Ionian Weddings Blog

Once you’ve decided to embark on the exciting venture of getting married abroad, it is not entirely uncommon that the image of Santorini’s white-scattered villages and Caldera Views comes quite immediately to mind.

This dreamboat destination has a lot of couples totally taken by its charming aesthetic and the fact that the island is so fantastically wedding-orientated. However, there is a lot of mixed and often conflicting information that circulates about the beautiful white-washed weddings of Santorini.

So, what we have done is asked our local Santorini planner and our Santorini Specialists to share their top 10 tips for getting married in Santorini: 

1.       Santorini, besides being a wedding hub, is also a hot-spot for tourists. This means months like July and August are often quite busy with a lot of people. If you are the sort of couple that favours a quieter wedding experience, aim for months like September and early October. These months are not dead but are quieter.

2.       You may be quite surprised to hear that you would only be able to have your sunset beach ceremony from 5pm onwards. Most venues will only allow ceremonies from late afternoon onwards for two very valid reasons. The first reason is that Santorini weather (and the island’s lack of shade) means that in the heat of a summer day, you and your guests will be exposed to the full throttle of the sun’s heat. Men in suits, ladies with make-up, and these temperatures only lead to discomfort. The second reason is that when you picture your beautiful sunset ceremony on the sand, you most likely do not picture hundreds of beach goers surrounding you. Waiting until the heat has calmed and tourists have returned to their villas will mean a far quieter and cooler place to get married. This applies to pretty much all of Greece. It also gives you plenty of time to get ready.

3.       The third recommendation is to book your extras through a single company. Working with multiple suppliers from different companies leaves a lot for you to organise (especially just before the wedding, when you are busiest). It also means that should something go wrong with a supplier from another company, we are not able to deal directly with them as they are not contracted to us. The last thing you want to do as you arrive at your wedding venue for the most important moment of your life is to have to track down a local supplier who has failed to turn up. The relationships we have with our suppliers and the venues are strong and long-standing, and so you know you are in safe hands!

4.       We recommend that you arrive on Santorini at least three days before and three days after your wedding for the paperwork. It may not seem important right now but those days leading up to the wedding allow for much more. You get to meet our local team, run through the wedding, visit the venue, meet relevant suppliers and orientate yourself with the island. The more time you allow for, the more prepared you will be.

5.       The days leading up and after the wedding can also be filled with a plethora of island activities! You can go site-seeing around the island on a vintage bus, bar hop in snazzy cars, host your hen parties or stag nights on a boat (or simply have a day on the water with your guests after the wedding to make the event last as long as possible). Taking a sunset cruise for just the two of you for an hour or two with a romantic dinner could be the perfect way to start your honeymoon. Such activities are not as expensive as one might think and provide a world of fun for you and your guests.

6.       As tempting as the beachy sun will be before your wedding day, you must resist those cosy tanning beds with all your might. Even on days where the sun is comfortably hidden by clouds, you can get burnt to a crisp quicker than you think! Sunblock, hats and loads of water are essential for avoiding the pain and redness of sunburn on your big day.

7.       If you ever find yourself not sure where to go or what to do, all you need do is ask the nearest local. These lovely islanders are a wealth of information on the quickest routes to anywhere, the best food spots, and for even just pointing you in the direction of your hotel. They will also enlighten you to some less-known corners of Santorini that have less crowds and the best Greek coffee and pastries.

8.       We suggest pre-booking all transportation back to your accommodation from the venue once the wedding has finished for the evening. Local taxis can get extremely busy in peak season that you could wait up to an hour and a half for a taxi home. This wait can seem a lifetime for the wedding guest who has spent her night on the dance floor with a new pair of heels.

9.       We suggest that for those wanting to soak up the touristy delights of Santorini, you bear in mind that most of the island is built on a steep incline. Wearing flat, comfortable walking shoes, packing water and wearing a hat will do wonders come the end of a long day of seeing the sights.

10.   Santorini is known for having a few breezy days. It is essential that you book with a reliable hairdresser for your wedding day as you never know what the weather will be like! As gorgeous as long curls down your back might seem now, we suggest opting for an up-do or partially-up to prevent your hair going wild in the breeze. Having your hair done sturdily and professionally by a reputable hairdresser will ensure it stays in place and lasts until you are back in your hotel room after the wedding.  

Julia & Steve got married on the 1st June 2017 on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu!

How did you both meet?

We originally met at a party held by Julia’s mum back in 1985 and were together for 4 years. It didn’t work out and we both married other people and had 3 children each. I got a Facebook message from Steve 7 years ago with the line Remember Me?  We met up and started seeing each other again.

Tell us about the Proposal?

We decided to go on holiday over Christmas and New year. We found a quiet spot in Gran Canaria where we could hike along the coast and completely relax. Steve proposed with a ring he had had specially made (after discreetly asking questions about my likes) All our children knew beforehand and kept it quiet.

What attracted you to Corfu as a wedding destination?

We had been to Corfu in 1986 as our first holiday together and stayed in Dassia.  After getting back together we wanted to return to see what it was like. We stayed in the same resort but a much posher hotel this time.  We then returned in 2014 and stayed in a lovely villa on a quiet beach.  We had talked about getting married in the Lake District but on our first day back in Corfu I suggested to Steve that it would feel right to marry in Corfu.  It gave us another excuse to go back in 2015 to look at wedding venues.

Did the venue meet your expectations?

The venue exceeded our expectations.  We had a simple civil ceremony in the Town Hall followed by a blessing and reception at the White House Taverna in Kalami.  All our guests commented on how beautiful it was and how stunning the views were. The local coordinators ensured our vision was met brilliantly and everything went perfectly.

What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

We wanted it to be relaxed and informal and for our guests to have a good time, without a strict timetable to follow.

Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?

It was quite simple. We kept it a white and green colour scheme. We wanted it to feel like a Greek wedding and researched on websites like Pinterest which had some great ideas.  It was important to us to respect the traditions of Corfu and make it feel as Greek as possible.  Corfu has lots of lemon and olive trees so we tried to use those in the decorations and tied it in with the bouquet and buttonholes. Even the cake had olive leaves as part of the décor. The White House Taverna is in such a stunning position in the bay, it doesn’t need anything to add to it.  We decided against a flower arch as it would have impeded the view, and the view is incredible.

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding?

We didn’t want our guests to feel like they were on our timetable all week especially as we had decided on their holiday destination.  Most people stayed in Dassia with us and we had a whatsapp group so we could let everyone know where we were if they wanted to join us.  We had some great nights all sat around tables with the wine flowing.  Dassia has plenty of restaurants and tavernas so nobody felt like they were in each other’s way.  We had also hired a villa in Nissaki for the week for some family to stay in and for me to use for getting ready on the day. We used this to host a barbecue the day before the wedding to help everyone get to know each other more.  It was a fantastic day, everyone said they loved that there was no pressure to do anything and we all just relaxed around the pool. After the wedding all our guests said how much they’d enjoyed their time in Corfu, because of how we’d organised it. Now we just need another excuse to do it all again.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

There are so many.  Our photographer entertained us with his attempts at English and was great fun which added to the relaxed atmosphere.  Arriving by boat with our daughters and seeing everyone there was quite emotional.  The ceremony was lovely, our children all played a part and we included Greek elements into it such as hand tying and sharing wine together.  The reception was so relaxing everyone just chatted and enjoyed the views, dinner was spread out across the evening.  We even forgot to do speeches! The Greek dancers we hired added that extra element and got lots of us up on the dancefloor. The time flew so quickly, we couldn’t believe it when we had to leave.

