…and today I write you from the “bottom of the world” in Ushuaia, Argentina.  The furthest most Southern city of the world.  I find it slightly ironic since my business first started at the token “top of the world” in the Nordic countries.  It seems only fitting I begin my best year yet here at the bottom!

As many of my weekly followers know, 2015 was a big year of changes for me personally and also professionally.  But taking a big bird’s eye view back over the last several years (and maybe you will to?), I sit for a moment, smile and am reminded at how different each year has been for me as well.  Different in gratitude, grace, in mission, and adventure.  I am addicted to it, crave it, live it daily, and breathe adventure every day in my life and in my career.  When those two things aligned, my life changed to purely positive.  I learned how to love, live in the moment, embrace my passions, found where there is a will there is always a way, and a renewed respect and admiration for people and cultures, I frankly didn’t know was possible.

I committed to myself after my divorce was finalized in January 2015, I very would very bravely pack up everything I own, put it in a storage unit, and leave the USA to travel for a year in order to bring my Adventure Wedding concept to life.  I did and I have absolutely no regrets (even after flipping a car in Galloway, Ireland) as I come to the close of 2015.  The things I have seen, tasted, and experienced, I could write for years on (and I will, so please follow Your Adventure Wedding).  The new offbeat locations I have brought into my destination wedding planning repertoire are unbelievable!  Did you see my travel schedule I posted?  That was just a simple taste as to what I have planned… if you know me, you know I get down and offbeat, not mainstream tourism!  My travels continue on into 2016 and I will continue to live out of only 3 suitcases and a purse =)  It’s a lifestyle I have come to love and embrace whole heartedly with all my being.

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Additionally, I am incredibly thankful to the couples who trusted me in 2015 to plan and forever document their Iceland weddings and elopements (and locations beyond), it was so amazing to be a part of history with you!  No one can rock out rainy, snowy, and cloudy weddings with a smile, like you!  I have the best most hardcore clients ever, THANK YOU for being so badass!  …and to my fabulous couples upcoming in 2016 and 2017, you have challenged me and more importantly, trusted me to step it up a notch and plan some indescribably unique things in some incredible places, I heart you!!  THANK YOU and I look forward to making it the best year yet!!

To my amazing partners all over the world… Without you I wouldn’t be able to rock out adventure weddings in some of the most obscure locations people told me weren’t possible!  Thank you for supporting and running with me in my crazy awesome visions!  I’m really excited to having you as part as our “A-Team” of vendors as we change the way the world views destination weddings!

So, I left you a little teaser from last week’s Christmas Eve post about some big news, right?!  In an effort to continue our mission of leading the change in the destination wedding industry to equal Adventure Weddings… I’m happy to announce that we have officially opened up our South American market!  If you’re an outdoorsy couple who loves to hike, be in the middle of epic landscape scenes, and be completely awed by nature then allow me to introduce you to the underrated: Patagonia.  ….wondering where it is?

Patagonia sits within the Andes mountain range in Southern sections of Chile and Argentina.  This is also where the mysterious and most intriguing “W” trek of mountains live and breathe.  There are volcanos, lakes, rainforests, glaciers, fjords, caves, penguins, bird watching, endless mountain views, and so many unique experiences to be had, you will not be able to sit patiently still!  We would love to chat more with you about this location being your unforgettable destination wedding location, please contact us for more information and if you’re up to the challenge of being the first!

Every year, must conclude with reliving some lovely moments in time, right?  Today, I’d like to share with you a few of our favorites from the 2015 Iceland wedding year (Note: We do not post the majority of our Iceland weddings or destination weddings on this blog because we respect the privacy of our high profile clients) but some of our clients love and allow us to share them with you, so let’s look back and delight in those today along with a few of my favorite travel photos!

Enjoy!  …and cheers (Skal!) to you and yours as we head into 2016 being our best year yet!
With a smile, Ann Peters (Adventure Wedding Planner and Photographer)

PS- Come back next time to see the most amazing elopement we planned and photographed at the Igloo Hotel in Lapland!

© 2015, Your Aventure Wedding / Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post 2015: We Came, We Conquered, and We Continue (Our Mission of Changing Destination Weddings to Adventure Weddings) appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

The majority of you are aware of my boundless passion for being an International Wedding Planner. Photographer. Adventurer. Entrepreneur. A lover of defining moments, people, and champagne.  You might also be privy to know that I’m on a serious mission to change the destination wedding industry.  Like heart attack serious.

No more thinking a destination wedding should equal a sunny all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean.  Not kidding folks, STOP thinking that now.  Time to learn and educate yourself, friends, family and random people on this topic!  It’ll make the world a far more interesting place, I promise.  I challenge you to stop being like everyone else and START to think about 17 hour kick-ass wedding adventure days that are in unique, offbeat, and destination wedding locations you’ve never heard of or know anything about until you talk to us.  That’s the stuff that you’ll (and your guests) will remember for the rest of your lives… THE EXPERIENCE of Mr. + Mrs. ____________ getting married in _____________ and having an epic wedding adventure day!

MISSION: Destination Weddings = Adventure, that simple. We’ve proven our adventure wedding concept works all over Iceland and the other amazing Nordic countries… so next step is for us to take on THE WORLD!  Are you brave enough to accept this challenge too?  If so, we’re ready for you!  <Enter in our new umbrella company>

Your Adventure Wedding

For the next year, we’re on a personal and professional mission to educate people and places on Your Adventure Wedding, why?

Because your wedding day SHOULD BE the ULTIMATE ADVENTURE!

It’s one of the single, most important days of your life.  Who wants to spend it in a stuffy church in your home town, with 100’s of people you don’t like very much, and eating food that doesn’t have any fun cultural elements to it?  Or worse yet, who wants to be married in the same overdone resort millions of others have already said “I do” at?  Ummm, not me.  Let’s be honest, not you either, right?  Alternative, please!  Instead, hold an unforgettable Adventure Wedding!

So!  All that being said, here’s our current travel schedule in case you want to help us change the world and stuff.  We’re excited to book any adventurous elopements, destination weddings, pre-wedding, post wedding, or honeymoon session in any of these locales, because don’t forget we own the photography company, Photos by Miss Ann too!

• September 2015: Baltic Sea Countries, Faroe Islands, and Iceland
• October 2015: Scotland, Iceland, California, and Scottish Isles
• November 2015: Turkey, Morocco, Italian Islands + Spanish Islands
• December 2015: Northern Finland + Peru
• January 2016: Patagonia
• February 2016: Brazil + Antarctica
• March 2016: Himalayan Countries
• April 2016: Himalayan Countries + Lofoten Islands
• May 2016: Faroe Islands + Iceland + Hungary
• June 2016: Madagascar + Iceland
• July 2016: Norway + Greenland + Iceland
• August 2016: Cyprus + Iceland
• September 2016: Portugal + Ireland + Iceland

In the meantime, contact us for more information or support our “change the destination wedding industry” effort by following us on Facebook or Instagram, okay?

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

The post Your Adventure Wedding Planner and Photographer: Travel Schedule appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.