Showing posts with label Greek Orthodox Wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek Orthodox Wedding. Show all posts

Friday, 22 July 2011

Real Wedding in Chania: The details

I know, I know, this is long over due!  Here are the details from the wedding in Chania, Crete in June.  The couple Elias and Nancy were from San Fransisco, Elias being of Greek descent.  Nancy's pro activity in the DIY area really made this wedding and all the personal touches were clearly apparent throughout the decor.  Firstly, she had designed and hand printed welcome tote bags for all her guest which were waiting for them in their hotel rooms.  Along with the very cute bag she had included a handmade sarong, local products such as herbs and sesame brittle and information sheets so as all their guests knew where and when the events were happening.

 The table design was striking.  Tall tapered candle sticks with gorgeous  flower arrangements of Peonies with a mixture of foliage and berries looked beautiful.  Now just a bit of a heads up, in 36 degrees candle sticks tend to melt!  So if you are have tall tapered candles they need to be put out at the last minute otherwise they tend to bend out of shape.  




Each place setting had a menu, printed on the gorgeous petal effect, watercoloured card and a sprig of rosemary and lavender.  The place names, again on the same car, also had a print of either a fish, pig, lamb or vegetable to depict to the caterers which main dish the person had requested.  This detail blew me away.  It was so simple and yet Nancy had incorporated it into the design with such ease and the caterers were thrilled!



Unfortunately due to the strikes in Greece at the time there was a power cut for 1 hour just as the music and Greek dancing began.  What was wonderful was how all the sound and lighting guys steeped up to the plate.  With a little help from around 150 tea lights we had as back up and an amazing catering staff, the show went on.  The Greek band played beautifully whilst all the catering staff, including Costas who is the main chef from Tsedakis Catering, got up and started Greek dancing for the crowd.  It was wonderful so see and the whole wedding party loved it.  It especially got interesting when all the guests were dragged up too.  Greek dancing by candle light, it doesn't get more romantic than that!


The courtyard at Kindelis is a magical place to first enter at the venue. It sets a wonderful atmosphere for the rest of the reception.  The Greek band was set up playing traditional music to greet the guests at the cocktail hour.  There were long stem peonies in tall vases and meze menus on the each of the tall cocktail tables.  What made this area for me was the personalised match boxes with OPA on them. They were awesome!



 

The escort cards doubled as the favours.  Nancy had designed them again with the same watercoloured design as little boxes.  Each had the guests name on it with the table number in sticker form sealing the box.  Inside she had put an uneven number of koufetta (in keeping with tradition).  Coupled with the bougainvillea and Peonie arrangements the table looked gorgeous, especially when the tea lights were lit a little late on.

Then there was the photo booth!  As you all know I am hugely keen on this idea.  I love them and the further into the evening you go the more hilarious the photos!  The backdrop for the booth was made out of different coloured ribbons and although it doesn't look like much on its own the photos come out amazingly (as you can see by the photo of Niko, Sara's gorgeous husband!).







The wedding was a blast and topped off by the awesome mix of 90's RnB that kicked off in the party zone later.  Nancy's DIY touches really paid off and made the wedding such a personal event.  As always the suppliers were amazing.  Tsedakis' food was delicious, the flowers from Birgitte were beautiful and as always the music and lighting by Manos from Sound Design was awesome!  Sara played out of her boots on planning and design and I must say I had such a wonderful time assisting her and Niko.  

There is nothing more to say than a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Elias and Nancy.  We hope your honeymoon was as amazing as your wedding.

NY



Monday, 4 July 2011

Real Wedding in Chania, Crete

So as you all know Sara and I headed back to Crete last week to set up a wedding she had been planning for the gorgeous Nancy!  It was awesome to be back at Metohi Kindelis again and I must say, Manoli the owner, has made it even more beautiful!  Seeing it at a different time of year also bought a whole new aspect to the venue for me, as different plants were in full bloom and obviously the light was different as the sun set later.  The bride was amazing.  So chilled and generally a very kind soul to work with.  Her ideas were beautiful and due to the fact she works in the design industry her eye for detail was striking.  The menus, invitations, escort cards and place names were printed on hand painted card which resembled the colourings of a rose petal.  They were honestly breath taking and my photos do not do them justice! 