What advice would you give other couples thinking of having a wedding abroad?

Go for it!  It was so easy to do.  Everyone at Ionian Weddings took away any pressure or concerns we had.  We had meetings with Helen in the Twickenham office who liaised with the local coordinator in Corfu so that when we arrived we only had to confirm the finer details.  We also met with Daria at the White House who checked that we had everything we wanted and more.  The work they did made the whole process up to and including the wedding more relaxed and enjoyable than we could have imagined.

On a final note, as we had booked the White House taverna we started watching the Durrells TV show.  Our week was added to as some of the cast were staying in our hotel, we even saw a couple of them as we had our pre wedding lunch at the White House. Then at the airport on the way home, we met Lee Durrell, the widow of Gerald Durrell.  This all added to the most incredible week of our wedding.  Corfu is a stunning island, although we prefer the North East coast, and look forward to returning in a couple of years to celebrate some of our anniversaries.

Colette & Fraser got married on the 1st September 2017 at a stunning & traditional Tuscan Villa...

How did you both meet?

A mutual friend set us up.

Tell us about the Proposal?

We got engaged on holiday in Florida.  Fraser wanted to go on a walk on the beach but I just wanted to go to the restaurant.  He was really nervous and decided just to propose in the restaurant to get it over with ha!  So I ruined his sunset proposal on the beach.

What attracted you to Tuscany as a wedding destination?

I had never been to Tuscany but have always wanted to visit. To be fair, Pisa airport and the fact that the flights were extremely cheap for our guests was one factor. Ionian Weddings really helped us with regards to location.  And wine, wine, wine!

Did the venue meet your expectations?

The venue and the host were outstanding.  We couldn’t have imagined just how beautiful the setting was.  What we loved about the day was how relaxed it felt. The Villa host was fantastic.  We stayed the night before and she kept us entertained!

What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

That our guests had a great time – and they did!  They’ve all said it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to.

Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?

Myself and Fraser are quite laid back.  We didn’t really have a theme as such.

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding?

We met up the night after for dinner in Viareggio.  Myself, my mum and dad and my bridesmaids all stayed at the Villa the night before.  We had dinner and wine tasting which was absolutely gorgeous

What was your favourite moment from the day?

My favourite moment was when we arrived at the Villa and I saw the tables and the setting, and watching our guests reactions to this!  Also the food…ooh my god the food!!!! And getting married……of course!

What advice would you give other couples thinking of having a wedding in Tuscany?

I would tell them to do it! Get it booked. It will take all the stress out of planning a wedding and all your friends will think you are a genius!  I can’t thank everyone at Ionian Weddings enough. 

Our wedding was perfection!

Rachael & Lloyd got married on the 14th August 2017 in stunning Ravello, Italy. They had their Ceremony in a beautiful garden setting, and their Reception in a luxurious private villa.

Where did you both meet?

We met in Rio in Brazil in August 2010 when we were both traveling. Then Lloyd moved to London to live with me 6 months later (he’s from Cardiff) 

Tell us about the proposal?

Lloyd proposed to me the day we moved into the first house we bought together. We had no floors in our house yet, and he wrote 'will you marry me?’ in marker pen up the stairs

Why did you choose Ravello as a wedding destination?

We picked Ravello because my Mum had been to the area and recommended it and the pictures looked lovely!

Did the venue meet your expectations?

The venue was beautiful and we were really happy with how it looked and how attentive the staff were on the day. The food & wine was particularly good and many people commented on how lovely the wine and food was!

What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

The music and the flowers were the most important thing about the day to us (and the atmosphere and keeping the guests happy of course) 

Tell us about your theme?

The theme was romantic - I wore an Italian designed dress with lace and the bridesmaids had dusky pink lace dresses. The flowers were light pink roses and hydrangeas with lots of gypsophilia on the tables and in the bridesmaids hair.

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to the wedding?

We kept it quite casual with plans before the wedding, about 8 girls went on a boat trip to Positano the day before. There were 41 guests in total and we spent some time with our guests in Ravello around the square in different bars and restaurants on the days leading up to the wedding and afterwards. About 20 of us stayed in Villa Rosa in a few villas. Most the guests met in a pizzeria in Atrani the day after then stayed on the beach which was perfect. Nine of us went on a small private boat around Capri two days after the wedding and swam in he sea which was unforgettable! Me and Lloyd went to Rome then Venice on our honeymoon.

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite part of the day was listening to the live music with some wine before the wedding breakfast looking at the view from the private villa.

What advice would you give to other couples having a destination wedding?

I'd say the pre-wedding meeting is really helpful, and use Ionian Weddings timeline /to do list. In Ravello if i had done it again I would have stayed on the square (we stayed a few km away down the coast and it was difficult to get to the square). Wedding traditions in Italy are slightly different, so make sure if you want things like being announced into the wedding reception or having your first dance announced, to make your planner aware of this.

Getting married abroad is an amazing way to get lots of your family and friends together on a holiday - we made so many brilliant memories. In Ravello it's easy to plan trips when your already there e.g. boats around the coast.

Sarah & Sam got married on the 2nd August 2017 at the beautiful Sorrento Cloisters and Lemon Garden

How did you both meet?

Our mutual friend decided to do a bit of match-making and set us both up on a date. I was working on a music project with our friend at the time and Sam knew him through a friendship group at University. This was back in 2009 and the rest is history!

Tell us about the Proposal?

Myself and Sam discussed an engagement for a few years but due to studying and saving for a house we took our time. Sam then surprised me with a proposal at our favourite local woodland park, Haigh Hall. Sam had updated our scrap book (with the help of our artistic friend!) with photos and added a page with ‘marry me’. Sadly, it did pour down with rain but it didn’t ruin the moment!

What attracted you to Sorrento as a wedding destination?

I think our soggy proposal was enough to tempt us into a destination wedding! We have always felt a close affinity with Italy due to my passion for art and our shared interest in the culture and history. We visited Sorrento in 2013, we loved the old cobbled streets and how authentic it was. There are also so many beautiful nearby towns like Positano and Ravello. We felt that our guests would have plenty to see on their holiday and I knew Sorrento would offer an intimate and relaxed environment for our big day.

Did the Venue meet your expectations?

