Sleek and Chic Wedding on Athens Riviera In Greece

We recently moved from New York to Hong Kong, so we knew we wanted a destination wedding. Our friends and family would be flying in from all over the world. Alice's cousin just moved to Athens last year and fell in love with it. She was able to help us look at all the different wedding venues. The food, culture, and weather are amazing in Greece and we couldn't have asked for a better destination.

We were in the South of France together on vacation. On our 2nd night, Ryan suggested we go for a walk before dinner. He had sneakily gotten help with setting up a beautiful private area with champagne and signs that said "marry me" right near the edge of a cliff.

I had a blast choosing my wedding dresses! My first dress was a jaw-dropping backless beaded laced mermaid gown by Millanova. It felt like it was meant to be. I saw a photo gown in December 2022 (the day we booked the Grand Resort Lagonissi!) and was instantly in love. A shop here in Hong Kong carried this design. I tried on the dress in the sample size (which did not fit!) but both my mother and I knew there was nothing else. The most efficient bridal gown shopping in history. The second dress was to honor tradition from my Chinese background. A red qipao is traditional and signifies love, wealth and happiness. I wore that at dinner to cheers every table and say thank you for celebrating our special night. I had a third dress too! A strapless, champagne lace number that was perfect for dancing the night away. Plus, I didn't have to worry about tripping over my heels!

Saying "I do" in Greece means indulging in a foodie adventure and treating your guests to a feast of local delicacies that will make their taste buds dance with joy. Our wedding reception was a mouth-watering spread of creamy cheeses, crisp salads bursting with Greek herbs, succulent seafood (lobster, anyone?), live roast, pasta making station and a meat-lover’s paradise. We did not neglect the midnight snacks - we kept it simple but oh-so-tasty, with plenty of desserts, mango sherbet, and a generous helping of chocolate to keep the party going strong. To quench the thirst of sweet-toothed, fruity, bitter, and licorice lovers, we had Negroni (Mezcal or Regular), while Old Fashioned was the top choice of Ryan, my heart’s VIP. And since feeling the heat is a given when partying, the Spicy Paloma, with its zingy flavor, was ready to zing our guests’ taste buds. We made things easy for everyone with an open bar that had all-time favorites like Campari, Martinis, Vodka, and Gin so that everyone could have their poison of choice and bliss out.

Wedding bells mean floral spells, right? Our wedding style and floral dial called for elegant pastels with David Austin and English garden roses, just like our moms love. We wanted our wedding to smell like a sophisticated dream, and boy did it! We asked our florist for a rectangular arbor with sheer drapes, symbolizing our solid bond and the breezy adventures we'll be taking together. The aisle was a blooming beauty, and my bridal bouquet was a showstopper. I chose Duchesse de Nemours peonies which are a very old and extremely pretty kind, and Festiva Maxima peonies, bursting with frills and crimson flecks.

We opted for a simple white cake adorned with fresh flowers. We wanted to stick to tradition and slice a piece, but our main focus was to spoil our guests with various flavors. The cake was a total eye candy, tailor-made for the occasion We were treated to a heavenly combo of butterscotch and lemon vanilla, which felt so good since we were famished the entire day! So much to do! Thank goodness dinner time worked its charm!

We met on modern technology - a dating app! But we soon found out we were graduated the same year from the same university and even lived in the same dorm hall in our first year :) It wasn't until years later, in Jan 2020, that we met one cold winter day in New York for our first date.

We were in the South of France together on vacation. One our 2nd night, Ryan suggested we go for a walk before dinner. He had sneakily gotten help with setting up a beautiful private area with champagne and the signs that said "marry me" right near the edge of a cliff.

The ceremony was magical. Saying vows in front of all of our loved ones was above and beyond. My advice to future brides/grooms is that it will be the best day of your life. Rain or shine - it will pass by so quickly. Definitely don't forget to breathe and make sure you have some intimate and special moments with your partner!