Through the beautiful images captured by Philip Soteriou Photography we are headed to the undeniably beautiful island of Cyprus for the summer wedding of Beth and Sam. A lovely destination wedding that took place at Cavo Zoe, an elegant boutique hotel overlooking a pristine beach and the ceremony area was decorated with paled toned florals and romantic details. This darling duo had the time of their lives at their wedding reception dancing the night away with their family and friends!
Captured by Philip Soteriou Photography.
«Sam and I met at a mutual friend’s house one evening and initially became close friends, we were only 18 at the time and I was shortly due to move away for university. I spent years hinting about getting engaged and Sam knew exactly what ring I wanted, which I had even been and tried on just weeks before the proposal (with my Best Friend who kept secret the fact she had recently been shopping with Sam to BUY the ring)! Sam proposed to me on our 8th Anniversary at our favorite boutique spa hotel. We had a 10-course tasting menu after a day in the spa, during which the fire alarm went off and the manager asked Sam to ‘take a call’ as he had previously worked there. Little did I know, it had nothing to do with the fire alarm and they were actually agreeing final touches for the special moment, they were all in on it! We took a walk between courses and found that the wedding gazebo was decorated beautifully with flowers and fairy lights (which I soon found out Sam had thoughtfully arranged). Of course, me being me, asked Sam to take a photo and as I turned round, he was right next to me getting down on one knee, with the kind Hotel Manager catching it all on camera. I was so shocked and absolutely over the moon, shortly after we FaceTime our closest friends and family who were all sat eagerly waiting for the call! He even arranged for me to have my nails done before! », the bride shared with us.
We chose a natural, pampas design to coincide with the natural beauty of Cavo Zoe, after staying at the venue early on in the planning process. We had pampas and blush themed flowers in our ceremony arch, table decorations and bridal party bouquets/buttonholes, with an abundance of fairy lights and Eddison lightbulbs to really give it a romantic feel as the evening went on.
beth, bride
«My favorite flowers are Peonies, so we had these featured in my bouquet and Sam’s buttonhole, a dream I had always had. A nice little touch we had during the ceremony was personalized fans for every guest, which came in handy with the beautiful weather we had and also made perfect keepsakes. Our table decorations were simple, floral wreaths, glass floating candles and acrylic table names (made by a friend) with acrylic wine glass place names. We had a top table for just the two of us, which was elegantly framed with beautiful matching flowers and candles and in front of a backdrop of fairy lights. »
At the beginning of our planning process, I spent hours looking through blogs for inspiration, particularly Chic & Stylish Real Weddings feature. This was super helpful being that we were planning a destination wedding and wanted to plan the day to match the perfect image we both had of our heads.
beth, bride
«It is so hard to pick just one favorite moment! I thought I would be really nervous walking down the aisle, but our gorgeous nephews really calmed my nerves and for me, walking the long, beautiful aisle with my dad, seeing my gorgeous fiancé waiting at the bottom, surrounded by all our favorite people was truly a highlight. We were also fortunate that most of our 70+ guests came all the way to Cyprus with us for the holiday, not just the day, some guests even stayed the full 10 days with us. This meant everybody knew each other from the pre-celebrations so they were comfortable with each other on the day. Cue a fun, busy vibe on the dance floor ALL night, alongside our wonderful saxophonist! The post-celebrations and sharing of photos and memories was also really special, keeping the excitement going! »
The bride’s advice: «As much as it is difficult at the time, don’t sweat about the small stuff. Intricate details on the day really don’t matter as much as you think they will. Yes, you and your guests will admire all the hard work that goes into the planning and decor, but the main thing you will all remember is how much fun you had, not the favors and the table layouts. Also, it’s your day, not everybody else’s. Do what you and your partner want during every step of the process and every moment of the day. The top table for just the two of us was the perfect way to spend quality time together, allowing us to sit back and enjoy the meal, reminisce on the day (before it got messy in the evening), with our friends and family around (and it also eliminated any family feuds with who sits where!). »
«As an indecisive person, my Bridal Party were expecting a long, tiresome experience. But no. First shop, third dress and I had found the one. I chose an Essence of Australia fit and flare silhouette with beaded spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. It had a low-cut button up back, cathedral length train, with simple but shimmery beading and embroidery around the bust and waist. I had my veil bespoke made by my seamstress, which flowed beautifully, but didn’t hide any of the intricate detail of the dress. It was the perfect blend for a destination, a beach wedding, but still a glamorous gown. »