The wedding venue’s exceeded all of our expectations, including our guests. The Cloisters is the perfect setting, bringing an authentic Italian feel to our wedding whilst allowing us to have a civil ceremony. The Lemon Garden added the perfect touch to our wedding. We were surrounded by lemon trees and fairy lights and had oil lamps lit at the entrance to our part of the restaurant. The food was A la Carte and guests enjoyed being able to choose their own food off the menu. The dessert was a traditional lemon cake and this added a lovely touch to our wedding theme.

Tell us about the theme for your wedding day?

Our wedding was lemon themed! We had grey and navy suits with navy bridesmaids and had lemon yellow roses and babies breath in our bouquets. We kept decor to a minimum as the restaurant and the cloisters required very little else! We wanted to keep some things traditional like the favours, so we had the Italian sugared almonds.

What was most important for you both for your wedding day?

The most important thing for us on our wedding day was to make sure we enjoyed our moment and lived in that moment. We made time throughout the day to be together.

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding day?

We had a great send off in the UK, visiting Chester and Manchester for our Hen and stag do's. We did lots of Bollywood dancing, go-karting and lounging in hot tubs! There was also lots of limencello drinking to get in the spirit! Whilst in Italy we had a meal in the hotel the evening before.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

We had several favourite moments... one of our favourites was going for a horse and carriage ride after the drinks reception. The people on the streets where shouting and waving at us as we passed them! We also loved our photoshoot in the centre of Sorrento.

What advice would you give to other couples thinking of getting married abroad?

Laura & Paul had a gorgeous, relaxed beach wedding on Lindos Beach in Rhodes, Greece, on the 4th August 2017

How did you both meet?

We met both working at the same school in 2010. I was the reception teacher and Paul was a teaching assistant in the juniors, we didn’t really speak much at first, just the occasional “Hi” walking through the hall.  Paul then left in the July to go and train to be a teacher. At Christmas he came to our Christmas do and that’s when we started to chat and continued to message each other until another works night out in June 2012, when we started to date.

Tell us about the Proposal?

As part of my Christmas present in 2015 Paul had booked us into Crabwall Manor in Chester on New Years Day. We spent the day having afternoon tea and enjoying the hotel spa. In the evening we went into Chester for a meal and on the way back to the car we walked by the Cathedral, which had fairy lights all over the trees and Paul got down on one knee in the pouring rain!  Obviously the answer was yes! What a great start to 2016 that was! 

What attracted you to Rhodes as a wedding destination?

In 2010 I went to my cousins wedding on Cameo Island organised by Ionian Weddings and knew from then I would love a destination wedding. Once we were engaged Paul really was keen on a beach wedding. We both absolutely love being on holiday. We started to look on Ionian Weddings website, as you came highly recommended, knowing we wanted a ceremony on the beach. A couple we know had recently come back from Rhodes and told us how lovely it was. So your Lindos Beach Wedding ticked every box. We also heard nothing but great things about the town of Lindos, a stunning village with something for everyone. We could not have picked a better venue.

Did the venue meet your expectations?

Yes it was amazing. Everything about it was perfect. The setting and colours of the sea were stunning. The hotel was gorgeous and the staff were absolutely fantastic. They could not do enough for us and were very helpful to our guests with dietary requirements. The food at the reception was delicious and my family, who love good food, were saying things like “Best wedding food I’ve ever had” and “Had two plates full, it’s so good!” We did not want the day/evening to end. The whole experience was more than we could have wished for and provided us and our guests with some fabulous memories to treasure.

 What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

Obviously marrying each other was the most important part but apart from that it was about having the family and friends we spend most of our time with there with us and that everyone felt relaxed and had a good time.

Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?

For our wedding we went very much with a beach theme, we had quite relaxed wedding outfits from my dress, bridesmaid dresses and men’s outfits. I knew I wanted a floaty, lightweight dress to fit the setting, I fell in love with the dress as it had a Grecian style to it and the back was a major selling point. For the men we wanted linen trousers in pale grey and collarless shirts, so no need for ties, they also wore Toms rather than shoes. The colour of the bridesmaid dresses is called ‘coastal’ so straight away fit with our theme and what a gorgeous colour it was against that backdrop!

We had many other beach touches to our wedding with fans, sunglasses, shells, pebbles, message in a bottle name paces and slogan parasols.

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding?

We tried to spend time with all the guests throughout their time in Rhodes doing different things, from fun in the pool, to climbing up the Acropolis and touring the Island. As a big group we went for a night out a few days before the wedding once everyone had arrived, Lindos was a good night out. Then the night after the wedding with people were still in Lindos we all went for a meal.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

It is very hard to pick a favourite moment as there are so many. From walking down the aisle and seeing each other and saying our vows in front of that amazing backdrop to the fabulous comments we got from our guests about our fantastic choice of venue.

One moment that will stick in my mind is dancing, rather than walking, back down the aisle with our bridesmaids and groom’s men behind us to Ed Sheeran and Christina Perri, Be My Forever. We decided we wanted an upbeat, beach style song to end the ceremony.

What advice would you give other couples thinking of having a wedding abroad?

Do it! It is the most amazing experience. You get to celebrate your wedding for more than just a day. You can enjoy the build up with your guest and continue celebrating afterwards too. It’s a fantastic holiday altogether as well as a wedding. Also having your wedding abroad is also so much more relaxed and stress free. The whole atmosphere is calm and peaceful. You don’t get a setting like this anywhere in the UK with the guaranteed weather too for brilliant photos.  Honestly is the best decision we made, our friends and family are still all talking about what a great time they had and want us all to go back for our 5 year anniversary. So getting married abroad provides fabulous memories for everyone not just the bride and groom.

Amy and Oliver got married on the 16th June 2017 at the Positano Town Hall and had a beautiful Sea View Reception

How did you meet?

We were teenage sweethearts - met in 2007 and married in 2017!

What attracted you to Positano as a wedding destination?

We love Italy for the beautiful food, the gorgeous weather and the breathtaking views. Initially we considered Sorrento but were taken aback by how quaint and lovely Positano was and once we saw the Palazzo Murat we knew it was the place we had to have our special day - traditional Italy at its best.

What was important to you about your wedding day?

We were so happy that we got to spend the day in such a beautiful place with all of our loved ones. Ionian Weddings has everything planned to a tee which meant we could all relax and enjoy ourselves. The photographer Mark from Valentina Weddings was amazing and the photographs are something we will treasure forever.

Tell us about your favourite moment from the wedding?

We Couldn't possibly choose - the Town Hall was the most stunning location for the ceremony and really took everyone's breath away, then when we went down to where our table was set for our meal we were so amazed at what the hotel had done - better than we could ever have imagined.

Tell us about your experience with Ionian Weddings?

I wouldn't change a single thing about our day and it was all down to the hard work of Ionian Weddings. Jane was there every step of the organisation process making it stress free and super easy for us. Couldn't have asked for more.

What would you say to a couple considering a wedding in Italy?

If you want a day that you will never forget and to create memories with the people closed to you that will last a lifetime get married in Italy.

James & Claire got married at the stunning Santorini Winery & Vineyard on the 12th June 2017. Here is look at their love story!

How did you both meet?

It all started 15 years ago!

