow box it and display it somewhere in your home.  This is totally still an option but not everyone has the space to do this.  An idea for you from our Iceland wedding experience: Put your favorite wedding items in your Love Letter Ceremony Box!  Why?  Because it serves a dual purpose!  It helps you transport your items safely back to your home country once your destination wedding in Iceland is complete and also acts as a time capsule of your wedding day.

Although our love letter box was “locked” during the ceremony, we unlocked it once we returned from our Iceland Seljalandsfoss Wedding, so we could store the following mementos inside:

• Our Iceland Wedding Vows.
• Our Iceland Wedding Place Cards from our wedding welcome dinner and our wedding reception.
• Iceland Wedding Love Letters to each other and letters from our parents.
• Chris’s Boutonniere.
• Ann’s Iceland Wedding Bouquet <It is very small and crispy now as you’ll see from our photos below>.
• Heartfelt cards we gave to each other when we exchanged day of gifts and special cards our guests also gave to us.
• Our Destination Wedding Champagne Glasses.
• Iceland Wedding Invitation.
• Our Newspaper Announcement.

Even if you do not perform a love letter ceremony, having a special keepsake box after your wedding used to gather your details in, is a timeless idea.  How fun to grab it each year on your wedding anniversary and reminisce?  We strongly encourage you to do this, keep that newly wedded bliss going for a lifetime!  For a few of our clients, we have made a leather bound album box with one of their wedding photos on it and they used that as the keeper of their wedding relics.  Neat ideas –so think about what works best for you and your Iceland wedding details.

Iceland Wedding Planner, would love the opportunity to help you brainstorm, book, create, mock  up, and be there to ensure your amazing wedding in Iceland is flawlessly perfect.  Photos by Miss Ann would also be honored to be the one who captures such an epic time in your lives so please contact us for more details on how to make that happen!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers

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

The post Preserving Your Iceland Wedding Bouquet appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I hope this finds you well and super excited for the wonderfully exciting week ahead of you!  Crazy busy season here at Photos by Miss Ann and we are loving every second of it!  Today’s post is a long super informative one so let’s get right into it!  When planning your Iceland wedding reception, it’s important to know four things:

1. What alcohol can you bring into Iceland?  …and how much can you bring?
2. What alcohol is made locally in Iceland?
3. What selection of liquors, beers and wines may be available for your Iceland wedding reception?
4. What are the prices you may be expected to pay for your Iceland wedding reception alcohol?

Many items of alcoholic content are imported into Iceland and may be more expensive than other locations you may have visited.  An alternative option may be to bring your own wedding champagne or specific alcohol so that you may save within your Iceland wedding budget.

Real Wedding in Iceland Example: When we held our Iceland destination wedding adventure at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Vik Beach, and Skogafoss waterfall we knew that purchasing champagne for 40 people was going to be expensive.  For instance, if we would have purchased 10 bottles for our 40 guests (based on 4 glasses per bottle) to do our wedding champagne toast at Vik Beach it would have cost us $1,500 USD (if we purchased house champagne at Hotel Ranga).  Chris and I decided that those funds would be better spent elsewhere in our Iceland wedding ­budget but did want to still have a champagne toast for our guests during the sightseeing excursion.

After further research, we found that each person could bring 3 bottles of wine OR 1 bottle of wine and 1 liter of alcohol.  So we spent a weekend wine and champagne tasting in Napa Valley (see one of our destination engagement sessions we have done in San Francisco/Napa Valley, here) and found a delicious variety from Domaine Chandon in fact, it was their vintage reserve brut from 2007.  We bought a case (for only $600 USD) and shipped it home to Plymouth Michigan in anticipation of our April wedding in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  When we packed our bags for our Iceland destination wedding, we made sure to bubble wrap the bottles, and designated a few of our friends to help us abide by the 2-3 bottle per person restriction.  Luckily, all of the bottles arrived to Iceland in one piece along with our champagne glasses we also imported (our wedding host hotel was going to charge us $5 USD per glass to rent).

