‘Our day was absolutely perfect and couldn’t have gone any better. We couldn’t have done it without you and are forever grateful. ’
Venue Santorini Gem • Date 24th of June 2022 • Number of Guests 88 •
We worked with Ella and Ellis (well, mainly Ella) for around 17 months and what struck me was that Ella was so clear from the outset about how she wanted the day to be, from the aesthetic to the ambience.
Ella was originally inspired by another wedding we’d planned at the Gem. An elegant wedding, featuring natural colours of white with greenery and candlelight to enhance the setting. The results as you can see from below were incredible.
Music played a big part, starting with a guitarist to welcome guests, a Saxophonist to get the party started and eventually a DJ, and although the breeze was brisk, the couple and their guests took it in their stride and the love and laughter reverberated throughout.
Photography by the brilliant https://lifestylephotography.gr/
Why did you choose to get married in Santorini and at the Santorini Gem in particular?
We travelled to Santorini around 5 years ago and fell in love with the island then. It was beautiful, romantic and one of my favourite places I have ever been. When Ellis proposed I knew it was somewhere I wanted to look at to get married. When looking at venues we ended up booking the Gem without going to view it first. From the pictures we just knew it would be somewhere we would love with the breath-taking views and beauty of the actual venue.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding and how many accepted and attended?
Overall, we invited around 100 guests with 85 attending. We were so grateful that so many people would travel so far to share our special day with us.
Tell us about your gorgeous dress
My dress was from Pronovias and actually was the first one I tried one. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and my mum started crying so that made me certain it was the one. I probably tried on about 12 in total from a range of dress designers to make sure I was certain about my dress.
Can you tell us about your shoes and accessories, where were they from?
My shoes I got from Stuart Weizmann in Harrods London. They took some time to find as I wanted elegant but not too high heel height.
I wore the earrings my mum wore on her wedding day and a clutch with MRS on the front which was a gift from my Bridesmaids.
and the Groom?
So the Groom (Ellis) left finding his suit to pretty last minute. It took quite some time and in the end he brought his suit from an Italian designer named Cavani. He decided to wear a full 3-piece suit in a sand colour and luckily it was windy on the wedding day so he wasn’t too hot. Looking back at the pictures, we are so happy he decided to wear a full 3 piece as he looked really smart.
The Bridesmaids
The bridesmaid dresses were from Pretty Lavish and we went with champagne colour. I wanted to keep them a similar colour to my wedding dress but did try around 5/6 different colours in total.
What was the idea or inspiration for your wedding?
My inspiration for the day was actually taken from reading stories like this. I wanted simplicity and everything white and classic. With the views at the venue, you definitely don’t need anything over the top. Fresh flowers were a must for me and I could smell them when walking down the aisle. My bouquet was beautiful and a mix of white flowers and greenery. I wanted the same for the bridesmaids so we all matched.
We decided to bring some wedding favours and a few bits from home. We brought little shot glasses and filled them with Limoncello, fans for the ceremony, flip flops for the ladies for later in the evening, disposable cameras for the tables and a guest book. We came out with 2 extra suitcases for these and just left them out there.
What’s your best memory from the day?
The whole day, it seriously was the best day of our lives. Reading our own vows in front of all our nearest and dearest will always be a special memory for me. Also, the speeches were stand out, my dad, husband and best men were all incredible.
The entertainment was a priority for us and something we thought about a lot. We had a guitar player for walking down the aisle, cocktail hour and dinner then a saxophonist to get the party starter. They were both fantastic and really made our wedding so also another favourite memory for me. The saxophonist definitely got our party started and our whole wedding party loved him and were on the dance floor all night.
Every team we worked with were so great at what they did and went above and beyond for us.
What do you think makes a wedding abroad stand out from a wedding in the UK?
It lasting more than just the one day. We had pre wedding drinks and a beach party the day after. I couldn’t imagine just having the one day as it goes by so quickly. Santorini is the most beautiful place and our guests really did say it was the best wedding they had ever been to.
What advice would you give to future brides and grooms who are getting married abroad?
Just take everything in and do not worry about the small things. I was told this quite often but never really understood what it meant but looking back now I do.
Having a wedding planner was the best decision we made as we really didn’t have to worry about anything. I would highly recommend The Bridal Consultant as Lisa and the team really were amazing and took all the stress of a wedding abroad away from us. We really couldn’t have done it without her and the team. If I could go back, I really wouldn’t do anything differently.