I was 17 and James was 20. I was with my friend who had just passed her driving test and we were cruising around South Shields sea front in her first car.

Where we are from, this is something that the young ones do. Casually driving around and going to car meets. I met James in South Shields where we continued to meet up with friends and then finally started dating. Who would think that 15 years later we would be married and owning our second home together with our 6-year-old dog Molly!

How did James Propose?

After years of hoping that one day I’d get to wear that dress that every girl dreams of, in 2014 myself and James booked a trip to New York! New York was always on our bucket list, so we made the plans and off we went. We had talked about getting married but it was always just “one day”.

Five days into our trip we had already visited the usual hot spots, Empire State, Top of the Rock, so we decided to book a sunset river cruise along the River Hudson.

Now for anyone that knows my husband they will describe James in two words - “laid back”.

I was not expecting what came next! We were again “cruising” along the River Hudson, this time on a boat not in a car, and James casually says to me “what do you fancy doing tomorrow then, how about we go shopping? We’ve not been to the shops over here yet. How about we buy you that ring you’ve wanted!”

This was said in such a casual way, as James does, that It took me a while and a couple of questions to understand what he meant!

He then asked me the big question I’d been longing to hear for so many years, and of course I said YES!!! We celebrated on the boat as we sailed up the Hudson under Brooklyn Bridge with the biggest smile on our faces. We kept this quiet for the whole trip and didn’t tell our families until we got back to the UK.

The following day, as James promised, we went shopping for the ring and boy was this overwhelming. For anyone that has been along the Diamond District in NYC, you will know what I mean. Diamonds everywhere and I mean everywhere.

Finally, we found the ring and I still can’t stop looking at it to this day!

Why did you choose to get married in Santorini?

Our love of Greece is what attracted us to Santorini, it was an Island that we had never been to before. In June 2016, we visited Santorini for one week.

We hired a car and toured the whole Island, the breath-taking views are what made us fall in love with the island.

At this point we had already booked our venues, so we decided to go to the sunset wine tasting at Santo Winery and booked a meal at Pyrgos Restaurant beforehand. Both venues are amazing, they have the most beautiful surroundings and views. We couldn’t wait for June 2017.

The most important thing for us on our wedding day was having our close family and friends with us. We always wanted a small and intimate wedding, the details never really mattered too much to us. The venues and views were simply enough.

Tell us about the theme for your wedding?

We choose a vintage theme for our wedding and my now Mother in law Linda played a very special part in making our invites and some of the decorations for our wedding.

The night before our wedding we decided to ask all of our family and friends to a pre-wedding meal. We ate Greek food and listened to live Greek music.

What was your favourite moment of the day?

Saying “I DO” was my favourite moment of the day and also seeing my now Husband Greek dancing as he never dances. He was so into it and so were all of our family and friends.

It was perfect from start to finish, everything we could have imagined and more.

Do you have any tips for couples thinking of getting married abroad?

Our advice to any couples thinking about getting married abroad would be to use Ionian Weddings. The whole experience from start to finish was flawless and completely stress free. From our first contact to meeting our co-ordinators on the Island we couldn’t have asked for anything more from them. Always on hand to answer any questions or uncertainties that we had. If we could do it all over again we definitely would.

Carolyn & Grant got married on the 3rd June 2017 on the beautiful, lush island of Kefalonia, here is a look at their amazing story!

How did you both meet?

We met all the way back in 2010, in a bar called the Freemasons in Brighton. It was the May bank holiday and my friends and I were in full party mode. Grant however, was nursing a slight hangover!

I remember clocking Grant immediately as he walked across the road to the bar but I was far too shy to talk to him. Nevertheless, you can always rely on your friends to embarrass you and my friend Carly didn’t take long in approaching him and giving him my number! But thank goodness she did!

 Tell us about the Proposal?

Ah, such special memory! Grant proposed on New Year’s Day which is such a lovely anniversary to have at the start of ever year. He completely threw me off the scent, as I thought something funny was going on when we were having this very romantic meal on New Year’s Eve, but on the count down to the New Year (anticipation building) I had gotten it completely wrong! The next day, still slightly full and hungover, Grant told me we were off for a walk (I wasn’t overly keen I have to admit). We arrived at a beautiful place called Scotney Castle, which was in the most stunning grounds. Wearing completely the wrong shoes for walking, we slowly wandered round. The castle was situated next to an idyllic lake. As we meandered over the bridge to get some photos I turned round to find Grant on one knee. No one was around and I was in complete shock! It was perfect! I was so excited that I said yes even before Grant had the chance to ask me the question.

 What attracted you to Kefalonia as a wedding destination?

We love Greece and have been many times to different islands; Kefalonia however, was the first place we went on holiday together all those years back. So, the island holds very special memories for us. It’s a beautiful island and we knew we wanted to get married on the beach and of course for the weather to be hot and sunny. When we discovered we could marry at Antisamos beach we couldn’t believe it! It’s the most stunning beach set in the mountains with crystal clear water. We talked about that beach many times since we first went there and to see all the plans unfold for our dream wedding was amazing. Planning the wedding in a place we had already been made the process less overwhelming, as we already had a fairly good knowledge of the island. Meaning we could advise and help our guests prior to the wedding.

  Did the venue meet your expectations?

Without a doubt yes! To have a unique venue with such breath taking views all to ourselves was incredible. The beach bar had changed quite a bit since we last saw it in 2011, but not in a bad way as it was even more amazing! They had since built a really cute Hawaiian bar closer to the beach which was the central gathering point at our wedding. We had our dinner under a gorgeous pergola within the garden and a flower arch right at the end of the cobbled path which met the pebbles on the beach. It really was perfect, especially with all the decorations!

What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

In no particular order, the food, the music, the atmosphere. Sounds very obvious, but for us, getting the simple things right was everything. To create a warm, authentic and relaxed atmosphere (with great food and drink!) was our main aim. We had the beautiful location and an amazing guest list already, the rest came down to focusing on those essential details that make the day special – things that can easily be overlooked or underestimated.

Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?

I guess overall we cherry picked from a lot of initial research. Grant and I came at the process from different directions but we ended up liking the same things. I spent hours pinning pictures on Pinterest of how I wanted it to look and feel, and he focused more on summer dress codes (he works in men’s fashion industry) and the overall Mediterranean style – and how we could achieve it on the day. Predominantly, the notion of a rustic beach wedding with a touch of bohemian style was the original inspiration. Simple and elegant (with authentic Greek food). Key colours were white, dusty pink and olive green. Against the blues of the sea and the hilly backdrop the colours really worked. To try to sum up the style or theme is quite tricky, but looking at it all now in hindsight (once you add in the dress code of the guests too) I would say “relaxed Mediterranean glamour” – a phrase my husband just conjured up. Once guests started arriving, looking amazingly chic, it kind of elevated the whole thing. All those people travelling all that way for us, we wanted a feeling of real togetherness. Most importantly, we wanted the day and evening to feel social and relaxed. With great conversations over dinner and unlikely friendships popping up all over the place

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding?