Question #1: What alcohol can you bring into Iceland?  …and how much can you bring?  Answer:  The specific guidelines directly from the awesome KEF Airport states the following on their website:

“Travelers can import duty-free alcoholic beverages and tobacco products as follows:
Alcoholic beverages:

1 litre of spirits, 1 litre of wine and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

1 litre of spirits, 6 litres of beer and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

1.5 litre of wine, 6 litres of beer and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

3 litres wine and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products.

Spirits comprise alcoholic beverages having 22% alcoholic content or more; wines comprise alcoholic beverages, other than beer, below this alcohol content.  The minimum age for bringing alcoholic beverages into Iceland is 20 years, or 18 years for tobacco.”

Question #2: What alcohol is made locally in Iceland?  Answer: Iceland produces some delicious beers at the following breweries:  Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson in Reykjavik and Vífilfell.  The Reykjavik Distillery is another amazing local option for liquor.  They make several schnapps called Brennivin in interesting flavors like: Brennivin 50, Brennivin 64, Blueberry, Crowberry, Rhubarb, Bilberry, and Juniper.  They all have organic ingredients like potato, herbs, seeds, Icelandic water, etc.

One of the other token alcohols is called, Reyka Vodka.  They have such a fun tagline too, “When you live on the edge of the Arctic Circle, you need to know how to have fun.”  Ha, love! The company itself is also known for being a “green” vodka because it is produced using sustainable energy.  The vodka itself is made from organic wheat and they do a final filtration through lava rock –how fun, right?

Questions #3 & #4: What selection of liquors, beers and wines may be available for your Iceland wedding reception?  What are the prices you may be expected to pay for your Iceland wedding reception alcohol?  Answers:  They follow below!

<Please note that all prices below are approximations and are also from our direct personal/professional experiences for wedding receptions in Iceland.  The list below is also to provide you with an idea of what alcohol could be offered during your destination wedding reception in Iceland.  Prices vary depending on your chosen Iceland wedding hotel or restaurant.  All prices are featured in ISK (Icelandic Krona) and converted to USD (United States Dollar) as of today’s exchange rate (and by the bottle)>.

Iceland Wedding Champagne and Sparkling Wine Prices:

• House Champagne (Example: Ayala Brut NV): 19,000 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $150 USD
• Louis Roederer Cristal:  234,000 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $1,890 USD
• Tosti Asti Sparkling Wine: 5,200 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $45 USD

Wedding Reception in Iceland Wine Price Examples:

• Santa Cristina Cipresseto Rosato (Italian Rose): 6,500 ISK = $55 USD
• Rene Mure Riesling (French): 7,800 ISK = $65 USD
• Bolla Pinot Grigio (Italian): 6,600 ISK = $53 USD
• Vina Maipo Gran Devocion Sauvignon Blanc (Chile): 8,500 ISK = $69 USD
• Sky Valley Chardonnay (New Zealand): 8,600 ISK = $70 USD
• Chateau Branaire Ducru Grand Cru St. Julien (Red/Bordeux): 29,800 ISK = $240 USD
• Chateaunauf du Pape E. Guigal (Red/Rhone): 22,000 ISK = $178 USD
• Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru (Red/Burgundy): 45,800 ISK = $395 USD
• Colome Reserve Malbeq / Cabernet (Red/Argentina): 25,900 ISK = $210 USD
• Gen Carlou Syrah (Red/South Africa): 10,950 ISK = $90 USK
• Spy Valley Pinot Noir (Red/New Zealand): 8,500 ISK = $70 USD
• Delicato Shiraz (Red/USA): 6,500 ISK = $53 USD

Side Note: Typically the per glass cost is 1,600 ISK ($13 USD) and for champagne per glass cost is usually around 3,800 ISK ($32 USD).

