I have so many things to say about this Iceland Wedding. First, let me tell you that the ~24/24h daylight… is in the top 10 of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced. I’m a night owl so naturally, I was excited about the longer days for shooting and assumed that shooting around midnight would be no problem at all since I usually go to sleep between 1am and 3am.
Well, let me tell you that, no, that kind of daylight is not what you think it’s gonna be. In my case, anyway. I felt exhausted the whole time I was there. Kinda like my body would not ever truly rest, it was always a 65% deep sleep. Or light sleep, rather. I don’t think I’ve ever consumed so much caffeine in such a short amount of time. I was probably drinking 10 espressos/strong coffees per day.
Actually, the day that Jasmine and Mike met me in Reykjavik, I already had so much coffee, I couldn’t stop talking. Haha, it’s great that we got along so well since I was afraid I might scare them off!
Also, have you heard the expression “Braving the elements”? Because that’s what it felt like in Iceland. It was the lack of good/deep sleep, the wind, the rain, the low and heavy (excessively depressing) skies on bad weather days (98% of the time), the rough grounds, rocks and sharpness and raw nature. Working in Iceland – at least in my experience – was a challenge. It was cold and so windy sometimes that I would run towards my couple, to escape the cold and shoot faster for them not to freeze to death, and I wouldn’t move. Impressive.
But Iceland was special on a personal level. It was full of awakening moments and times where I went beyond what I thought I was capable of. I went on hikes and when it should have hurt, it didn’t. Small things, maybe, but it meant a lot to me and made me feel stronger. It made me feel a little more whole. And finally, I was able to be myself, and even better, ok with myself.
So I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to shoot those two in Iceland. It was a cathartic trip that I’ll never forget, especially the crazy bird attack, falling on my butt in slo-mo on Reynisfjara, laughing to tears with my couple, feeling grounded and whole… And happy.
Vendors:
Photographer: Anne-Claire Brun Photography
Other Destination Weddings and Elopements:
Oceanside Wedding in Denmark
Mariage au Chateau de Palayson
Kekaha Harbor Hawaii Wedding
Oregon Elopement at Wahclella Falls
Yosemite Wedding
St Lucia Wedding
New Orleans Destination Wedding at Race & Religious
Romantic Wedding on the French Riviera
Wedding in Belgium
Oregon Backyard Wedding
Kauai Island Wedding