We were lucky as most of our guests arrived three or four days before the wedding, which gave us plenty of time to greet everyone and get excited, whilst still preparing for the wedding.  Two days before the wedding we both had a mini hen and stag evening in Sami which was really fun! However, by the end of the night and with the town being relatively small we ended up all coming together. It was great! The day before our Antisamos wedding, we actually got married legally in Agia Effimia town hall. It was great as it felt like we had two weddings. After making it legal we went for an amazing lunch at a garden terrace restaurant overlooking the sea.

The day after our wedding, we continued to celebrate by having a barbecue at our villa. It gave everyone the chance to relax by the pool and reminisce about the day!

  What was your favourite moment from the day?

Gosh it’s so hard to pick as the whole day was just magical from start to finish. But if I had to pick one it would be walking down the aisle! There really is no feeling quite like it.  Seeing all my family and friends together on the most beautiful beach was just incredible. I just remember seeing an explosion of colour as I walked down the aisle, everyone looked so glamorous and happy.  All the months of planning and decision-making seemed completely insignificant at that point and all you feel is pure love!  That moment of seeing Grant and turning round to see all the guests and venue decorated and finished will always stay with me.

 What advice would you give other couples thinking of having a wedding abroad?

A couple of things I guess. Firstly (if you can), have a pre visit to your location. I can’t tell you how much difference it made to us feeling relaxed and prepared before the actual day. It allowed us the time to re-familiarise ourselves with the island, practise the drive from the airport, find our villa, check out bars, other towns and restaurants - and of course to see the venue and meet the wedding team! It was the most productive four days and we just couldn’t have done all that in the same week as the wedding!

Secondly, Relax! Sounds silly I know as it’s very hard to do that when planning a wedding, let alone one abroad. From going through the process I learnt that I really didn’t need to spend hours worrying about the logistics of the day or if tables and chairs were going to arrive. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing and everything ran seamlessly. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, it just added to the whole experience!

Anja & Jamie got married in Cyprus on the 30th June 2017 at the beautiful & traditional Cyprus Inn. Here is a look at their amazing day...

How did you both meet?

We met at work. We were friends for a few years then went to a festival together in 2007 and were inseparable ever since!

Tell us about the Proposal?

Jamie proposed in Scotland on Valentine's Day in 2009

What attracted you to Cyprus as a wedding destination?

Friends of ours got married on Cyprus and we loved it

Did the venue meet your expectations?

Wow the venue was everything that we dreamed of and much more. it was everything I'd imagined!

What was most important to you both for your weddng day?

We wanted the day to be relaxed and enjoyed by everyone

Tell us about the theme for your wedding day?

The theme was quite rustic & a little vintage

Did you do anything special with your Guests leading up to your wedding day?

We had a lovely BBQ at the villa we stayed in for our close family a few days before the wedding. All our friends were together in a hotel so they were enjoying the run up to the wedding all together along with their children

What was your favourite moment from the day?

I loved absolutely everything about that day! Honestly everything was absolutely perfect!

The one thing that was lovely was the 5 minutes we took to stand back and just look at all our loved ones that flew out with us to share our special day. It was lovely to see the venue so beautifully decorated just as I had asked and looking at everyone smiling!!!!! We took 5 minutes to stand back and take it all in. it was magical 😊

What advice would you give to other couples thinking of getting married abroad?

Always go with your gut and if you want to get married abroad, just go for it! After all it's your day and it should be just how you want it. We loved the whole vibe of being abroad... it was amazing... go for it it's amazing !!!

Ionian Weddings are just fab and worth every single penny! I wouldn't change a thing from my wedding day!!! Not one thing

Gemma & Stefan had a beautiful Santorini wedding on the 4th May 2017...

How did you both meet? 

I was on a football team night out in Cambridge and we met in a nightclub called Ballare

Tell us about your Proposal?

There is one place in this whole world that means the world to me, that is Giardini Naxos in Sicily. We have a family home there and try go back every year. When I decided to ask Gemma to marry me In the summer of 2013 there was only going to be one place I would propose. As a family we have been going Lido di Naxos beach for three generations. That night we went for a meal at the beach restaurant, whilst waiting for a our food I asked Gemma to come take a walk with me down to the water, I don't think she realised at this point I was sweating profusely. And now the rest is history. 

Why did you choose Santorini?

Originally we wanted to get married in Sicily on the beach (and to be honest we always said we would get married on the beach.) Until we found Ionian Weddings!

Tell us about the theme for your wedding?

Gemma, my wife, loves pink and silver. There was never going to be any other colours!

Where was your wedding dress from? 

Burr Bridal in Cambridge

Did you do anything special leading up to your wedding with your guests?

When we decided we were getting married abroad I had the painful task of choosing the best possible hotels to accommodate most, if not all, for immediate family and myself, Gemma and our two boys. I booked Villa Rose in Fira. We took every room in the hotel and it was just perfect! We spent almost every night with family and friends, going out for great meals. I am an extremely family orientated person and so are my boys, so this was perfect and made our build up so special. I also booked Gemma to stay with her bridesmaids in Fira White Residence for the night before our wedding so she got to wake up to this on the most important day of our lives. So to sum it up nothing in particular stands out as being special before, as everything was perfect. 

What was the best thing about your wedding? 

Being engaged for so long to the love of my life and having two beautiful children, we had the perfect little family, and for me the best thing about the wedding was when the music came on as she walked down the aisle and at that point my life was complete.

Do you have any tips for couples thinking of having a destination wedding?

When me and my Wife decided we were getting married abroad we had the painful process of not knowing where to start. We had no idea how to plan it or even the country we wanted to get married in. After searching and contacting several wedding planning companies we came across Ionian, and all I can say is WOW. We booked our first meeting with Anna in the London office who talked us through everything and took all of our worries away, we finally settled on Santorini and once again WOW. So the planning began. Anna made everything so easy and we can't thank her enough. Closer to the wedding we were then passed over to Sofia who is part of the local team and once again WOW. She sorted all of the final touches and took all of our remaining worries away thank you so much. 

Then finally two weeks before our big day we were passed over to Yannis who is the local wedding planner in Santorini and I don't even have words to express the happiness he brought to me and my wife. We arrived in Santorini on Sunday and met with Yannis on the Monday to go and view the venue and from there every little detail was planned to a high standard. He stayed for a majority of our day and night helping with anything asked of him. To sum up, Santorini is an amazing country to be married in and I cannot speak highly enough of Ionian as a company. The venue we had for both ceremony and reception was Santorini Gem and what an amazing choice. From myself and my wife Mrs Beer Thank you thank you thank you to everyone involved on making our dream wedding come true.

Jackie & Mark got married on the beautiful, lush island of Kefalonia on the 14th June 2017. They had their Ceremony at the Asos Chapel and a Greek Taverna Reception

How did you both meet?

We were introduced by mutual friends on a blind date on the opening evening of their new nightclub in May 2012

Tell us about the proposal...

