"Our wedding was a burst of color and energy!" Marissa the bride shared with us, reflecting on the exquisite ceremony held in a breathtaking setting in Santorini. The air was filled with the fragrance of vibrant tropical flowers while elegant details captivated the guests. The destination wedding of Marissa and Theo as captured in the gorgeous photos by Kapetanakis Studios is a destination wedding in Greece that truly stands out and definitely not to be missed!
Captured by Kapetanakis Studios.
"We met in Prague 10 years ago! I am American, I was studying abroad and doing an internship there. My now-husband is Australian, he was just backpacking through Europe. We had an incredible, unforgettable first date, going to tons of random places, then walking around all over the city until sunrise. We had our first kiss that night on the famous Charles Bridge. Our second date was in Germany, and our third date was in Poland! We knew something was different and that we had found something truly special. We dated a bit in Europe for the next few months before both returning to our home countries. I then moved to Australia a year and a half later, and we've been inseparable since! We've lived in Sydney, London, and now New York together. "
"On our 8th anniversary, he took me on a surprise trip. I found out at the airport that we were going back to Prague. He recreated our entire first date and took me back to all of the places we had gone to on our first date, and each place had a gift or a surprise waiting for me that he had organized. The last stop was the Charles Bridge, where we had our first kiss. He had a rose petal and candle walkway set up with a violinist! He told me to open my locket necklace (that he had given me years prior and I always wear), where he had hidden a note in it that said, "Will you marry me!" "
"I had a Milla Nova gown with some customizations. It was a beautiful nude-based gown with a plunging neck and back. It's sparkly and had lace appliqués as well as a long train. I added draped beading in the back as well as 3D appliqués! My second "party" dress was a Rosie Etienne sparkly dress with white tulle bows for straps. I paired that with fun sparkly Betsey Johnson sneakers and sparkly nude fishnet tights!"
Our wedding was a burst of color and energy! I am an event planner professionally in New York, so I planned and designed the entire wedding myself but hired a coordinator to run the show on the day!
Marissa, Bride
We have always loved lots of bright, tropical colors, so we opted for that in our flowers. We requested that guests also wear lots of bright colors with our "Tropical Elegant" dress code. This made for such a joyous and eye-catching decor theme.
"Outside of the bright flowers, we had lots of gold and mirrored surfaces. We had gold accents everywhere, including gold tableware, a gold wedding canopy, gold bridesmaid dresses, and gold flower pedestals. We went with a mirrored aisle and mirrored tabletops everywhere to really magnify the pop of colors. We framed the wedding around the beautiful Thermes pool area with 12 hanging chandeliers covered in greenery!"
"Our wedding had a light but tasteful travel theme to it as well. Our Save-the-Dates had been a boarding pass with a custom luggage tag. Our wedding week programs were custom "Passports." Our escort cards were mini suitcases that were displayed on a "Baggage Claim." All of our table "numbers" were actually cities! Each city was something special to us (including Prague, where we met, where we've had different dates, where we've lived together, etc.), and we displayed the table city names on custom-made gold globes. Our menus and name cards were hand-folded paper planes with gold leaf on the edges that opened up to show the menu offering."
"Outside of the theme, we had also a big selection of fun favors, surprises, and entertainment! A pianist during the ceremony as well as a sax player during the party. We had a 360 photo booth, which was a huge hit. Ground fireworks during our dances and surprise aerial fireworks later in the night really lit up the night. It was truly the party of a lifetime, and we danced all night! "
"Reading my vows and hearing my husband's vows, that must be one of my top core memories from that moment and in life in general. It was a moment of happiness and pure bliss that is beyond words. But after that, the best moments were the nonstop high energy and party all evening! From the grand entrance popping champagne onto our champagne tower, the dance floor pumping all night, and the incredible energy and vibes all throughout. "
Aside from marrying the love of my life, my biggest highlights of the night were the surprise funny dance I did with my father during our father-daughter dance, the aerial fireworks show, and the sax player who was one of our best friends and a groomsman!
Marissa, Bride
"My advice: Try as hard as you can not to compare yourself or your wedding to other brides. In today's age of social media, it can be so hard not to compare, but no two weddings are exactly alike, and comparing yourself or your wedding will only cause frustration in the end! Use others' as inspiration and as a base, but do your own thing and go with your gut. At the end of the day, what matters most is having a celebration of your love for one another surrounded by the most important people in your life. Oh, and save yourself some money and stress by cutting out the excess favors. People usually don't keep most of them. Put your budget towards high-quality food and beverage, amazing photography, and beautiful decor. Those will be much higher impact!"
