This weeks planning wedding topic has to do with your Iceland wedding ceremony… Wedding vows!  Have you thought about them yet?  If not, I hope this blog post motivates you!

Wedding Vows are intimate expressions that are a continuous reminder of the foundation of your marriage.  On your wedding day, you outwardly profess: love, respect, and commitment to your soon to be in front of your support system of family and friends.  No matter if you repeat the solemn words from your officiant or you create your own they carry a meaning that lasts forever and should be celebrated each year in your marriage thereafter.  You need to decide as a couple whether or not you want to repeat or create your own wedding vows… so here are a few ideas to get those creative juices flowing:

• Accepting each other fully and for a lifetime.
• Through the good, bad, and unmanageable times.
• Endless and irrefutable love and adoration.
• Your lifetime promise to him/her.
• How he/she inspires you to be a better person.

There are positives and negatives to both but I will say from personal experience, creating your own is worth it in the long run.  Being wedding photographers locally in Plymouth, Michigan and specializing in destination weddings for over 10 years, Chris and I have been lucky enough to bear witness to over hundreds of wedding vows.  That being said, we know truly, how much of an impact they carry in the moment and over time.  This in turn, made us realize when we were Iceland wedding planning, how important it was for us to create our own wedding vows.

We held our Iceland destination wedding at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall on Saturday, April 14^th 2012 and had spent weeks before perfecting our Iceland ceremony wording and our wedding vows.  Today, I share with you our Iceland ceremony we compiled… Feel free to use it to generate your own ideas for your Iceland destination wedding vows but please do not publish, thank you!

Our Introduction and Welcome to our Iceland Wedding Guests:

“True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons.  In its right relation, it’s the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other.  When such a true bond already exists between man and woman, it is fitting that an outer acknowledgment be made. This acknowledgment is the prime object of this gathering and this ceremony here in Iceland today.  We are here to bear witness to the entry into the closer relationship of husband and wife of these beloved friends, Christopher and Ann who are already one in spirit.

You are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best.  You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust as well. Christopher and Ann, you are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and to share love.   At the end of this ceremony, you will be husband and wife, but you still must decide each and every day, that you want to be married.  Make such a decision and keep on making it, for the most important thing in life is to love and be loved.

Reading by 4 friends:  The Art of Marriage –By Wilferd Arlan Peterson

The Vows <Join Hands>:

 Chris’s Vows:  “Ann falling in love with you the last few years has been an incredible experience.  Your will, your energy and thirst for life inspires me on a daily basis.  I promise to love you, hold you and to work with you to build a solid foundation for our future to be built on.  Today, I ask that you take these hands because they are the ones that hold you.  That you take these feet because they are the ones that walk besides you.  That you take this smile for it glows because of you. And that you take this heart because it beats for you.”

Ann’s Vows:  “On this special day in one of the most amazing places in the world and I commit my life to you.  Chris, I fell in love with you for the unique qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, I love you for who you are and the amazing team we make together.  I promise to love you without reservation, encourage you to achieve all of your goals and inspire you daily.   To laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggles.  To grow with you in mind and spirit and be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship new and exciting… I promise to always be open and honest with you, and share hopes, thoughts and dreams as we build our lives together.  I am super excited to build a home with you that is compassionate, respectful and honorable for each other. I pledge to love you in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer, and for when you buy more British cars than our garage can hold…  I will cherish you and the family that we share together for as long as we both shall live. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone.  Today, I give you my hand to hold, my life to share and my heart to keep.”

 The  RINGS:
This ring by its shape is a symbol of the undying love that exists between you. The substance of which it is composed is a symbol of purity, which shall ever characterize your mind and hearts in all your whole life together.

Christopher please repeat after me as you place the ring on Ann’s finger:  “As this ring encircles your finger, from this day forward, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love.”

 Ann, please repeat after me as you place the ring on Christopher’s finger:  “As this ring encircles your finger, from this day forward, so will my love forever encircle you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love.”

 Love Letter Ceremony:

Christopher and Ann have chosen as a couple to perform a Letter Ceremony. 

<The box is to be presented>

This box contains a love letter from each to the other.   The letters Chris and Ann have wrote to each other describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry today.   Ann’s mother, Irene and Christopher’s parents, Donna and Bill have also written their children a letter individually and another letter to the couple together expressing their hopes and advice for their future together.  The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and the couple has not seen what has been written.  I would ask, now that the parents bring forth their letters to be placed in the box.

<Parents walk up and place the letters in the box>

 Christopher and Ann, 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 today.  Should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to as a couple, open this box and read the letters.   By reading these 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 as a celebration to enjoy on your 20th wedding anniversary!

That being said, Christopher and Ann, I will now lock the box as an expression of sealing your life-long commitment. 

Hand Ceremony:

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will someday tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Christopher and Ann, may you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness.  May you want one another, but not out of lack.  May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another.  May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces.  Look for things to praise, often say ‘I love you’ and take no notice of small faults.  May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy.  May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another every day.  Ann and Chris, you have expressed your love to one another through the commitment and promises you have just made throughout this ceremony. It is with these in mind that I pronounce you husband and wife.

The Kiss:

Although, you have kissed a thousand times, maybe more.  But today the feeling is new.  You are no longer simply partners and best friends, you have become husband and wife and can now seal the agreement with a kiss.  Today, your kiss is a lifetime promise.  Congratulations, Christopher, you may now celebrate by kissing your bride!”

