A BHLDN Gown for a Charming and Love Filled Destination Wedding in Iceland

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We’ve had a flurry of film submissions of late and I’m really excited about sharing them with you. Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know how much I adore film as a medium for sharing wedding day memories. This film I’m sharing today has been so beautifully crafted – the gentle slow motion, the music, the treasured moments that might otherwise have been forgotten; a loving glance, taking a pen to paper to write words of love, the tears, joy and laughter.

This is the wedding of photographers Emily and Ofer who chose the immensely talented Maru Films to document their most beautiful of Icelandic weddings. This really is a treat ladies and gentlemen – sit back, relax and enjoy.

“They talked about Iceland in their very first conversation. The amazing country with its raw northern beauty, how it was her dream to ride the friendly Icelandic horses, and for him to go running with the most stunning out of this world backdrop. So that’s what they did on their wedding day. Emily and Ofer decided to get married in Iceland, bringing only their most precious family and friends. It was an intimate wedding filled with love and extraordinary landscapes. Get a glimpse of how it feels like to get married in the land of ice and fire.” (Maru Films)

Film by Maru Films




A real wedding feature of any kind wouldn’t be the same without a few words from the bride herself and so I hand you over to Emily….

_________

When we met, Ofer and I immediately connected over our thirst for adventure. Visiting Iceland was actually something we talked about in our very first conversation, a moment I remember almost as vividly as walking in my front door later that day and proclaiming to my roommate that I had a huge crush on the man I’d just met. We became inseparable immediately and, finally, six years later, after launching and building our own photography business, finishing graduate school, traveling the globe and moving cross-country together twice, we did just that. Better yet, it was a trip made perfect by the presence of our closest friends and family in a location more breathtaking than we could have imagined.

When it came time to start planning after Ofer’s surprise proposal at home (me in pyjamas and totally bowled over in shock) we knew we wanted to do something a little off the beaten path, a little unexpected, a little wild. We knew our celebration needed to reflect us. Iceland was the frontrunner pretty quickly.

Never having been there, the planning process was an adventure all its own. We wouldn’t set foot on the island for the first time until seven days before the wedding and our sixty five guests would arrive in waves shortly thereafter. That made it particularly important to choose vendors we could trust completely, whose understanding of our vision was intuitive. We wanted an epic backdrop, expertly prepared local foods, unique florals, a fun party and understated navy, blush and gold décor that would accentuate the eclectic atmosphere already present at Hotel Budir. We also wanted to be able to enjoy every minute of the wedding weekend instead of obsessing over the color of Ofer’s socks or exactly what canapés would be the perfect addition to our cocktail hour. Our best advice to other couples is to work with talented professionals who know what they are doing, then step back and let them do their thing! Trusting the people you’ve so carefully selected gives them the creative freedom to bring to life something truly magical.

Hotel Budir was the perfect venue, breathtakingly remote and surrounded by incredible lava fields, a winding estuary and a magnificent glacier in the distance. We reserved the entire hotel, filled it to capacity with our loved ones, and look back fondly at every second we spent there. The staff is helpful, accommodating, kind and oh so capable. The food was delicious and truly Icelandic, something that was important to us.

Our incredible videographers got engaged in Iceland almost exactly a year prior to our wedding, so their knowledge of the country and endless energy was instrumental in preparing for the trip. One of our biggest dreams today is to got back to Iceland and work with them as a photography & videography team. We’re lucky now to have a unique perspective on Icelandic weddings, as experienced creatives who have both traveled, worked and married there.

Agnes, our florist, created a stunning bouquet for me composed of local flowers and greenery. The lavender, waxflower and calluna were gorgeous. These florals, along with our wedding chuppah, were made even more dreamy with long hand-dyed ribbon from Silk and Willow.

We loved the elegant yet rustic feel of Hotel Budir and wanted to keep our guests eyes trained out the windows at the exquisite views instead of elaborate decorations indoors, so a sprinkling of dainty florals and an assortment of white candles were all we needed to set the scene. Our navy and gold place cards were a gift from a talented friend and a traditional Icelandic wedding cake and the vintage map of Iceland we had guests sign as a guestbook were awesome finishing touches.

One thing that made our wedding day especially unique was that, as photographers, it was super important for us to spend a bit of time behind the camera. While the rest of the day was captured beautifully by our talented friend Mel, of Happy Confetti Photography, the portraits we captured of ourselves are also incredibly special to us. There’s nothing like hearing “hey wife!” for the very first time and looking over your shoulder to see your new husband beaming, camera in hand, expertly capturing a look of raw joy in your eyes. There is no other way to remember just exactly how a newly married man looks at his beloved unless hers is the face behind the camera, composing the image. We will treasure these moments forever, along with the lovely collection our photographer created.

Quote from Maru Films.
Filming Emily & Ofer’s wedding in Iceland felt like a dream. Everything was just perfect. We already had high expectations seeing that the bride and groom are professional and very talented wedding photographers and thus have seen quite a few weddings themselves. But it turned out even better then we could ever hope for. It seemed as if all the stars were aligned: Emily & Ofer, their love for each other, their experience in front and behind he camera, the most emotional spot-on vows we’ve ever heard, the sweetest warmest people surrounding them and of course the most amazing and bizar backdrop: Iceland. Everything was just perfect and somehow like it was meant to be.

At some point during the ceremony, we really had to look around to acknowledge the fact we were really standing there at that spot filming the most amazing ceremony while actual seals were swimming by. The photo/video shoot was great as well. We didn’t have to tell them how to act or anything, they were just enjoying the moment, the scenery and the greatest love they have for each other.

The edit was hard, because there was so much amazing material to choose from. And we wanted to make something special. Different from all of the wedding videos we had done in the past. So we had to dig deep, go back to where it all started for Emily & Ofer, thinking about their love story and how they talked about Iceland during their very first conversation. That’s how we ended up starting the film with Ofer running.

We still get goose bumps watching the video. For us, in our minds we’re back in Iceland, even if we just hear the music. We’re extremely proud of the result. This is what we’ve worked so hard for, this is what we stand for, and the reason we love doing what we do.

Credits & Thanks

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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