Amira and Luke originally wanted to elope in Iceland, but, after their family encouraged the idea of a destination wedding, the two knew that’s what they wanted to do.

The couple insisted on having an epic wedding, preferably somewhere colder, so Iceland seemed to be the perfect fit. “I looked at various photos from around Iceland and found a region I thought was beautiful,” says the bride. The ceremony and reception site at Hotel Budir was found after time well spent searching online. The bride mentioned, “We never visited in person ahead of time, so we were able to share the excitement with our guests when we all arrived.”

When it came to booking the vendors and organizing other details, Amira’s mother and wedding planner handled most of it. “We were lucky enough to have already known our photographers. Elizabeth and Koby had photographed my sister’s wedding the year prior,” says Amira. The couple wanted to include some DIY projects, so they crafted a welcome and wedding itinerary booklet and a painted map of Iceland.

Amira and Luke opted to do their one-on-one photos together before the wedding day. “We both drove up to the venue that morning, got ready together, [then] we piled into the car and roamed around Iceland taking pictures in epic locations,” says the bride. The couple also did not have a rehearsal dinner, which they said was “the best decision ever.” It was important that their family and friends had the opportunity to explore the beautiful destination. The groom said, “We were married the night everyone arrived, then spent the entire next day visiting the sites with all our guests. We ended the weekend with a farewell BBQ and bonfire on the beach.”

We asked the newlyweds to share advice for couples looking to have a destination wedding. The bride shared, “It was a great experience getting to have some one-on-one time with Luke ahead of the ceremony. We were able to appreciate the day even more and it made the ceremony all that more special.” 

Vendors: Photographer: Koby Brown Photography, Ceremony/Reception: Hotel Budir, Wedding Planner: Ann Peters, Florist: Iceland Wedding Planner, Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas, Hair: Feima Hárstofa, Gown: Reem Acra, Grooms Clothing: Zegna, Hair Piece: Ulyana Aster.