Iceland Wedding Beer Choices:

On average a bottle or glass of beer is around 900 ISK ($8 USD) and the most often found beer varieties in Iceland follow below:

• Einstok Pale Ale (Icelandic Beer)
• Hrammur Lager (Icelandic Beer)
• Víking Gold (Gullfoss): Best selling beer in Iceland (type: lager).
• Víking Stout (Icelandic Beer)
• Víking Pilsner (Icelandic Beer)
• Egill’s Gull (Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson in Reykjavik)
• Freyja (Wheat Beer from Selfoss Iceland)
• Móri (Icelandic Red Ale)
• Lava Stout (Southern Iceland Beer)

If you plan to have an open bar for your wedding guests please note that the 3+ star hotels in Iceland offer a very exuberant list!  This is awesome, but can become expensive very quickly.  Here was our example list of what we featured for our Iceland Open Bar Menu (outside of the above we already posted):

Cost was ~1,800-4,000 ISK ($15-32 USD) per pour:

• All Schnapps Available & Mixers (Like Jagermeister, Baileys, Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc).
• All Beers, selected wines, and champagnes.
• Berneroy Brandy
• Brennivin
• Bombay Gin
• Chopin Vodka
• Fonseca Guimaraens Port
• Glenmorangie Single Malt
• Havana Club Rum
• Jameson (18 years old)
• Johnnie Walker Gold (18 years old)
• Remy Martin Cognac
• Reyka Vodka
• Tequila: Silver Patron
• Vermouth Rosso
• Whiskey: Woodford Reserve

Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: If you’re having an Iceland wedding welcome dinner the night before maybe choose 4 specific wines and beers you will serve with dinner.  Having an Iceland Bar Menu helps too!  Then for your Iceland wedding reception, keep the options open by the glass (not the bottle) but limit what brands you would like to have served to your guests.  Example, we limited our guests to only being able to order 18 years old scotch/whiskey/brandy/ports because Hotel Ranga had some rare whiskey that were 25+ years and more than $75 USD per glass.  We had selected as a couple a “do not serve” list of those rare brands and also selected our favorite brands in each mixed drink category.

We hope that this blog post today on Iceland Wedding Reception Alcohol will prove to be a useful tool to you as you plan your wedding day in Iceland!  If at any time you need assistance planning your Icelandic destination wedding or need an Iceland wedding photographer, we would love to help you!  Our packages include Iceland wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography (we’re a husband and wife team: Photos by Miss Ann) allowing us to be your one point of contact for you throughout this amazing process so please contact us for more details!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers

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

The post Iceland Wedding Reception Alcohol appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

So the big questions of the week… Where are you at with your Iceland wedding planning?  Have you sent out Save-the-Dates?

Sending out Save-the-Dates is one of the most sensational parts of destination wedding planning… Who doesn’t love a good surprise?  Shocking your guests with your breathtaking wedding location can be so much fun for all involved!  After all, your friends and family at that point already know you’re engaged and are now just anticipating the big news of where you’ll be saying “I do.”  How fun for them to open up their mailbox to see your Save-the-Date as Iceland!?!  Instant reaction, I guarantee, “Umm, Iceland?  Really?  Why?” Or my personal favorite that Chris and I (and all of our guests) would continually be asked by clients and acquaintances, “So who is Icelandic?”  That one made us laugh every time.  What has been your favorite comment you have gotten during your Iceland wedding planning?

So maybe you are still in the beginning stages of planning your destination wedding in Iceland and you wonder why save the dates are important or if you should even do them?

Our personal and professional vote is that you should, if time and budget allows.  Save-the-Dates serve as the official “kick off” to your wedding day in Iceland.  Your wedding becomes, real!  I know it sounds silly, but you’ll understand what I am saying once you send them out.  From your wedding guest’s perspective, having your save-the-date 8+ months before your Iceland destination wedding date gives them enough time to save, plan for vacation time, book flights and accommodations, daydream about the trip, and it undoubtedly adds to the anticipation of your big day!

So when do you send your save-the-dates out?

