Jessica and Ian's 'Golden, Rustic and Deep Blue' Greek Wedding With a View by Lefkas Weddings and Lefteris Kalampokas

If you are missing a bit of European sunshine and dreaming of far off beaches, then today’s Greek wedding is for you. Jessica and Ian knew they always wanted a destination wedding and when they went to Parga in 2017 they fell in love with the place and knew it was the perfect location for their perfect day. They enlisted the help of planner Lefkas Weddings who created the most wonderful day for them. With the Mediterranean sea as the most stunning backdrop they had the best day filled with sunshine, smiles and the sound of the sea. LefterisKalampokas was there to capture the day for us.

A beautifully sunny day, which had the right balance of organisation without being too formal. Good food, great cocktails, smiles and laughter; the perfect celebration of our love.

Jessica and Ian were married on 27th June 2019 at Atrium, Parga, Greece with the reception at Villa Rossa, Parga, Greece. ‘We never wanted a big wedding having always fancied a more intimate affair with those who we spend the most time with and really know us the best. Therefore getting married abroad had always been on the cards. We joined Ian’s parents on their holiday to Parga in 2017 on what would have been about their 10^th visit there. We absolutely loved the beauty of the place, the food and drink was out of this world, and there was a great atmosphere amongst the bars and restaurants in the harbour. We knew we would return and it made sense to plan the wedding for here. We had 40 guests. We got engaged in November 2018 and the bulk of the planning was done in the following 6 months. We searched for wedding planners in Parga and came across Claire at Lefkas Weddings. We had no idea if our timescale was possible but after a couple of chats with her, she reassured us that it was possible as long as we completed certain tasks promptly when she advised us to. We didn’t hesitate to book and plan the wedding we had dreamed of.’

How they met
We met through friends and work colleagues on a night out. We bonded over a conversation about our love of the Foo Fighters and how we would have been at the same gig the year before. We realised we had a lot in common, in particular an interest in travel and the great outdoors. However we soon sussed out we had actually met a couple of times previously, I actually spotted Ian in the background of a photo of one my friends approximately 18 months before we met! He is looking straight at the camera and it was me who took the photo! We will have been together 10 years in June this year and are expecting our first child in May.

The proposal
We had pencilled in a long weekend away somewhere for November 2018. Most holidays I usually take the lead for organising but Ian said he was going to sort this one and surprise me. We packed the car and off we went. We had a lovely breakfast in Much Wenlock in Shropshire and before long I realised we had crossed the Welsh border. We pulled up in Lake Vyrnwy and set off a walk around the lake. I remember gazing across the lake when Ian explained why he had brought me there; it was where we’d had our first weekend away together all those 8 years ago. And then he got down on one knee and proposed to me in front of the lake. You’d think after 8 years together I’d have suspected he was going to propose but it honestly took my breath away, I was so shocked! Of course I said yes and that wasn’t the end of the surprises, we had a delicious champagne afternoon tea at the Lake Vyrnwy hotel before heading off to Liverpool and partying all night in the Cavern club. It was a fantastic weekend!

How did you allocate your budget?
Claire, our wedding planner made us a really handy budget spreadsheet with costs and dates in which payments were due for the wedding/suppliers. This made it easier to see what we had left for suits/rings and of course the dress!

Where did you splurge and where did you save?
Parga is really reasonably priced and sells itself in terms of beauty. It meant the cost of booking the venues and the quality of food and drink was far less than the equivalent in the UK. The dress was probably the biggest splurge and we paid a little more to have our rings made in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter where Ian had designed my bespoke engagement ring. My shoes were a bargain, as I figured the dress would cover them and I’d soon be kicking them off to dance the night away anyway.

How did you choose your photographer?
Claire our wedding planner provided us with a list of recommended photographers from the area. We liked the romantic feel of Lefteris’ images and he seemed to have a good eye for detail.

The dress
Dress: Nanette by Enzoani. Accessories: Monsoon/Accessorize. Shoes: Couldn’t possibly say…

The suit and Bridesmaids
Suit: Next.
Bridesmaids: White by Vera Wang
Rings: www.victoriajames.co.uk in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter

Theme or colour scheme
We chose a midnight blue for the bridesmaids dresses which would stand out in the bright sun shine and to echo the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea. Neutral linen suits for the Groomsmen similar to the beaches, with golden and rustic accessories for a bohemian feel.

Flowers
Peony and rose with rustic eucalyptus and olive sprigs.

Decoration
Both of our venues had amazing sea views which provided great a backdrop to our day. The table decor of candles and flowers mixed with antique gold/boho accents gave an intimate feel.

Food
I could be here all day, oh my word so much food! Villa Rossa created us a menu of Greek meze dishes and salads and then mains consisting of traditional Greek dishes in a modern style packed full of flavour, followed by a choice of desserts, cheeses and fruit.

Wedding cake
Single tier, lemon and vanilla, Greek wedding cake.

Entertainment
Classical Duo, SoulnPassion with violin and cello for the ceremony and drinks. We had also compiled our own Spotify playlists played during the meal and evening celebrations.

Who supplied the stationery?
Etsy

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We hired a car and explored Cape Town and surroundings, South Africa. Would definitely recommend!

Personal touches
Our music playlist were all songs significant to us.
Our personal touch was asking our classical duo to make their arrangement of Foo Fighters – My Hero for when I walked down the aisle and Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition as our celebration song; both songs have a special significance to us.

Special moments
The locals and holiday makers cheering and applauding us as we walked hand in hand along the beach front from our ceremony to the reception at Villa Rossa, was something we’ll never forget! Having only our closest friends and family make the effort to fly out and share our special day all together was really quite humbling.

Advice for other couples
If you want your wedding to be more than just a day, do it abroad with those you love.
We also got a holiday and memories that would last a lifetime out of it, without losing the intimacy and significance of why we were all there.

Biggest surprise
Seeing it all come together, the sheer beauty of our surroundings and feeling the love and happiness of our friends and family.