The destination wedding of Bridget and Akanksh in Crete that was planned and designed to perfection by Weddings by Moments celebrated two heritages in such a beautiful wedding that we simply can’t get enough of! From the colorful Indian ceremony to the modern reception with gorgeous white florals, Bridget and Akanksh’ wedding was surely inforgettable!
Captured by Beyond The Love Story.
«We met in college in Champaign, Illinois, United States through mutual friends. We initially bonded over our shared taste in music, medical career interests, and shared classes. We dated for eight years, many of which were long distance while I finished veterinary school in Illinois and Akanksh attended medical school in Arizona. He proposed at a forest preserve near my childhood home where I many fond memories growing up. It was a complete surprise, and our siblings were present as well to share in the special moment.», the bride shared with us.
«In order to honor Akanksh’s Indian heritage as well as my Irish-American roots, we elected to have both an Indian wedding and a ‘western’ wedding. For the Indian wedding, we focused on bright fresh florals, traditional garlands, and draping fabrics in warm yellow, orange, and pink colors. The wedding ceremony and reception were hosted in the back yard of a Cretan villa, giving the day a fun, relaxed, outdoor party vibe. The ‘western’ wedding took place at Agreco Farms, an authentic Cretan working farm with vineyards and olive groves, set on a hill overlooking the sea. We had our ceremony in front of the quaint ‘St. Nicholas’ chapel, and the reception was held outdoors in the village square under the olive trees. Since we were having our destination wedding in Greece, we wanted to incorporate ancient Greek art by utilizing cycladic style busts and sculpures into the ceremony and reception decor. Our wedding planner utilized classic black decor combined gray and earth tones, complemented by white flowers and green foliage, which gave a perfect balance of sophistication and rustic charm.»
«We had so many amazing moments from our two day wedding that it’s hard to chose just one! Akanksh’s favorite moments were our two choreographed dances that we performed- one for our Indian wedding and one for our ‘western’ wedding. We had so much fun in the months leading up to the wedding practicing, laughing, and learning our dance routines. My favorite moment was entering our reception and being introduced as husband and wife while riding in on a donkey, which was such a fun Greek touch!»
The bride’s advice: «Find a competent wedding planner that you trust completely, so you can focus on soaking up the happiness with your partner, family, and friends during your pre-wedding and wedding festivities!»
«I wore a traditional south Indian red silk saree which was purchased by my mother-in-law in the region where Akanksh was born. For the ‘western’ wedding, I wore a Sophia Tolli strapless crepe ivory gown with a dramatic cathedral veil, then changed into a lightweight silk halter shift dress to dance the night away!»