A romantic proposal in Zakynthos ended up perfectly for Angela and Dimitri who celebrated their gorgeous wedding with their family and friends in the picturesque Rethimno in Crete. The bride shared with us: «One day, while taking our own boat out on the waters of Zakynthos, we explored some magical caves and the crystal-clear waters. Just when we thought things couldn’t become any more blissfully perfect, Dimitri docked the boat, and we found ourselves on our own private beach, and he pulled a ring out and asked me to marry him»! Everything was simply chic and Photo Studio Costa made sure to capture every special moment of this traditional wedding. Don’t miss it!
The bride shared with us: «We had a summer wedding in Georgioupoli. We have been together since fall of 2011. It was our love for the Greek culture that brought us together. We met through Loyola University Chicago’s Hellenic Student Association where we started off as good friends. We would meet weekly and learn Greek dances, participate in philanthropic events, compete in sports tournaments against other Chicagoland Student Associations, and perform for Loyola’s annual Oxi Day and Independence Day celebrations. Our friendship soon blossomed into something more special and we have been inseparable ever since. We have since enjoyed summer getaways to Greece and Cyprus partaking and indulging in the wonders they have to offer. From the fresh, delicious foods, to chasing the gorgeous turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, Greece and Cyprus have always been our happy places».
«We chose various types of white decorations and flowers. For the bridal bouquet, the bridesmaids’ bouquets, and the center pieces, we chose combinations of calla lilies, peonies, several types of roses, and hydrangeas. For the Groom and groomsmen’s boutonnieres we chose a classic, white calla lily. One of our favorite accessories of the wedding was the wedding programs which introduced the wedding party, explained the wedding ceremony, and doubled as a fan to provide some relief from the heat of the Mediterranean sun! The outdoor cliffside wedding reception venue overlooked the sea underneath the beautiful sunset. When night fell, the stage was surrounded by palm trees, willow trees, and beautiful lights as well as candle lights around each floral centrepiece. After we had our first dance, serenaded by Greek popstar, Giorgos Tsalikis, a firework show lit up the sky and wowed the crowd. In addition to our first dance, we danced traditional Cretan dances with the dance troupe, Omilos Vrakoforon Kritis serenaded by Giannis Kritikos. It was truly a night we will never forget».
«We were honored to have our wedding ceremony take place at Agios Demetrios near Georgioupoli. This small church was built by Angela’s grandmother, Angeliki, and her brother, Thrasivoulos, to honor their brother Demetri. We wanted to keep everything as traditional as possible, so, we had Angela’s nearest and dearest family members and friends walk her to the church with her mom and dad on each arm, accompanied by her flower girls and ring bearers clad in traditional Cretan outfits as well as musicians playing the Cretan lyra and laouto. This moment felt surreal having generations of family members present and partaking in the beauty of the church and ceremony. The energy at the church was incredibly moving and something we will never forget. The church not only bounded the love of Angela and Dimitri but brought generations of family members from around the world to honor grandma Angela and uncle Demetri. Since it was a destination wedding, we were honoured to have loved ones travel from all over the world from the United States, Canada, England, South Africa, Cyprus, and Greece to join us on our special day».
«My wedding dress was a unique yet classic old Hollywood two-piece dress. The top was beaded with hand sewn Swarovski crystals/diamante, and sequins with a deep V back closed with a butterfly applique. The bottom piece was a pure, heavy ivory satin, cinched at the waist form fitting, tailored to perfection with mermaid and trumpet silhouette that tapered into a train».
My advice to a bride-to-be: «Before your wedding, take your time in making decisions for your special day. You put so much time and effort into making important decisions and on the day of, be present and in the moment and trust all of the choices you’ve made to get there. Everything will fall together more beautifully than you could ever imagine! Also, make sure to take extra care in choosing your photographer and videographer. They provide you with the gifts (photos and videos) that keep on giving long after your wedding day! We are thrilled with how well the photographers and videographers captured the true essence of our wedding day».