*************************************************************************************************

Even just reading through these words again, really brings me back to our Iceland wedding day.  It was filled with so much love, adventure, romance, and excitement for both ourselves and our guests.  From saying our Iceland wedding vows at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, to our wedding champagne toast at Vik Beach, to our impromptu stops at the Vik Icelandic Wool Shop and Skogafoss Waterfall, and our wedding reception on the Ranga River those words bring us right back there in the midst of that exciting time in our lives.   We hope that our Iceland wedding ceremony wording will help you as you plan your amazing destination wedding in Iceland!

We have some super exciting posts coming up in the next few weeks!  You can look forward to our Iceland wedding anniversary photos and an Iceland styled shoot featuring our favorite vendors like Flyboy Naturals!

With a smile, Ann Peters

IcelandWeddingPlanner

PhotosByMissAnn

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

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

There you are… You have fallen in love with Iceland as your destination wedding location and cannot imagine getting married anywhere else.  Now you are in the process of listing all of the “must have” wedding details that need to get packed and happen. But…You are very specific about your wedding details and just are not sure if the obscure destination wedding location will be able to match every detail you are envisioning.

What to do? 

Answer: Import your wedding day items to your Iceland (or other) destination wedding location!

You may cringe at the thought of having to take the time to package and ship your wedding details to Iceland or elsewhere but here are the pros of doing so:

1.)   You will get exactly what you stylistically envisioned (and what you want) regardless of where your ceremony or reception are located.

2.)   In countries like Iceland you can bring in the standard 2 liters of wine/champagne per person for free, take advantage of it!

3.)   You’re guaranteed to have your items arrive on time.  If your checked bag doesn’t make it to your destination wedding location you could be without on your wedding day.

4.)   You’ll have more room for last minute items to put in your checked bag.

5.)   You will save money! Do your research, buy online, and have it drop shipped directly to your wedding hotel (let them know in advance).

Easy-Peasy Directions to Importing Your Wedding Day Goods:

• Prepay Duty to your vendor (if possible) so the vendor is responsible for the importation.
• If gathering the items and packing the box yourself use lightweight materials and wrap well for potential breakage.
• Have the post office mark as “Fragile.”
• Fill out the custom forms accurately with contents and cost.
• Get a tracking number if possible and track all the way through to its end delivery.
• If prepaying duty was not an option have your hotel add it to your bill upon arrival (Iceland hotels will do this if you have prepaid and reserved your location for a few days).
• Ship a minimum of 3-4 weeks before your wedding date (depending on your destination wedding location).
• Confirm with the vendor who shipped and the receiving location that it was received and put for safe keeping until your arrival (Or ship to your Iceland Wedding Planner for her to bring).
• If there are any light or heat sensitive items communicate that to all parties so your items stay 100% perfect.
• Make sure your destination wedding hotel clearly marks the packages and they only release to you or your wedding planner.

Real life examples from our Iceland Destination Wedding:

My husband and I planned our Iceland destination wedding in less than 6 months- from October to April 2011-2012.  We’re super planners and experienced Iceland wedding photographers  so we had a very good idea of what we liked and didn’t.  We chose the most dynamic place in Iceland to get married: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in 2012. With a champagne toast at Vik Beach, a pit stop at the infamous wool shop and a final stop at Skogafoss Waterfall before heading back to Hotel Ranga for our reception.

Our biggest and most important detail hurdle was that we wanted over a 30 x 4 foot rose petal isle that was very dense with a very specific shade of pink (In my opinion, wedding colors are uber important for photographs!).  So that means I had to order 8 cups per square foot of my isle (see a helpful petal calculator here).  The Icelandic florists quoted me over $2,000 USD and they could only promise white petals and not my shade of pink.   It was not in our budget to have that additional cost no matter how much I wanted it.  But my Iceland wedding photographs absolutely needed colorful a rose petal walk way so I needed a thrifty way to make this happen.

So!  After lots of research and 20 samples later I found an amazing vendor called Flyboy Naturals who offers eco-friendly freeze dried rose petals.  Not only were they the best deal, but they were gorgeous, AND they would ship directly to Iceland!  I had our freeze dried rose petals stored for 1 month in a cool dark place and they were perfect at the waterfall!  See our Iceland waterfall wedding isle way here.  They are one of our preferred vendors so feel free to check them out or contact us to assist in your amazing aisle way creation!

Next big challenge was champagne for our wedding toast at Vik Beach.  We bought from favorite winery Domaine Chandon 20 Bottles of their Yountville Vintage Brut 2007.  Iceland has an importing rule of 2 liters per person so between my husband, myself, and 8 of our guests we got it handled in the middle of the Toronto Airport on the way to Iceland!

Linens were another item on our list we had a specific vision for and decided to bring in all of our own for our welcome dinner and actual wedding reception.  The Iceland welcome dinner (or some call it an Iceland Wedding Rehearsal Dinner) we chose a pin tuck design.  Silver pin tucked place mats and white napkins.  For our wedding reception at Hotel Ranga we purchased and packed chocolate rosette table runners and chocolate pin tuck napkins.  They made awesome packing for our favors, welcome bags, love letter ceremony box, wedding weekend attire, and our fragile Mr. and Mrs. champagne glasses.  It’s safe to say by purchasing our own items and importing them in for our Iceland destination wedding it saved us $1,000’s of dollars that we could put to our honeymoon in Bali!

I hope this article has provided you with more destination wedding confidence!

Yours in Iceland destination wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography,  Ann Peters, Owner of Photos by Miss Ann proudly photographing the best Michigan weddings and crazy awesome destination weddings!

Please stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts on the following topics:

• Destination Wedding Timelines
• Advice to your destination guests!
• Things to do in Iceland!

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

The post Importing Your Destination Wedding Details appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.