We were getting ready to go out for a meal to celebrate our 3rd Anniversary. Mark called out from the living room that he and something for me to wear that night. I said “ What is it?” And he said “ Well come and look”. When I got to the living room, he was down on one knee and opened the ring box and asked me to marry him. I had to redo my makeup before we went out as was crying so much!

What attracted you to Kefalonia as a wedding destination?

A few weeks after our engagement we visited Kefalonia for the first time. We completely fell in love with the place and in particular the people and decided on the way to the airport on the way home that we wanted to get married there. 

Did the venue meet your expectations?

100%- Absolutely stunning. The location, the views, everything. We had revisited the venue the year before too, but was extra special with all the wedding trimmings, guests and a real bonus that we got to go in the beautiful chapel afterwards for photographs.

What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

That the day ran smoothly and as we had imagined. It totally exceeded all expectations, beyond our wildest dreams.

Where was your beautiful wedding dress from?

Confetti & Lace at Lakeside, Essex

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding?

We all went out for a pre wedding meal. (And we had been celebrating everyone's arrival with cocktails at the pool bar of our hotel)

What was your favourite moment from the day?

We absolutely loved it all, so simply cannot choose just one it was ALL amazing. Like a fairytale from start to finish.

What advice would you give other couples thinking of having a wedding abroad?

Without a doubt, contact Ionian Weddings. You will NOT be disappointed. ❤️We cannot find enough words to thank all the team for everything they did to ensure that our day was beyond perfect ❤️We want to do it again! ❤️

We love our Couples’ love stories! Paul & Marie got married on the 27th May 2017 in stunning Croatia. They had their ceremony in the Palm Gardens on Lokrum Island, and their reception in the renowned Restaurant Dubrovnik.

1.How did you both meet?

Thinking back, we were so young! At 18, and fresh out of finishing our A level exams, both of us were letting our hair down on a night out with friends at the local night club. Neither of us knew each other, but I can say, I think it was love at first sight for me. We spotted each other through the crowds on the dance floor. Paul took the courage (or should I say took a bet from his friend) to come talk to me and buy me a drink at the bar. We hit it off straight away, exchanged numbers, and here we are 9 years later as husband and wife.

2. Tell us about the proposal. 

Paul being the creative, thoughtful and caring man he always is, he made sure his proposal wouldn't leave a dry eye in the house, including mine! He really wanted the proposal to be a big surprise for his family, but he ended up having to tell all his family his plans to get them all to come over to our house! 

It was Christmas day in 2015, and we had our family over for a christmas breakfast. Paul made a gorgeous breakfast with homemade brioche, pastries and smoked salmon, then we all sat around the tree and exchanged gifts. Paul passed me a little square box, and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. What was going on, I thought? I opened the box to find a pair of diamond earrings. He asked me, 'Do you recognise the diamonds?'  .... 'No' i said... and with that Paul said 'They are from your late Grandad's ring'. welling up by now, I thought it was a wonderful way to transform my precious Grandad's ring he had left for me. The surprise was taken to the next level when Paul got down on to one knee and opened up the engagement ring box. The third diamond from my Grandad's ring was used to make my beautiful engagement ring. I had mentioned to him a while ago in passing conversation that my grandad's ring only fitted on my ring finger, and it was a bit old-fashioned in style for me to wear. Paul remembered where I kept it hidden and took the ring to the jeweller to design everything. proposing in the home we saved so hard to buy, surrounded by our loved ones. It was just perfect.

3. What attracted you to Croatia as a wedding destination?

In the early days of planning our wedding, We both agreed we wanted a outdoors, rustic, relaxed, and nature themed wedding venue. We began by looking at tipi tent weddings in farm land in England. We soon discovered this style of wedding was going to be way out of our budget, so we began thinking outside the box and thought we would have a look at weddings abroad. 

That's when we discovered Ionian Weddings website. Having a look around the destinations, we discovered that they did Croatian wedding venues. We was interested to research more as the previous year we had been on a Sail Croatia holiday and fell in love with the beautiful islands, heritage, people and culture. It was also then in Croatia when he decided he wanted to propose to me! We discovered a venue that had our names written all over it. The Palm Gardens, and Restaurant Dubrovnik was just perfect. We couldn't have chosen a more perfect destination for our wedding. Croatia has so much to offer. So many beautiful islands to discover, and so much history. 

4. Did the venue meet your expectations? 

The venues blew us away. They perfectly reflected us as a couple, and our personalities. The Palm Gardens on Lokrum Island was so magical. The most lush, beautiful, natural setting. Wild rabbits and peacocks just added to the magic of this Island. 

We are also huge foodies, and enjoy quality food. Restaurant Dubrovnik went above and beyond our expectations. They was so attentive and friendly. They really made us and our guests feel so welcome and cared for. Not to mention they blew our minds with their incredible passion for serving quality food. What's more, the Head Chef even came and danced with us in the evening, which was funny. Everyone had so much fun - the DJ said it was the best wedding he has done in a long time because everyone just kept dancing! He even shared this video with us: https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdjmirodubrovnik%2Fvideos%2F1904982393091393%2F&show_text=0&width=560

5. What was most important to you both for your wedding day?

The most important elements was to reflect who we were as a couple. To share with our friends and family why we love Croatia and in particular this magical, historic town. It was also really important to enjoy good food at our reception. I hear that Restaurant Dubrovnik are in the Michelin Guide 2017. Hats off to them, hands down they deserve it. It is probably one of the best restaurants we have been to!

6. Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?

Our theme was to use as much local produce as possible, but also to hand make as much as possible, so we decided on Olive and Lavender. In Croatia there are an abundance of Olive trees and Lavender growing. In the bride flowers, men's button holes and bridesmaid bracelets, we used Olive leaves, lavender sprigs and white flowers. At the restaurant we had bowls of olives on the table. We wanted to keep our theme natural, rustic, simple and elegant. 

For our table favours, again we kept the produce local. We took our own mini bottles with hessian tops and filled them with a local spirit of 'Prosek' for the men. For the girls, we made up mini hessian bags with lavender bath bombs. 

We also hand made and designed our menus for each guest and the order of service fans at the ceremony. 

7. Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to the wedding? 

We organised a BBQ to be held on Copacabana beach for all of our guests the night before the wedding. We thought it would be a great way to get everyone together the night before. It was a great success, and so special to spend time with our friends and family with good food and a great sunset. 

We had also arranged a girls 'Hen' night and a boys 'Stag' do before the wedding on the Thursday. Marie's hen do was a sophisticated, calm affair at the Coral beach club, where we wined and dined on the beach watching the sun set. Paul's stag do however, was a typical lads night out. It was a trip into town to head up the cable car to see views all over the town. (The plan was to have a few beers up there, but due to bad weather they had to come straight back down!) They then all headed town to the Exit Rock Cafe before going to the club in the fort. Let's just say it got messy from there - before you knew it I heard one of his best men was struggling to stand up in the main Stradun in Dubrovnik, and one of his friends was pretending to play air guitar in the middle of the old town with his top off!

