These Stunning Elopement Photos Will Make You Want to Visit Iceland

Iceland is renowned for its awe-inspiring landscape — think lunar-looking lava fields, expansive glaciers and geothermal pools. As if we needed one more reason to visit this tiny Scandinavian country, one couple's Icelandic elopement photos have gone viral, and they're nothing short of magical.

Sarah and John Walk were supposed to get married in their Ohio hometown but they scrapped their original plans after it became "too much about the presentation," opting to elope on June 16th in Reykjavík, Iceland (their honeymoon location), instead. "Eloping simply felt right for us and our relationship. It better exemplified what we believe marriage should look like — the celebration of the covenant between two hearts," the bride tells BG.

The experience was indescribable: "Everywhere we turned, we were surrounded by an exhausting sense of beauty. Our wedding day was the definition of perfection...we remember every moment, every thought, every feeling. Not many couples get to say that about their wedding day!" she adds. The couple's wedding photographer, Gabe McClintock, tagged along for the journey. 

Check out their gorgeous wedding album below by Gabe McClintock Photography:

The Surprising Way You Might Be Sabotaging Your Own Wedding

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We've all heard the "bridezilla" horror stories; the bride whose crazy-high expectations stress out everyone around her. (Mandatory bridesmaid diet, anyone?) But in the past year, we've seen another type of bride emerge, out of a fear of being labeled the "b" word; she's the cool, laid-back, just-wants-you-to-be-happy bride who doesn't have any demands. She's so chill, she's actually too chill...she's a bridechilla.

While the bridechilla thinks she's doing her bridesmaids a favor, she's actually making life harder for them. By refusing to take a strong stance or "burden" anyone, she avoids making the tough decisions at all...which then becomes a major issue.

July 16th

Photo Credit: Camilla Carrington

Tip of the Day: Before browsing for wedding headwear, prepare the styling of your hair and makeup exactly as you would as if for your wedding day. "This will make it much easier for you to immediately see which headpieces will suit your style and visage the best," explains Camilla Carrington, a bridal headpiece designer.

If you can't decide which headpieces to wear after trying several on, she recommends taking pictures from several angles and reviewing them with someone whose opinion you trust. Also, don't be afraid to ask if pieces can be altered or adapted to suit you. "There will probably be a small fee for the service depending on the changes but most designers will be open to your suggestions," Carrington adds.

Plus, check out The Best Bridal Accessories Under $100.

Finding a Wedding Dress When You're Not a Size 6

My husband Mike and I were married on June 27, 2014, in Aberdeen, SD. It was a wonderful, awesome day — we had a blast celebrating with our families and friends at an amazing venue. Our big day went off without a hitch, hiccup or snafu in sight, but it was only after I conquered my deep-rooted fear of dress shopping.

After I got engaged, I was thrilled at the prospect of finding my dream dress. For three months, I searched through wedding magazines and websites until I fell in love with a tea-length satin style that had a beautiful bow and purple crinolines to match my vintage theme. It was glorious! That is, until I tried on a similar dress that my friend had, and I quickly realized that this hemline on me just wasn't going to fly. I wanted to cry at the thought of having to choose a gown all over again.

I had heard disheartening tales of plus-size brides' shopping experiences. "If you aren't under a size 10, good luck." "My sister broke down bawling at one store because they had ZERO dresses that fit her." "The lady at the shop we went to told my cousin to drop 30 pounds when they did her first fitting." Whoa. Scary, right? I hoped those stories weren't true, but in the back of my mind, I was panicking. I wear a size 18 in regular clothes and I knew that bridal sizes ran even smaller — I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was how insecure I was going to feel.

Anyone Who's Ever Been a Flower Girl Will Love This Story

Like any other flower girl, all Annabelle Earl wanted was to wear a pint-sized princess dress and drop petals down the aisle. The only problem? There was no one in this four-year-old's immediate family or parents' circle of friends getting married.

NBC News reports that Annabelle's mom, Kim, didn't realize how much the wedding milestone meant to her daughter until they visited Yoko Ono's "Wishing Tree" at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The precocious little girl walked up to the tree and wished for a pet unicorn (wouldn't we all?). When mom broke the news to her that this wasn't an option, she settled for a suitable back-up plan: to be a flower girl.