To figure out that answer we need to take one step back… Your first step (if you haven’t ready) is to secure your proposed wedding date with your favorite wedding venue in Iceland (or some other dreamy locale if you’re planning locally) this is key to launching the destination wedding planning process.  <Sidebar: If you do not have a specific place in mind to marry in Iceland, do not worry, Iceland Wedding Planner can help you with that!  One of the Iceland wedding planning services (in our Iceland wedding packages) we offer to you are venue appraisals (for your Iceland wedding ceremony, Iceland wedding reception, and host hotel) so you and your soon-to-be can make the right choice contingent on your budget and desired location.>   Once that has been completed then you can let your guests know your unforgettable wedding date!

Our professional suggestion to you would be to pick a wedding date in Iceland that is at least 8+ months away.

Why book your Iceland wedding earlier versus later?

• You will have enough time to reserve your first choice Iceland wedding venue (especially if you want to wed during Iceland’s high tourist season June-August).
• First choice on reserving a host hotel that can accommodate your group size (most hotels max out at 25-ish rooms).
• You have enough time to organize all of the awesome Iceland wedding details you will need to complete your day (Iceland wedding dress, Iceland wedding photographer, Iceland wedding official, Iceland DJ, Iceland florist, Iceland wedding cake, Iceland makeup artist, Iceland hair stylist, etc.).
• Time to handle all of the legal documents and marriage license you need to get married in Iceland.
• Enough planning time to organize an epic post wedding itinerary for you and your guests (Hello, Iceland honeymoon or wedding mini-moon!).  Remember also, your guests not only get to see you get married in an amazing locale but they get to go on a vacation too!  Thus planning early and making it memorable for all involved is important (and helps in creating a better turn out).  A perfect way to engage your guests is to have a specific post wedding itinerary that they can be part of.  <Note: As Iceland wedding planners, we can help you plan out the logistics this.  This feature is included in our Iceland wedding planning package.>
• Gives you time to savor the wedding planning process, send out awesome Iceland save the dates and create an Iceland wedding website!

Unfortunately, Chris and I did not have time (see our previous post here) to send out save the dates to our guests while planning our April Iceland wedding.  Instead, we just full out shocked our guests with our Iceland wedding invitation!  Luckily though, we now get to live vicariously through our incredible Iceland wedding clients.  To give you a real life wedding example: Meet one of our remarkable clients –Tiffany & Brian.  They are a really inspiring, thrill-seeking, incredibly cute and exciting couple from Saskatchewan, Canada.  These two are so much fun that Chris and I seriously wish they lived closer!

These two have kindly allowed us to share some of their dazzling Iceland wedding details we are creating for their October 2014 Snaefellsnes Peninsula wedding.  Originally, they contacted us when they were ~21 months away from their desired wedding date (totally an ideal amount of time to plan your Iceland destination wedding).  They decided to email their save-the-dates –how fun, right?  They compiled their guest list as you would typically but ensured they also had each guests email.  They wrote a short note, bcc’d each of their guests, added their wedding website, and then attached a digital file of their Iceland destination wedding save-the-date!  Voila!  This route can be a wonderful way to save within your budget as save-the-dates are on average $1.50 each printed plus postage.  That being said, I am pleased to share with you their gorgeous Iceland Save the Date along with another fun example from one of our 2013 other local bride and grooms.

Below you’ll find some useful information for you to ponder about as you plan your Iceland destination wedding and create your own save-the-dates.

Items to include in your destination wedding Save the Date:

• Your full names.
• Your awesome destination wedding date.
• Where: Include the country and/or city you have decided to hold your destination wedding in.
• Wedding website (this is a wonderful tool to share information with your guests on your engagement, photos, travel plans, accommodations, day of schedule, menu, activity itinerary, registry, etc).
• Colors – Incorporate your wedding colors if possible.
• A fun tagline or statement to open with.  A few examples follow: “To the Land of Fire and Ice!,” “Love + Adventure = A Wedding in Iceland!,” “Pack your bags!  You’re invited to the wedding of…”  “It doesn’t matter how, just get there!”  Or how about a super exciting quote maybe from a literally sensation like Walt Whitman? My personal favorite: “I give you my love, more precious than money. I give you myself, before preaching or law. Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?” –Walt Whitman
• Then consider either emailing to your guests or have them professionally printed.  Try to send out when you are 8 to 24 months away from your big day, if possible.

