How was your wedding affected by Covid-19?
We had always planned to hold a small church ceremony on February 20, 2020 in London and then head to Greece on June 20, 2020 for the big party. The church ceremony was able to go ahead, but our June date was cancelled due to the pandemic. We postponed it twice, then set our sights on 2022. We thought: ‘if it happens, it happens, and if not it isn’t meant to be’. We also welcomed our daughter during this time.
What venue did you choose and why did you choose it?
The Margi Farm in Athens, because it was a blank canvas for us to be able to design and build what we wanted for the day.
What was the theme for the day, and did you have a colour scheme?
The theme was ‘farm chic’. Given the venue, it was important for guests to feel relaxed. We never changed the venue and original plans from 2020; the overall theme and vision was something dreamy and fun, with neutral colours to complement the vibe of the farm, which is filled with lavender and olive trees.
How did you know you’d found ‘the’ dress?
I have been maid of honour so many times and witnessed friends knowing exactly what they wanted and others that didn’t, but it always looked right when ‘the dress’ was on them. I thought I had some idea of what I would want as I knew the venue.
I did go to various designers to get ideas, but also to enjoy and share the experience with family and friends. I knew that given the venue and time of year it couldn’t be a heavy lace dress; it had to be dreamy and it had to stand out in a classy way.
I found my dress at the same time as I chose my outfit for our February ceremony. I also worked with a seamstress to add a chiffon trail. She also made me a second outfit for the evening.
Where did you find your suits?
Henry ended up getting his wedding suit, shirts and shoes when we were in Athens back in 2019 from BOGGI. He loved the personalised Stan Smith Adidas trainers my page boys wore, so he got himself a pair to go with his more relaxed outfit change in the evening.
Often the aspect that makes a wedding original to the couple is the detail – tell us about the details of the day.
I am all about personalisation, and this is something that was a big part of the wedding. We had room drop bags, small Mastiha bottles (our favourite Greek drink) bottles instead of place cards and rattan fans for the ceremony for our ‘fan club’.
Along with the sweet favours, I also had cards to thank our guests and honour two people that were not with us at the wedding: my father, who passed away in 2003, and Henry’s mother, who passed away in 2019. I also had a note from my dad and Henry’s mum printed on my bouquet ribbon. These touches were really important to us.
Our flowers were by Jim Labraco, who went above and beyond what we had discussed and agreed for the day.
How did you feel as you walked down the aisle?
Walking down the aisle with my brother was emotional, as I was so proud to have him next to me – as he was in 2020. However, I was quickly distracted by the drone that my cousin had brought with him so he could capture some footage for us that day. Tears quickly turned into smiles.
What was your most memorable moment?
Honestly, everything: from my reveal and seeing my mum’s emotion, to seeing Henry in tears when I walked down the aisle. Most of all, it would be the fact that my daughter was part of it all and that we finally got to see all our family and friends from all over the world come and be with us in Athens. It was all so special and memorable.
What was the most challenging aspect of planning this wedding?
Aside from Covid, destination weddings can cause some things to get lost in translation. My tip would be to stay firm on what you have agreed and discussed, and get multiple quotes as we did have a few vendors try and blame Covid, petrol prices and the war in Ukraine to tweak prices. For us, that was non-negotiable as we had all our agreements set in place in 2020.
What was the most important investment for you?
The food and music. I knew food and drinks would be no issue at all given the venue, so the next important aspect was the music. I flew our band out to Athens, a collective that we heard back in 2019 at White City House. They gave an acoustic set when guests arrived at the farm for welcome drinks and performed right up until the end of the dinner, before handing over to a great DJ for the final part of the evening…the party!
Did you have any other entertainment?
We had a kids’ corner, which had an amazing bubble show that was stunning to walk through during our cocktail drinks before dinner. It just fitted perfectly.
What song did you choose for your first dance, and why?
Frankie Valli – BEGGIN’. It was a song that we both love. Everyone joined us on the dance floor, which got the party started.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
This was actually something that for some reason was challenging to source, not so much the cake and the extra treats that we had planned for the evening and for our room drop bags, but the cake topper. I wanted little figurines of us, as I had an illustration commissioned of the three of us and had used that with some of the wedding material, but it seemed to take quite a few discussions with the wedding planner to sort it out. We got there in the end, though.
Was there anything you wish you’d known before?
Taking the time to ensure we got photos with all our family and friends, as that is something we did miss with the professional photographer.
Do you have any advice for couples in the planning stages?
If you are having a destination wedding, be clear from the get go on your budget and stay firm on it. Don’t get caught up in all the small details as the key ingredients to a fun wedding are good food, drink and music.
Bring your personalities into the day; you are celebrating YOU with the people you love, so add your personal touch.
Photography: Authentic Weddings Greece