So to break down the different areas for the wedding. The main courtyard was were the cocktail hour was held.  Champagne and strawberries with an array of meze.  Through to the rear garden, the dining area was set up around the pool with the live Greek band situated in front of all the tables.  Lastly, the party area.  This was in the second pool area of the property (there are 3 private gardens with pools at the venue) with bare bulb lights and pom poms not forgetting the bar and the DJ.





What I love about Greece and it is something that any bride getting married in Greece needs to accept, is that the Greeks go at their own pace.  This can sometimes be alarming, for example when you are heading to Church for the service and the tables are only just getting set.  Don't fret.  It amazes you when on return and hour or so later the whole venue has been transformed!  The heat has a lot to do with it.  We were working in mid thirty degrees, it was hot to say the least!  So the later you can leave it the better.



The suppliers that were used were the same we had sourced for my wedding and I must say they never cease to amaze me.  The food was divine, the flowers gorgeous and as always the sound and lighting were spot on.  It was also really cool to be on the other side of the procedure.  Am not sure that I didn't enjoy it even more this time!

I will showcase the wedding over the next couple of posts. It really was gorgeous!

NY

Friday, 10 June 2011

An Array of Lambades

Today I thought that some beautiful lambades images were in order.  It has been a while since we showed you some inspiring images of these important details to a Greek wedding.   You can have the large freestanding candles or opt for the smaller candle, that will sit in candle sticks on the alter.  I have sourced an array of lambades images from florists in Athens that are of the former variety, large and freestanding.

Image from studio-ionnidis.gr
Image from valentineflowers.gr

Image from valentineflowers.gr

Image from mariabogri.gr

Image from valentineflowers.gr
For a little background on the tradition of lambades......

“The traditional lambades adorn each side of the table with the crown tray. The candles are symbolic of the couples’ belief that Jesus is ”the light of the world and whoever believes in him shall never walk in darkness but have eternal life” (Gestathi).

You can opt for the candles to be adorned with big bows also, personally this does not interest me at all but as they say 'each to their own'.  For more images click on the links below the images.  Maria Bogri has some more gorgeous designs on her website as does Valentine Flowers.

NY

Sunday, 5 June 2011

The Most Gorgeous Invitations for a Wedding in Greece


Hi all,


Today I am posting on my favourite wedding invitation idea that I have come across.....ever!

Made by the truly talented guys over at www.bemyguest.com.gr



It is a very simple white invitation that has been, get this, white washed, as in little Greek village white washing, it is absolutely fabulous!

She also has a matching thank you card and favour if you are interested in purchasing the entire range!

Do log on to her site as above and email her with any additional questions that you may have!


SP

Wednesday, 11 May 2011

Real Wedding Inspiration: Philio

Hi all,

I know I am ridiculously late in posting, I have been swamped over the past weeks and feeling uninspired at the moment, it seems the economic crisis is affecting my mood a little and I am finding it diffiicult to concentrate on details rather than this bigger picture that is, where will we be at this time next year, will we have a job, be able to eat, have a home? Unfortunately it is difficult living in the unknown, actually life is not that bad, it is harder for sure, but we are OK, it's the uncertainty and general bad mood that gets to you, I think this winter was the darkest I have lived through and really hope that by next winter we at least have an answer on where Greece is headed so we can all buckle down and live with it or make any other decisions that we deem necessary!

On the upside if you are reading from outside Greece, I reckon Greece is going to be a bargain next year and well worth visiting!!! So our tourism could boom as it did in Iceland after it's bankrupsy!