Planning a destination wedding in Iceland takes time and patience to plan fully (unless you are eloping in Iceland with no guests or very few).  Specifically, if you are planning to have guests join you for your epic Icelandic wedding adventure then please contact us!  Chris and I have been in your shoes and know it can be overwhelming because of the lack of resources.  Luckily, we have spent time building wonderful relationships with the very best people and vendors in Iceland that will all come together to make your destination wedding in Iceland easy and flawless.  We’d love to hear from you and make that happen!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

The post Iceland Save-the-Dates appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Wedding favors typically serve 4 purposes:

1. To “thank” your guests for coming to your Iceland destination wedding.
2. To be a reflection of your style as a couple that also compliments your wedding theme.
3. To serve as a memento to your guests of the Iceland location you have chosen.
4. A snack for your guests if you have chosen to not have Hors D’oeuvres or a Night Glow hour.

Think back on the weddings you have attended…What types of local or destination wedding favors made the largest impression on you?  Usually, if you’re having a local or destination wedding in Iceland, wedding favors usually fall into 4 overall categories:

• Edible – You can be simple by having M&M’s, mints, coffee/tea, caramel corn, gumballs, etc, or you can be elaborate in your edible wedding favor design.  Some of our brides have had personalized treats like cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, cocktail jelly beans, mini champagne bottles, rock candy, chocolate covered items, or our personal favorite for a fall wedding in Michigan is caramel apples and apple cider!

• Practical –Guests love a wedding favor they can use and remember where they got it from when they use it.  A couple examples of practical wedding favors that hold a lasting impression would be seed packets, wine corks, frames, cookie cutters, love measuring spoons, whisk, ice cream scoop, engraved luggage tags, cheese board/knife, passport holder, local Icelandic books (about the dynamic sites, culture, or folklore) , etc.

• Sentimental –Wedding favors with heart are always super sweet because they convey a special thought and detail that is usually important to the bride and groom.  For instance, a destination wedding couple may choose to do a donation to their favorite charity in lieu of providing their guests with a favor.  That couple might print out a small card and put it at each place setting stating why they have chosen to do so (in honor of a family member who passed away, etc).  Or we have seen couples personally make a special item their guests like homemade wine, jam, sauce, so the item may be enjoyed at a later time.  Any wedding favor that manages to emit emotion from the bride and groom to their guests is truly noteworthy.

• Fun –If you’re a fun loving couple who just want to make your guests smile on your wedding day with entertaining wedding favor we have seen a few couples give their guests sunglasses, sandals, shot glasses, drink cozies, etc.  Destination weddings may also want to consider having a special memento from the state/country you’re holding the wedding in as guests usually get pretty excited for that extra detail.

What should you spend on a wedding favor?

There is not a specific algorithm to get the answer to this question.  It frankly depends on your budget and guest count.  For example, we only planned on 45 people attending our Seljalandsfoss wedding (traveling also to Vik Beach and Skogafoss during our Iceland wedding) so we splurged a little more and spent $12 per luggage favor tag.  Generally though, simple or homemade wedding favors may only cost .80-$5 per person; whereas, more extravagant or personalized favors may cost $6-15 each; and the top of the line wedding favors would be $15+.

Once you have decided on what type of wedding favor you are going to give your guests the next step is to determine the presentation.  Ask yourself a couple of questions… Do you need certain packaging to hold everything together (wrapping, ribbon, etc.)?  Is there a theme you’re trying to exude throughout the day (IE, Married in the Land of Fire & Ice?)?  What will your wedding packaging and label look like?  Where will your favor be positioned on the table when your guests sit-down at your Iceland wedding reception?

Wedding Favor Label/Packaging Ideas:

• Incorporate your wedding colors.
• Match your invitation theme.
• Say “Thank You” to your guests somehow on it.  (DIY Iceland Detail: Maybe in the language of your destination wedding country?)
• Put your wedding date on the tag or engrave it on the item (Guests always appreciate this detail, especially when they use your gift at home later!).
• Have personalized ribbons (Iceland wedding planning tip: Double-faced satin looks the best).  For our Seljalandsfoss wedding we had “Ann & Chris” printed on rolls of ribbon to use for all of our Iceland destination wedding events.
• Make your wedding favor dual purpose (i.e. turn it into a place card, versatile to be used again or have it communicate something to your guests).