Two days after the wedding, we had also arranged a day boat trip to visit three islands with lunch included. It was the perfect way to relax and unwind with our friends and family after the busy lead up to the day. The scenery is just so gorgeous.

8. What was your favourite moment of the day?

Wow, it would be way too hard to pick just one moment! Every moment of the day was so so special and memorable. My favourite moment has to be walking down the aisle, arm in arm with my dad with the guy from Croatian Voice playing my aisle song beautifully on acoustic guitar. Everything we had meticulously planned for over a year was really happening in front of my eyes. The way I had imagined it in my mind for so long was perfectly laid out in front of me. When we met at the end of the aisle I think both of us felt so extremely proud, and so elated at what we had achieved. Nothing beats marrying your best of friend and that's what I am most proud of! 

9. What advice would you give to other couples thinking of getting married abroad? 

Firstly, we would 100% recommend any couple to go with Ionian Weddings. Secondly, we would say make sure you give yourself time after the wedding to just unwind as a married couple! Thirdly, if you can, try go out there and see the venues. It's so helpful to have that memory in your mind of the venues when planning. We have to say, from the day we enquired about a wedding abroad, to the day we got married, we were cared for, and looked after so well. The communication was faultless, and we felt safe knowing our wedding day was in their hands. Anything was possible, and they were always there ready to answer our questions.

We recently asked our previous Ionian Weddings couples what their favourite memories were from their wedding day! We loved hearing about the special memories that our couples will cherish for a lifetime, and wanted to share them with you...

Emily McSevich & Grant Smith, Santorini:

My husband and I got married October 3rd at Le Ciel - Santorini. Our favourite memory is our first look before the ceremony. A moment of calm shared just between us before we went on to the ceremony with our guests. It was personal and quiet while we took in the day ahead and the spectacular view! I'd recommend a first look to any couple!

Emma & Stuart Ohren, Cyprus:

We married on 27.10.26 in Paphos, Cyprus. We have so many amazing memories for our day, but one that sticks in my head was my sneaky Sister-in-Law in cahoots with the Wedding Planner, and we were greeted with this as our entrance to our reception ..... Star Wars comes to paphos!

Kelly & Paul Davies, Skiathos:

We got married in Skiathos, it rained the day before and absolutely chucked it down, it ended up being one of the nicest days the day after for our wedding, the sun was shining, we had a lovely boat trip to the reception, speeches, food was divine, drinks flowing.... during our first dance the whole island had a power cut!!!!! We all laughed and tried to carry on, good job for the mosquito candles I took with us!

Sharon & Shaun Corbin, Rhodes:

We got married in Lindos, in 2014. Our favourite memory is posing for this wedding picture overlooking the beautiful St Paul's Bay and praying my new husband didn't disappear over the rocks! A perfect day!

Michelle & Lee Eggleton, Cyprus :

My favourite moment was when my shiny new husband announced to our family and friends I was 7 weeks pregnant! (Little did we know 17 weeks later he would be born 16 weeks early! - Now a very happy and healthy 30 month old) I don't think I'd ever been so happy at I was at this photo moment!

Maria & Mark Watson, Tuscany:

We married at La Piaggetta, Tuscany April 2016. The moment when we left the villa for the first time as man and wife and were bombarded with rice! What an amazing feeling... such a stunning venue and wonderful day.

Nicola & Jonathon Hargreaves, Santorini:

We were married at Dana villas on 13/9/16 and stayed there for 2 weeks before the wedding. The best bit was the way the staff totally looked after us and made it a holiday of a lifetime, not just for the wedding. We always love the Greek islands and people but this was exceptional. The sunset wedding was beautiful and just what my husband had invisaged in his head. I'm so grateful for Ionian weddings and Dana Villas for making our dreams happen!

Beata & Ross Duff, Zante:

We married in Zante, on 12th June 2016.... My favourite memory was this moment when my husband was waiting with my daughter for me to come down the aisle. He was holding her hand and this was the moment when I truly realised that from now we will become a wee family. He also did a pinky promise with her to look after her and mummy ❤ best day of my life!

Hannah & David Lunn, Zante:

We married on Cameo Island Zakynthos 09/07/2016 - being able to marry my best friend on this little private beach, and skim stones while everyone mingles after. We couldn't have had a more chilled out wedding.

Karrie & Adam Scarbrow, Santorini:

We married on 10/06/2013 in Santorini. Our whole wedding was our favourite memory. The wedding venue was more than we could wish for and the scenery was unbelievable. All our guest said it was just perfect. Thank you Ionian Weddings!

Kelly & Paul Davies, Skiathos:

We recently asked our previous Ionian Weddings couples what their favourite memories were from their wedding day! We loved hearing about the special memories that our couples will cherish for a lifetime, and wanted to share them with you... 

Gemma & Richard North, Sorrento:

I searched high and low to find a place to get married. I then stumbled across Ionian Weddings website. When I saw Sorrento I actually got goose bumps!!! And had to book it! It was the most beautiful place I've ever been to and  shared my day with my family and friends.  But most of all I got to marry  my best friend. This photo is my best memory, not only was the scenery amazing but the view right there in front of me was everything. My husband, I had just married this man in what only I can describe as the most idilic place ever.

Becki & Kieron Molyneux, Santorini:

We got Married 22/08/2016 at Santo Winery. Our favourite memory was walking through the little village of Pyrgos as the locals clapped and sang ‘here comes the bride’,  a moment we will never forget. A perfect day!

Kelly & Robert Mitchell, Santorini:

My husband and I got married 12th July 2016 at Dana Villas in Santorini and it really was the best day of our lives. Everything went so smoothly from start to finish, and everyone we met was lovely. Best memory is pretty much the whole day! But I loved the scenery from our ceremony and all the different spots we went to with the photographer to create the most wonderful photos. All our family and friends who shared this special day with us always say it's the best wedding they have been to and how much they miss this beautiful island.

Victoria & Craig Robertson, Venice:

We were married in Venice on 21/08/15. The whole day went without a hitch (so to speak!) and our planner Georgia was amazing with every aspect. After a fantastic day we headed back with some of our friends and family on a water taxi (speedboat!) When trying without much luck to gracefully step off the boat while carrying flowers and lots of other things, the wedding certificate slipped from under my arm and fell into the water! And not just a little bit... The water taxi man eventually managed to fish it out before it drifted to the ocean.....! Phew!!

Claire & Lee Mckeown, Malta:

We married in Malta on 12/09/16. Managing to get through the entire day without shedding a tear, then when the speeches were done my husband announced he wasn't finished and said to my teenage daughter "your mom has done me the honour of becoming my wife, will you do me the honour of becoming my daughter?" There wasn't a dry eye on the beach! Needless to say, she said yes and there is an adoption happening!

