‘We were there five days before our wedding day and the build up incredible. By the time the wedding day came, it felt like everyone knew each other really well and felt totally relaxed and comfortable.’
Venue Le Ciel, Santorini • Date 27th of August 2017 • Number of Guests 51 • Budget ££
Why did you choose to get married at the at Le Ciel?
We considered a number of different venues in Santorini but Le Ciel just ticked all the boxes for us! It’s very contemporary – the white and grey decor was perfect for us. We loved that Le Ciel is totally exclusive and the views from the venue are just breathing.
How long in advance did you book your wedding?
We provisionally reserved a date at Le Ciel two years before our wedding. We then confirmed and officially booked the wedding 18 months in advance.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding and how many accepted and attended?
We invited approximately 60 people. In the end, 51 people attended! We felt so honoured that so many of our family and friends travelled all the way to Santorini for our special day!
Your dress is so elegant and timeless! What make was this and how did you know it was ‘the one’?
My dress was La Sposa by Pronovias. I always knew I wanted something very simple and timeless but it took me a while to find the one as I am so indecisive – I tried on so many styles of dresses in lots of different shops. It was my Mum’s and best friend’s reaction when I walked out the changing room that made me know it was ‘the one’.
How did you accessorize on the day?
As my dress was very simple with just a small bit of embellishment, I wanted to add a bit more sparkle to my look with my accessories. My shoes were Dune, my earrings were Pandora, and my bag was from Coast.
What about Ben’s attire? What did he choose to wear?
We looked into hiring suits for Ben and his Groomsmen but the prices increased significantly when we said we would be abroad for 2 weeks, so purchasing the suits was definitely the best option for us. We stumbled upon the suits by chance and purchased them from the high street store, Burtons. They were perfect and all the boys loved them! We went for blue suits with white dickie bows – perfect for a Santorini wedding! Even though we got married abroad, we still wanted a very smart and formal look. Ben and the Groomsmen wore a full suit, including a waistcoat, with a long sleeved shirt and a dickie bow. We were worried about the heat but it wasn’t too bad! It had cooled down a bit by tea time and there was a slight breeze on the terrace.
he bridesmaids look stunning in their gowns! Where were these purchased?
I always knew I wanted a very neutral and subtle colour for my bridesmaid dresses. I found it really difficult to find dresses in the colour and style that I wanted. I nearly settled for a different colour but then I found the perfect dresses when I was doing my last minute holiday shopping online! They were nude, pleated, maxi dresses from the Missguided website. They were backless as well which complimented my dress perfectly! All the girls loved them and said they felt comfortable all day.
Your bouquet looks beautiful against your elegant dress. Why did you choose this particular style of bouquet?
I chose white roses. I don’t think you can go wrong with white roses – simple, classy and elegant!
Tell us how you came up with the theme for your stylish soiree in Santorini ?
We didn’t really have a wedding theme. We just knew we wanted a fresh, clean, simple and elegant style wedding.
Can you tell us about the smaller details of your day….
We had gender specific favours – the men got a miniature jagermeister and the ladies got a miniature ‘Wedding Day’ Yankee candle. We also got the kids a little goody bag to keep them entertained.
We stuck to traditional Greek cuisine for our menu. We wanted our guests to have a real Greek experience, since they had travelled all that way! It was delicious and not too heavy, even though we had 4 courses. So everyone could still party the night away!
We had tall, silver candleabras for our centrepieces. They looked absolutely stunning, especially when the candles were lit as the sun started to set! Our name cards and table numbers were white and silver, which tied in perfectly with the centrepieces.
For our table plan we had black and white photographs of all of our guests on 2 large boards with a ‘Find Your Face to Find Your Place’ sign. It took me a long time to find photographs of every guest and put the table plan together but it was worth it! I felt it added a very fun and personalised touch to the wedding and all the guests commented on it!
Planning all the smaller details of the day was one of my favourite parts of the process. It was amazing to see the venue for the first time as it looked exactly how we envisioned, if not better!
How did you find the planning experience from booking to the big day?
Booking a wedding in a different country in a venue that you haven’t seen before sounds very worrying when you say it aloud. However, we felt in very safe hands throughout the full process – Lisa definitely knows her stuff and everything was so well organised! She was always at the other end of the phone or an email – there was no question too big or too small.
For the bits we had to sort out ourselves, such as favours, dresses and suits, we found to be mostly enjoyable and sometimes a little stressful. I found we would be in ‘wedding mode’ for 1 or 2 weeks and tick lots of things off our list, and then not do anything for a while. This cycle seemed to repeat itself throughout the 18 months. We kept saying ‘we’ve got loads of time’ but it really does creep up on you quickly.
It was difficult trying to find the time for planning and appointments whilst working full time. Ben also works away for long periods of time, which made it hard. However, we had lots of support from our friends and family, and of course the greatest wedding planner ever!
What’s your best memory from the day?
We loved every single minute of the day but there are two bits that stand out for me. I loved all the speeches, especially Ben’s speech. It was so amazing and emotional to sit by his side as he spoke such special words, and as he thanked all of our family and friends. I felt so proud of him.
The other favourite moment for me was the first dance – I felt like no one else was in the room to start with. All our friends and family then joined us on the dance floor! My friend recorded it on video, it’s so nice to be able to watch it back. I must have watched it 100 times already!
For Ben, he says his favourite moment was seeing my walk down the aisle (it’s a bit of a blur for me as it was so overwhelming). Another part of the day that stands out for Ben is when we walked into the room just before dinner as “Mr and Mrs Corbyn”. Our friends and family were dancing, clapping, singing and cheering for us – we can’t explain the energy as we walked in the room. It was just phenomenal!
What do you think makes a wedding abroad stand out from a wedding in the UK?
So many things make a wedding abroad stand out. It’s more than just a one day celebration. We were there five days before our wedding day and the build up incredible. By the time the wedding day came, it felt like everyone knew each other really well and felt totally relaxed and comfortable.
Waking up the next morning and spending the day with everyone was amazing too. It was great to share all of the funny, emotional and special moments from the day.
The weather is also an added bonus. We didn’t worry at all about what the weather would be like and it didn’t let us down!
What advice would you give to future brides and grooms who are getting married abroad?
Make sure you use a reliable wedding planner – we honestly can’t recommend The Bridal Consultants highly enough! Lisa and her team were amazing from start to finish!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this stylish soiree in Santorini for a supplier list please see below.
The list of suppliers that made this Stylish Soiree in Santorini possible.
Bride’s Dress – Pronovias | Bride’s Shoes – Dune | Bride’s Earrings – Pandora | Bride’s Bag – Coast | Groom’s Suit – Burtons | Bridesmaids Dresses – Missguided | Photography – Ben Wyatt
Budget Key | £ – 10k and under | ££ – between 10k and 20k | £££ – over 20k.