Undeterred by the lack of festivities in their foreseeable future, the Brooklyn mom took her daughter to the City Clerk's office in Manhattan to fulfill her dream. Despite a few rejections, they finally found a couple who was willing to "hire" Annabelle as their flower girl. "She was too adorable to say no to, and we thought it would be fun to make her day as well as ours," the bride tells NBC (she declined to be identified).

cute flower girl
Photo courtesy of Kim Earl via NBC News

In a twist of fate, Annabelle ended up getting scared and mom had to hold her. So sweet! Naturally, she had more important things on her mind (at the conclusion of the ceremony, she asked if there would be cake). The pair went to a bakery and texted the couple a snapshot, wishing them a sweet future together. 

5 Tips to Make Your Wedding Uniquely Yours

Weddings are about love and the joining of two lives but they’re also about you as a couple. With all of the resources available for wedding planning today, there is absolutely no reason to have a run-of-the-mill wedding that doesn’t suit you. Dreaming of a unique and personalized wedding but you're not sure where to start? Get inspired by these five tips. 

bride and groom with balloons
Photo Credit: Ty Boyce of Disney Fine Art Photography and Video

1. Incorporate Your Hobbies
If you both love touring local wineries, consider throwing a wine-themed wedding. This can be done by simply choosing a winery as your wedding venue, or you can incorporate wine in other ways. Personalize your reception with wine bottles serving as table numbers, giving out bottles of wine for the favors or even by adding grapes to your floral arrangements and bouquets. Wine is just one example; the more unique the hobby, the more memorable the wedding becomes.

Excited about the idea of incorporating your hobby, but want to do something more subtle? You could showcase your shared love of horseback riding with a saddle-shaped groom’s cake and a photo booth filled with props such as helmets, riding crops, red coats, etc. Check out 25 of the most unique wedding themes we've ever seen ►

Inside the New Issue

Get ready to enjoy our special "Color Issue" filled with amazing ideas on how to choose and use pretty palettes throughout your wedding.

september october cover

Have an iPad? Be sure to check out our digital edition! Get one issue for $5.99 or a one-year subscription (six issues) for just $9.99. Click here to download the Bridal Guide Magazine app from the App Store. 

Plus, you’ll find three magazines in one! On the flip side is our "Your Home" section featuring the hottest tabletop trends and gift ideas for your registry.

your home cover

And you’ll get a separate "Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Guide" packed with the perfect getaways.

honeymoon cover

But first, here’s a sneak peek at some of the fabulous color-themed stories in the issue from bridal gowns in soft, romantic hues

soft shades

July 15th

Photo Credit: Shira Weinberger Photography on Maharani Weddings via Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: Looking forward to dancing the Hora, the Greek money dance or any other customary rites as a nod to your heritage? Hire wedding DJs that are familiar with your culture and background.

"Be clear in what you are requesting from your vendors — don't automatically assume that they know what you mean," says Michael Swerdloff, aka DJ Mystical Michael. This means providing examples of must-have songs as well as those you'd rather skip. Also, keep in mind that in order to be as inclusive as possible, you'll want to have them play tunes that appeal to a broad audience, too.

Plus, check out How to Plan a Wedding When You're from Different Cultures.

 

Etiquette Q&A: "How Can We Keep the Guest List Under Control?"

wedding ceremony
Photo Credit: MangoRed on Bride and Breakfast via Lover.ly

Q. How can we keep the guest list under control?

A. The size of your guest list is an important issue because it will largely affect the total cost of your wedding. In most cases, you, your fiancé and both of your families will each have his or her own idea about who should be invited.

To get off on the right foot, have everyone involved submit a list of the people they’d like to attend. They should rank the names in order of importance, starting at the top. Then you and your fiancé can compare the lists and cross off any duplications. Add up the numbers that are left to determine how close you are to your estimated guest count and figure out how many more people you may need to eliminate (or, if you’re lucky, who you can add!). Then, have each of the parties involved cut an assigned number of names, starting from the bottom of his or her personal list. This way, both families are treated fairly, while you manage to keep control over the size of the guest list.

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