Schimine & Stephen originally contacted me to photograph their small mountain wedding. After the costs and pressures of planning what was supposed to be a small wedding began to add up, they decided to change plans completely and elope. They chose Iceland, where they had initially planned to have their honeymoon, and much to my surprise, they asked me to join. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. After searching for hair and makeup artists in Reykjavik, with no luck, they decided to hire my full team knowing they would want to look their best for their wedding day and for their next day session. This turned out to be an extra bonus for them as they also struggled to find a wedding commissioner. Knowing that we would have to travel long distances to various locations while having to remain flexible with regard to weather and lighting, we didn't want to be tied to someone else's schedule. Janna stepped up and offered to officiate. This was a huge relief to the couple and to Jon and I as we now had the ultimate flexibility with their day. Stefanie's husband Drew decided to fly out and join us on this adventure as well. Knowing that Drew was a musician, our groom (another fellow musician) asked if he would play for their ceremony. With Jon and I shooting, Stefanie and Janna providing hair, makeup, and styling, Janna officiating and Drew playing music, they had the ultimate team of people for their wedding adventure.We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast together the morning of their wedding and then eased into getting ready. After an intimate first look, we started our journey. By researching together, we were able to visit and shoot at several locations that the couple really wanted, all while enjoying the day at our own pace. This allowed them to feel comfortable, have fun and really take in all of the moments of their wedding day. Drew played the couples favorite song on the edge of the Fjaðrárgljúfur cliffs while they exchanged their vows. Stefanie filmed their ceremony while Janna officiated and Jon and I photographed everything. It was perfect. Right after they finished exchanging personalized vows the skies opened up to share the most incredible sunset. We were all completely in awe...it was surreal. We then decided to visit the lava fields and end our day with sightseeing of that infamous abandoned plane.We took a day to relax before shooting their second-day sunset session. After skyping with their family we decided to head out to a completely different part of Iceland. We enjoyed incredible sights, wild horses and captured some of my favorite photos that I have ever taken. Before we left, Schimine and Stephen commemorated their wedding by each getting tattoos of the GPS coordinates where they were married.I love all weddings. They are all beautiful and meaningful, each in their own special way, but there is something especially unique about a couple getting away from it all, to share their day with one another, uninterrupted by the stresses of hosting one big busy day and adhering to strict timelines. They enjoyed real, genuine-time together, were able to take in all the sights they had planned to see for their honeymoon and turned their wedding into the most incredible adventure. My team and I are so honored we got to share this with them. Enjoy x

Hair & Makeup: Behind the Blush.

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