First Look, Jökulsárlón

I like to reserve the term "magical" for only truly spectacular people, places, or things. Outside of my beloved Walt Disney World, I've probably only used the term a handful of times. Having said that, my wedding was pretty magical and our first look was no exception. Originally we were planning on getting married Thursday so I could carry my dress around and take photos in front of all the places we planned to visit. Mother Nature can be cruel sometimes though and we ended up having to push the wedding back, which meant I'd be heading to Jökulsárlón without a dress. After talking it over a bit with B, we decided to pack it along anyway-- you know-- just in case. I think we made the right decision. Photos by Violet Short.

The drive to Jökulsárlón was a lot longer than anyone could have guessed. (Thanks a lot, Google maps.) Out little caravan had to to stop and ask for directions to a gas station and while we were there, it started POURING. Not only that but it was cold, we were all kinda jet laggy, and I was pretty moody, and it was getting dark rather quickly. Since we had been driving for such a long time with no sign of it in sight, I almost made the mistake of throwing in the towel and saying "let's just go home!" After some backseat persuasion, I decided to keep on truckin'. Not more than three minutes down the road, we saw the top of that bridge. Finally! SOMETHING. When we got over the bridge, everyone in the car (and the other car as well, I'm sure) audibly gasped. Jökulsárlón looks beautiful in these photos but they truly do it no justice. 

After seeing how stunning the lagoon was, I decided that even in the whipping wind, the sharp rain, and numbing cold, I had to put on my dress. After all, when were me, B, my wedding dress, and this lagoon going to be in the same place again? More than likely, never. I fetched my dress from the other car while my family headed up a hill to explore and give us some privacy. Changing out of soaking wet jeans and into a wedding dress in the back of a tiny Citroën is one of the more difficult things I've had to do in my relatively short life. At that point, I just wanted to get outside. I knew my makeup was going to be obliterated so I decided against a quick touchup. Same with my hair. I didn't feel very cute but the moment I tapped B on the shoulder and he turned around, I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. (Yes, even in my Doc Martens.) I'll just let those photos speak for themselves.

It was cold. BOY, it was COLD but now that we have these amazing photographs, it was worth it. In some of them, you can see how hard it was raining. You can also tell by how wet my hair is as the photos go on. Still, no regrets. It's our version of that iconic rain kiss from The Notebook. (Or just the cover photo of any Nicolas Sparks novel.)

It's hard to tell just how gigantic those floating bits of glacier really are but trust me: they're massive and completely breathtaking. The cerulean color of the water was also so stunning. It tinted everything a beautiful shade of blue.

Until next time, 

xo, e.m.

Photos by the amazingly talented Violet Short. Check out her blog, follow her on Instagram, and like her on Facebook!