From Sandy and Odysseas Photography… We had such a great time capturing Christina and David’s wedding in Mykonos. They were so wonderfully tuned with the vibes of the island and their style choices were impeccable. We loved the fact that they were so thoughtful towards their guests and their whole wedding was oriented in pampering their loved ones every way possible, without exaggerating on their church or table decor, just keeping things substantial and meaningful…
More from Sandy and Odysseas Photography… Sometimes a couple forgets that this day is all about them, and rushes things. Keeping a perfectly English timeline, they managed to spend plenty of time enjoying with their bride and groom squads, their families and with each other. As the lovely bride is of a Cypriot descent the beautiful wedding rituals prior to the ceremony took place in an utterly emotional atmosphere. It’s a tremendous thing to witness all that keeps a culture’s roots and the couple itself together and we were thrilled to have been part of this.
From the bride, Christina… Having grown up in England, where the weather is so unpredictable, we both always dreamed of getting married near the sea, in a hot, beautiful destination. Being from a close Cypriot family, it was important for me to incorporate my culture into our special day. We looked at so many different destinations across Europe, but something just didn’t feel right trying to create a traditional Greek wedding in Italy or France.
We decided to plan our wedding in Mykonos, a Greek island we had yet to visit but was on our list of holiday destinations. We heard so many great things about the Island and loved the idea of a smaller intimate wedding in comparison to the 400+ guest weddings us Cypriots normally have in Liverpool. We loved the idea of surprise and most importantly it was the perfect excuse to hire a wedding planner!
Being quite an indecisive person, it took me a while to settle on my colors and decoration. I always knew I wanted a romantic and traditional wedding and my light gold and Ivory color scheme really complimented the stunning sunset and sea view reception. We incorporated a traditional Cypriot blessing for me before the ceremony known as “Stolisma” (usually done at the bride’s parents house but in my case on the veranda outside my hotel room). This ceremony prepared me for my special day and involved blessing me with a red scarf and “kapnistiri” (a silver pot for burning olive leaves), whilst my close family and friends joined in singing traditional songs with the violinists. It was all very emotional!
The scenery at the chapel and reception was so naturally beautiful that I didn’t need to overdo it with decorations. My wedding planner was amazing at creating exactly what I described to her. At the chapel, we had two very tall traditional candles either side of the ceremony table, decorated with olive branches and greenery and a beautiful white flower arched wreath over the door of the chapel. Outside the church, there was a small table with Jars of lemonade for the guests and some beautiful ivory fans which had details of the wedding party and ceremony on.
The venue looked stunning with different sized lanterns and candles placed around the reception and hanging from trees. The centerpieces were simple and elegant with a large white lantern and flowers around it. On each table was a small bottle of ouzo with a thank you tag, and a sparkler with each guests name on. I loved my seating plan stand decorated with a few flowers, which was covered in shimmery gold Polaroids for each guest to take home. My three-layered cake was actual cheese and covered with figs and grapes, with crackers and snacks for guests to feast on towards the end of the night. I couldn’t have asked for a better setting.
The flowers used in my bouquet and venue were so beautiful and elegant looking. We used Ivory roses, white lisianthus, white freesias, white dendrobium orchards, calla lily and white limonium.
For our table plan, we had personalized gold polaroids hung up on a flower decorated board for each of our guests/couples for them to find their picture and take their seats. The favorite part of our wedding would have to be during the ceremony when the rice was thrown at us a bit too early and caught us by surprise. Even the priest used the bible to protect himself from the throwing. I also loved our entrance into the reception area as the sun was setting. The scenery was so romantic as we walked in as man and wife with a traditional Cypriot song ‘Kozan’ playing and all our friends cheering.
I always wanted quite a traditional long sleeved timeless wedding dress, but when the dress I ordered arrived it didn’t fit like I had imagined. So I decided to get my dress restyled and customised to create the perfect dress I had always dreamed of. The bodice of the dress was covered with beautiful Venice lace, with a sheer illusion neckline and lace sleeves. The back of the dress was low cut and the skirt of the dress was aline with the softest tulle I have ever touched. It flowed and fit me so perfectly. I loved my single layered, lace trimmed cathedral veil and my champaign peak toe Kurt Geiger’s.
David wore a light blue linen suit, white shirt, and light gold tie. He looked so smart and handsome and his tan shoes and belt really made the suit!
We met through friends of friends and for our first date went out for a few drinks in the city center of Liverpool where we live… And Never looked back! The proposal was actually quite funny, as I had gone out for food for my friends birthday and David knowing how much I love candles had filled up our whole home full of them. However, I was home at least 2 hours later than expected and was slightly tipsy! So not only did I forget my keys, but when David answered the door to me with the hallway totally lit up, I was actually hiding behind the corner of the door to scare him!!! It took me a good few seconds to realize what was happening!!! It was a perfect proposal, just me and him. He even proposed to me in Greek!!! It was very romantic!
Τhe most anticipated or special moment of our wedding day was walking up to the chapel. It was set high up on a cliff so David wouldn’t have seen me whilst I walked up with the violins playing in front of me. It built up the anticipation and seeing his face smiling at me when he finally saw me was the perfect moment for me. My wedding planning advice is to make some time (even if it’s 10 minutes) after the ceremony to be alone and just process what just took place. Don’t let people sway your mind or try to tell you how they think your wedding should be planned. Remember it’s your day, not theirs!
Photography: Sandy and Odysseas Photography | Wedding planner: Mood Effects | Flowers: Cycladitiko aroma | Wedding Dress: Boutique Alterations | Hair: Anna Chalari | Bridal shoes: Shoes | Ceremony and Reception: Saint Johns Mykonos | Groom suit: Moss Bros | Veil : The Bridal Room | Wedding rings: Two become One