Meet the Couple
We’re delighted to introduce you to our new ‘Diary of a Destination Bride’ couple, childhood sweethearts Rachel and Jonny who will be tying the knot next year at the stunning Dana Villas in Santorini followed by a reception at our brand new venue in Imergliovi.
This fun loving couple will be sharing their wedding planning journey in the run up to their big day, enjoy
So Rachel, tell us a bit about you and Jonny, how did you meet?
Jonny and I met 12 years ago whilst I was doing my GCSE’s in school, he was actually my brothers friend, I suppose you could say we are childhood sweethearts! We have lived together for 8 years and we’ve had our little boy (dog) Jenson for nearly 4 years. So at this point I was naturally ready for marriage… however the engagement took a little while! After many holidays and occasions where I thought it was going to happen… but didn’t.. Jonny finally popped the question on Christmas Day 2012, with a little help from our dog. Every day I still admire my engagement ring and realise IT’S ALL FINALLY HAPPENING!!
What made you chose to get married abroad over a UK wedding?
As I had been ready for marriage for a while I had imagined (and practically planned) my dream wedding, I really just needed the green light to put it into place! Hehe. Jonny and I had spoken about the type of wedding we would like and fortunately we both wanted a destination wedding. We agreed it had to be sunny, have a gorgeous view, be intimate yet fun but mainly have a relaxed atmosphere. A big traditional wedding in the UK isn’t really us. We had considered the Caribbean, as our first holiday together was to Cuba.. but the humidity (my hair frizzes) and the distance put us off that idea. I had holidayed in Greece before and loved the scenery and brilliant hospitality. The lower cost of a wedding abroad was very appealing too.
How did your families react when you announced you were getting married abroad?
Our family and friends have been really supportive and can’t wait for us to be all together in Santorini. As soon as we showed them the pictures of the venues and announced the date they jumped at the chance to come and celebrate with us. We both have small families and luckily lots of friends, whom most will be there with us on the day. We will have around 30 guests at the wedding. A lot have already booked.
You’ve chosen to get married in Santorini, was this an easy decision or did you look at several other destinations before choosing?
Jonny and I researched a number of islands before settling on Santorini; however Santorini was always the front runner. The island is a little more expensive to visit than the others, but we felt that it was so spectacular and unique that it would be worth it for us and our guests. As soon as we seen the Dana Villas venue we fell in love, this was ‘the one’. The reception venue was a little more difficult to decide on but we have now finally booked the brand new, stunning, venue in imerovigli. These venues basically some up exactly what we had imagined.. Just perfect, I truly can’t wait. I love the excitement I feel every time we receive more pictures and information.
I just love wedding planning. I work as a Personal Assistant which involves a lot of organising. I actually have spread sheets, files and note books coming out of my ears. I can practically picture what my wedding will look like… with a little help from favourite thing, Pinterest.
