ICELAND – “Our Wedding Story”
It’s very rare that I travel to an international destination more than once. With so many amazing places across the world and the restrictions and responsibilities of everyday life, I plan whirlwind trips through each destination because it’s likely the first, last, and only time I’ll ever visit. With that said, Iceland managed to capture our hearts and beckon us to not only visit once again, but offer us a hand in marriage.
PROPOSAL
Several years ago, my friend Josh and I traveled with our girlfriends to Iceland to embark on a road trip across the country. Our journey led us to discover a diverse spectrum of natural wonders that left us in awe of Iceland’s raw power and beauty. We infrequently encountered travelers along foggy moonscape-like F-roads, windy ribbons of asphalt that traced the fjords, or while fording rivers through the kaleidoscopic hills of the high country. The solitude of our group enriched our experience and connection to the surreal countryside. On our last evening in Reykjavik under the midnight sun in front of the waterside Sólfar Sun Voyager sculpture, Josh asked Shelby to be his wife.
Following the trip, everyday life back in the Washington, DC area continued to march on. Josh and Shelby were married in Alexandria, VA, while Crystal and I were engaged on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Eventually, Josh and Shelby were joined by their firstborn son, Colin. As Crystal and I contemplated where we would get married, we considered our home states of Michigan and Ohio, as well as the Washington, DC area. Ultimately, we wanted to be married somewhere that uniquely captured the natural beauty and simplicity of our feelings for each other. Without much hesitation, Iceland became our first choice location for our wedding.
A DC engagement
PLANNING
I’ve planned plenty of international trips with challenging timelines and logistics, so I figured planning a wedding shouldn’t be too difficult… However, it didn’t take long for us to realize that planning a wedding in a foreign country is a bit more complicated. There’s unfamiliarity with local vendors; official legal requirements and wedding documentation; limited quantities of guest room blocks outside of the Reykjavik area; guest transportation logistics and resources; among other challenges. Fortunately, we had nearly two years until our wedding and the help of Hotel Rangá to assist us in planning and arranging everything. Our wedding coordinator, Eyrún was incredibly helpful and patient with all of our questions, detailed spreadsheets, and Google maps that outlined our wedding weekend by the hour.
We wanted to not only share our wedding with our family and friends, but provide an opportunity for them to fall in love with Iceland just as we had years earlier. Other than Josh and Shelby, none of our family and friends had ever been to Iceland. To ensure we gave them enough time to plan and prepare for their own adventures through the country, we sent out our “Save the Dates” nearly a year and a half before our wedding date and created a wedding website that doubled as an Iceland travel guide for our guests.
WEDDING
We arranged to spend the day before our wedding traveling around the south coast of Iceland shooting pictures with our photographer. Lárus Sigurðarson, is not only very talented at his craft, but friendly, patient, knowledgeable, and fun to work with. We stopped at 5-6 locations to capture shots from cliff sides; fields of volcanic rock; black sand beaches; the edge of a glacier; and even a cave with a hidden waterfall. That evening we met our family and friends for a private cocktail hour in the upstairs bar area at Hotel Rangá to welcome them to Iceland. It was a fantastic day that was highlighted with an evening rainbow stretching over the Rangá River.
Black & white toast at Reynisfjara
Our wedding day was intended to be an interactive adventure for our guests. We provided welcome bags and boxed lunches to them before boarding a charter bus that morning. The bags included items that guests could not only use that day, but could use back home and on their future travels. Our first stop was a picnic lunch and champagne toast at the beautiful Skogafoss. After lunch, we gave our guests some time to explore and take pictures before we boarded the bus once again. Our second stop was at the basalt column cliffs and black sand beach of Reynisfjara. After a group photo along the basalt columns, our guests joined us in a toast of black (Brennivín, aka “black death”) or white (Einstök white ale) near a naturally formed amphitheater along the cliffs. Our third and final stop was where we would be married: Seljalandsfoss. Our guests were seated at the foot of the waterfall for the ceremony during which Crystal and I expressed our individual appreciation for our parents and each other. Our close friend, Ashley, did an amazing job as our ceremony officiant while a local commissioner oversaw our official Icelandic marriage. Not only was the weather uncharacteristically cooperative the entire day, but the position of the sun created a spectacular rainbow across Seljalandsfoss during our ceremony. Following the ceremony, we boarded the bus and returned to complete the evening with a delicious dinner reception in the River Hall at Hotel Rangá.
Seljalandsfoss wedding
HONEYMOON
While many of our friends set off on adventures to create their own Icelandic memories, Crystal and I spent the next couple days guiding our parents and siblings through a few additional sites. No trip to Iceland would be complete without a drive and hike through the surreal landscape of Landmannalaugar. Not only is the drive through the highlands otherworldly, but the area is one of the most unique and colorful I’ve found anywhere. We also took a super truck “Into the Glacier” to walk through one of the largest glacier caves in the country. Even more interestingly, while relaxing and sharing some beverages during our last night at Hotel Rangá, we ran into Matt Bellamy whose band (Muse) happened to have played in Reykjavik the night before.
We are humbled by how fortunate we feel. With all the details, weather, and logistics that could have gone wrong, our entire wedding experience in Iceland was absolutely perfect. To have met and received such support and hospitality from Lárus, Eyrún, FriÐrik, and all the staff at Hotel Rangá and Blue Car Rental was incredible. To have had the opportunity to be joined by our family and friends was amazing. To see our friends and family post pictures and hear about their adventures and adoration of Iceland was fulfilling. To see Josh and Shelby return to the place where they were engaged and introduce a new generation to this special place (#ColinizeIceland) was beautiful.
Society and the wedding industry place a lot of pressure on couples with expectations and assumptions of what a wedding should be. Whether you get married at the court house, cathedral, or a waterfall; the focus should be on love and an experience that is meaningful to both of you. What made our wedding so special was not the the ceremony or pomp and circumstance, but the fantastic people who joined us to create their own adventures and memories. When will we next return to Iceland? We don't know. After all, there are so many amazing places we would love to experience and create memories. However, Iceland will always hold a special place in our hearts, until death do us part.