‘We wanted a fun, relaxed wedding and found that getting married abroad was a lot more relaxed than UK weddings we’ve been’
Venue Cameo Island, Zakynthos • Date 2nd of September 2017 • Number of Guests 42 • Budget £
Why did you choose to get a vintage styled Zante Beach wedding?
We got engaged in Zante and love the island, we knew we wanted an overseas wedding so there was no question about the location!
We visited the beach bar the day after getting engaged and loved it, it has such a laid back and bohemian feel. At the time we said that it would be the perfect reception venue and we asked the manager there who told us they did weddings and the rest is history!
How long in advance did you book your zante beach wedding?
It was around 16 months, we found that gave us enough time to send out our save the dates so our friends and family could make arrangements to come over to Zante.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding and how many accepted and attended?
We invited around 46 people and there were 42 of us there.
You look stunning in your dress! What make was this and how long did it take you to find?
My dress was by Maggie Sottero. I purposely didn’t choose a huge dress however I was still so hot!
I went to the wedding show which had thousands of dresses and didn’t see any I like however after then visiting 2 local Bridal shops afterwards I found the one….then the diet began!
Did you accessories on the day? What shoes did you choose to wear?
As my dress was so heavily embellished I went minimal on accessories, just a small set of earrings which were my ‘something borrowed’ from my mum and gypsophila style hair pins that were handmade.
I had two pairs of shoes for the day! A pair of heels for the wedding and flats for the evening that were from Office to make sure I could have a good dance!
The groom’s suit, what did Dan wear and why did he choose this look?
The groom and the groomsmen all wore chambray blue tailored shorts and matching waistcoats with a white short sleeve shirt. We knew with the time of year it was going to be hot so wanted everyone to be comfortable and have a relaxed look.
We love the bridesmaid’s and flower girl dresses, where were these from?
The bridesmaid’s dresses we’re multi way from Debenhams in a blush pink, we thought these would suit all different shapes however all the girls wore them in the same style and all looked fab!
Our flower girl dresses were from monsoon they we’re lightweight and flowy!
Your bouquet, what flowers did you choose and were you happy with the result?
I upgraded my bouquet to add wild flowers in to give a rustic look, I was really pleased with them.
How did you decide on the Vintage theme for your Zante beach wedding?
We didn’t have a theme in particular however a lot of the decoration we chose was vintage/rustic looking as we wanted to replicate this for our UK reception which we managed to do even down to the mini olive trees!
Can you tell us about the smaller details of the day? The menu, cake, favours and entertainment…
For our menu we had the Greek meze BBQ which was amazing! The food didn’t stop coming out and there was something for everyone on the menu. We had a 3 tiered cake, 2 vanilla and 1 chocolate which everyone enjoyed.
I had hand made sandalwood fans for the women, miniature ouzo for the men and personalised activity packs for the children which they loved!
We had Greek dancers in the evening along with fireworks which were both amazing, the dancers made the night, they got everyone involved and I would highly recommend.
How did you find the planning experience from booking to the big day?
We found the planning impeccable! We’re both very laid back people and not a fan of organising so for us to having someone else organise our day but to be able to add our own decoration and extras in was perfect. Sasha was always quick at responding to any queries and accommodated any requests we had, we wanted mojitos as our toast as our toast at the wedding reception which wasn’t on the list but this was sorted for us no problem.
The wedding planners in zante were also brilliant with decorating the venues and arranging all transport to ensure all the timings went to plan.
Do you have a favourite memory from the day?
There were so many, but for me when walking down the stairs to the music we chose seeing Dan so emotional was really overwhelming, the setting on Cameo Island was stunning.
What do you think makes a wedding abroad stand out from a wedding in the UK?
For me and Dan there was no question that we’d get married abroad, for a start there’s the sun! We wanted a fun, relaxed wedding and found that getting married abroad was a lot more relaxed than UK weddings we’ve been. Also all of our friends and family got to have a holiday.
The actual vows were short (less than 5 minutes) which was perfect as we got to spend a lot of time with our guests.
What advice would you give to future brides and grooms who are getting married abroad?
Relax! If your there for a bit before the wedding just enjoy your holiday as the wedding planners have everything in control! Think about the heat, the men would’ve been really hot if they’d worn a three piece suit! Also remember to book extra baggage to take all your extra bits in such as favours, gifts etc over.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Laura and Dan’s Vintage Zante Beach Wedding, for a list of suppliers mentioned here see below.
Or to view our other Zante wedding venues click here
The mentioned supplier list for this Vintage Zante Beach Wedding
Bride’s Dress – Maggie Sottero | Bride’s Shoes – Office | Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Debenhams | Photographer – Story Studios
Budget Key | £ – 10k and under | ££ – between 10k and 20k | £££ – over 20k.