As Iceland wedding planners, we encourage our clients to choose wedding favors that serve a multiple purpose.  Here is a real Iceland destination wedding example:  Chris and I chose to have metal luggage tags.  Doesn’t really sound all that exciting and seems pretty simple for a destination wedding in Iceland, right?  We thought the same thing so we put our own twist to it.  We used our luggage tag favors in the following ways to serve several wedding day purposes (I know you detailed pretties out there will appreciate this!):

1. Our luggage tags were our wedding favors to our guests for our wedding reception at Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland.
2. The Iceland wedding favor luggage tags also served as a souvenir for our guests to instantly use (then and later).  The tags we felt, represented our Iceland wedding day adventure: from our Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony, a champagne toast at Vik Beach, and wedding photo stop at Skogafoss waterfall.  We specifically had the back of each guest luggage tag engraved with “Iceland 2012,” then Chris’s said “Groom Iceland,” and mine said “Bride Iceland.”
3. The front of our destination wedding luggage tags also operated as our seating chart (Iceland wedding place cards) and gave the Hotel Ranga staff information on each guest’s meal choice for that evening.  Iceland DIY Details: Before our Seljalandsfoss wedding weekend, we had purchased 4 colors of metallic card stock; designated a corresponding color to go with the 4 main meal choices (Example: Gray = Salmon; Gold = Lamb; White = Vegan; Blue = Child menu), printed out our Iceland wedding logo (A?C) at the top and on the next line we put the guest’s name.
4. The final function of our Iceland wedding favor was as a place setting napkin ring/holder for our pin-tucked napkins.  How fun, right?  Finished photo example from our Hotel Ranga wedding here.

Specific Iceland Wedding Favor Examples:

• Edible: Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks with a tagline that says “Married in the Land of Fire and Ice!”  You could even go so far to actually pair it with something that relates to fire like hot sauce or matches in a vial.  We used blue and orange rock candy swizzle sticks to emulate the glaciers and fire in our Iceland wedding photo examples.

• Practical Usage Wedding Favor: Luggage tags, Icelandic wool knit item ( everyone loves wool socks, right?), moss candles, a game unique to Iceland, and frankly the possibilities are endless because Iceland rocks!  Having an item that is dual purpose allows your guests to really remember how epic your wedding really was later too.

• Sentimental: A gift certificate for your Iceland wedding guests to do a post wedding activity.  Admittance maybe to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon?  Rent a bus a day following for your wedding party to tour Iceland’s famous Golden Circle together as a group?  Take a tour of Iceland’s other famous natural wonders such as the glacial lagoon, stunning waterfalls, black sand beaches, sod farms, boiling mud pots, lava fields, or glaciers?  If you do decide to go this route make sure you let your guests know ahead of time.  That way they can plan for it in their travel plans ahead of time and you are not disappointed that they have already done it.

• Fun Iceland Wedding Favors: If you’re not going to do a wedding welcome bag for your guests it would be really sweet to put together as your wedding favor to them a box or bag of Icelandic made treats (like candies, trinkets, coffee, lava rock/ash, Icelandic water, etc) or an Iceland Survival Kit.  I would envision an Iceland Survival kit to be similar to our Iceland wedding guest welcome bag with inclusions to accommodate all ages, folks from all different climates and needs.  Other amazing options you may want to consider specific to Iceland: Krona key chain, wool bookmark, Icelandic moss candle, Icelandic wool blanket for your guests to each take home, lava rock mementos, etc!  The possibilities are endless, be creative!

I hope that our post today on Iceland wedding favors generates your own awesome ideas for your destination wedding in Iceland!  Chris and I would love to hear more about you and your big day in the making feel free to contact us directly here for more information!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

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

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