Rebecca & Andrew Butler, Corfu:

Too many amazing memories to pin point one......! How we arrived at our wedding was most definitely a special moment. We caught a small boat from one bay to take us to another where our wedding party was waiting for us. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect. Complete strangers from the bay we were leaving stood up in the Taverna to wave and cheers us off. Our boat decorated in ribbons then took us to the next bay for our blessing where we arrived hearing our favourite song being played out across the bay. We then gradually began to hear and see our friends and family above the music celebrating and calling us both in! It was such a lovely moment and so special, my heels weren't 'jetty friendly' so Andrew obviously had to carry me in! It was such a perfect day ❤

Danielle & Francis Havern, Cyprus:

We married in Cyprus on 15/9/16 ❤❤ favourite memory was this moment with the beautiful scenery in the background!! Couldn't of asked for a more chilled out amazing day!! Highly recommend!!

Anita & Joe Butwell, Zante:

We married in Tsilivi on 4th August 2015 in the lovely Balcony Hotel.  We had nearly 50 family members there to celebrate our special day.  The weather was lovely every day except our wedding day.  Gutted, it looked like our special day was going to be inside covered against the rain!!  Our Wedding Planner could see what the sea view wedding we had planned meant for us, and done all they could to help.  They delayed the ceremony, the rain stopped, and they magically transformed the soaking wet balcony into our dream wedding location. We couldn't have had our dream wedding without the fantastic staff at Ionian Weddings 💍💏

We had the pleasure of organising Emma & Stuart’s wedding in Cyprus on 27th October 2016. They had their ceremony at Paphos Castle followed by a catamaran drinks reception and then wedding breakfast at a local taverna in Paphos.  Here they share their story:

Tell us about the proposal? 

Stu proposed on the 3rd February 2015, whilst we were on a city trip to the beautiful city of Prague, no one was more surprised than me , as marriage was something that neither of us were bothered about. The actual proposal was meant to be carried out by the medieval chiming clock in the old quarter and Stu was rushing me to get out of the hotel to see the clock chime by 7pm, however we didn’t make the 7pm chimes and ended up in a traditional restaurant and Stu being a matter of fact sort of bloke..as he pushes a box across the table said, “let’s get down to business , how do you fancy being the next Mrs Ohren in the family ….. “ 

Why did you decide to marry in Cyprus? 

We both knew we didn’t want the circus and pomp that usually goes hand in hand with a UK wedding, and wanted something small, low key and fun with close family and friends.  We started looking at locations,  we knew we didn’t want the usual hotel /beach wedding, and starting thinking outside the box for an alternative location , and found the medieval castle in Paphos, we both love history and knowing this beautiful old rustic building has stood for centuries overlooking the Med, it stole our hearts. 

Tell us about the theme for your wedding? 

We didn’t have an exact theme for the wedding, Stu and I wanted to keep away from the traditional as much as possible, and were both very keen to make sure we kept the day personal to us. So we opted for no bridesmaids, no speeches, no first dance, we just wanted to have a fun day with our family.   I have a love for shoes and bright colours!  Whilst looking for my bridal shoes , I knew I would never wear ivory satin shoes again so decided almost immediately that I wanted coloured shoes and found my beautiful burnt orange shoes and as my favourite flowers are gerberas for their bright colours … it came to a natural conclusion we were going to have a theme of   “celebration of colour” .. with the accent colour being orange.  

Stu being a massive fan of star wars /sci-fi and Lego had always joked about having our guests dressed as storm troopers, naturally I wasn’t very keen on this idea, but he stumbled across some Lego storm trooper cufflinks and so that part of Stu’s  personality for the wedding theme was born and we ended up  with “celebration of colour vs lego”  as our theme.   

The Lego  theme continued with our cake design. The very talented ladies at love Island cakes were able to take some ideas and produce a cake of two halves with  part traditional /Lego and we also had commissioned customised Lego cake toppers too to match our exact wedding attire.   

Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to the wedding? 

Once all our guests had arrived in the resort, we paid a visit to the wonderful suite 48 bar for food and cocktails and it just set the pace for the rest of the holiday and the build up to the wedding. All very relaxed and chilled. The morning of the wedding,  Stu and I had breakfast together and then he and some of the male wedding party went off to have a traditional shave at a local barbers.  After our wedding  Stu and I wanted to have a meal out on our own as Mr & Mrs and we re-visited the restaurant where we had our reception..  and were greeted like old friends :-)

What was the best moment of your wedding and why?

We have so many amazing memories, we didn’t stop laughing and smiling throughout the day, but one of our special memories was arriving by the vintage bus at our reception venue and finding we had a raised guard of honour of light sabres to walk under ..  all this was carried out in secret by Stu’s sister in cahoots with the wedding co-coordinator to arrange it. 

Another amazing memory for us was being able to watch the sun set whilst on our private cruise.

And here is the testimonial they sent us after their special day:

We booked with Ionian Weddings after researching other companies, and found Ionian Weddings were the only company to listen to our initial remit of requirements as we wanted a low key fuss free wedding. They took our initial ideas and created a tailor made package that suited us and our budget. Also the very helpful friendly, personable, and approachable team helped in our choices. Our local co-ordinator was amazing and a real go to girl , making sure everything ran like clock work from arranging guests to ensuring our venues were decorated to match as per our wishes. We cannot not thank the Ionian team enough for allowing our ideas and dreams unfold into such a wonderful wedding day, creating many happy memories for us and our guests. We wanted something fairly low key but stepping away from the big hotel weddings. From day 1 the team at Ionian Weddings were on hand via the phone and email with the prompt responses and answers to our questions , never leaving us fretting or concerned about anything. I’ve looked at other couples who have got married in the UK etc, and we’ve been left wondering what all the stress is about , as Ionian Weddings took all that away from us, leaving us to enjoy the run up to the wedding and allow us to enjoy some holiday time before the big day. Thanks again to all of you who created our day. Don’t change what you do, it works !

Emma & Stuart

Inara & Steve contacted Ionian Weddings in May 2016. They wanted a simple wedding for just the two of them in Tuscany.  They had booked accommodation in the Cecina area for early September 2016 and wanted to get married whilst they were there.

We suggested the wonderful Medieval town of Volterra for their wedding as it was close enough to drive to and has a beautiful historic town hall (the oldest in Tuscany) where they could have their legal wedding.

We organised their wedding ceremony at Volterra town hall on 6th September 2016 in a beautiful room with original antique furniture and frescoes and we arranged two witnesses.  

We booked our photographer for 3 hours so that after the town hall they could have a photo shoot around the stunning historic town centre...

...and then in the Tuscan countryside

We then arranged a restaurant for a romantic meal afterwards.  The day after the wedding, Inara wrote to us to say:

“Good morning Jane, Me and my husband Steve want to say big thank you for making our dream come true in Tuscany.

Everything was perfect and we couldn’t wish for better wedding day for us! Big thank you to your local team as well. They were very helpfull and friendly. Photographers were brilliant and easy to work with as well.

Kind regards, Mr & Mrs Roberts”

For more Tuscany wedding packages and Italy wedding packages, click here

Ionian Weddings can arrange weddings for any number of guests, from couples only to larger weddings of 150 or more.  Contact us for more information