Anyway, enough with the doom and gloom, today I am showing a wedding by the fabulous Nikos Papadopoulos of a beautiful couple that held their wedding in the mountaineous area of Pilio, a go to area for the Athenians as it offers beautiful surroundings and ski slopes quite nearby.







All Images by Nikos Papadopoulos

SP

Friday, 6 May 2011

Some Churches on Rhodes: Just a Taster

So I completely forgot to finish the post on Rhodes, I whole heartedly apologise!  I thought some inspiring churches would be the way forward today.  If there is one thing to be said about the Greek Islands, it is that you never have a shortage of choice in the Church department and not just that, the variety is amazing.

If you want a small church on the sea, you can have one.  If you want a large church in a mountain village, you can have one of those too.  The choice is endless, so please enjoy the small array of photos below and remember these are not even the tip of the iceberg!

Moni Thari, Nr Laerma

Image from wallcoo.net

This church was built around the 13th century on the foundations of a much earlier church. In the grounds you can see the remains of the building that was built in the 9th century.  It has array of stunning frescoes and is the venue for many festivals including those on the 21st / 22nd May.


Profitis Ilias, Prifitis Ilias

Image from rhodosinfo.com

This church is nestled into the mountain of the same name.  It is located in a place called Elafina (meaning female deer) and Elafos (meaning deer also!).  It is a wreck unfortunately but would make an amazing venue if you can locate the priest who covers that area.


Agios Pavlos (St Pauls), Lindos


Image from ionianweddings.co.uk

This cute little church is set on the edge of a bay, just outside the village of Lindos.  Though the chapel itself is too small to have a lot guests, the opportunity to have the service outside in the courtyard over looking the sea, more than makes up for it.  It is named after St Paul, which legend says came here in 43AD to preach Christianity and thus this chapel was dedicated to him.


The Monastery of Panagia Tsambika

Image from holiday2rhodes.com

This amazing monastery is situated 25km from Rhodes town and has gorgeous views over the sea.  It is said to stand on the site where in ancient times an alter to Artemis once stood and where sacrifices to the goddess were held.  It's name comes from the word 'Tsamba" which means spark.  It is said that a shepherd discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) and hence a monastery was built in the same spot to house it. This icon is believed to be miracle-working  and now the monastery is a pilgrimage for woman who are having trouble conceiving.


Agios Panteleimon, Monolithos Fort



Image from Steve Hoges, Flickr.com
This gorgeous church is situated in the grounds of the Venetian fort of Monolithos.  It was built in the 15th century by the Grand Master d'Audusson up on 300ft of rock and has incredible views of the sea as far as Halki.


My personal favorite is Agios Panteleimon, I am just a sucker for a great set of steps, a beautiful white church and a view to die for.


NY

Tuesday, 3 May 2011

This Made Me Smile - How the Greeks Really Feel.

Normally when my Mum sends me through a video link, I open it warily (sorry Mum!) so when this You Tube video came up I was nicely surprised.  now I know it will not win any awards but I found it sweet, it made me smile and kind of epitimises everything I love about Greece and the Greek people.



I hope it made you smile too and if you are a bride readying to marry in Greece, truly enjoy the experience as you have chosen such a unique and beautiful country to do it in!
NY

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Post Easter Catch up and Royal Wedding Chat

So I have been a little elusive for the past week or so but it was unavoidable I am afraid.  Greek Easter in our house takes some organisation and a whole heap of cooking, it is also my favorite time of year!  It is a time when the three Greeks in our family take up their allotted roles and cook up a storm.  There is something to be said for these little traditions and the bonding that goes on over our kitchen table is irreplaceable.

Is it me or do my father and brother spend a lot
of time hanging around lamb?!!!

So onto the big wedding that was the highlight of this past week.  How nice was it to see the UK partaking in such a lovely occasion.  I think it was the respite that everyone needed, a little bit of joy and hope in what is a slightly depressing time.  I think my liver could have done without the 9.45 am drinking but a great day was had by all.

Now I could discuss the dress, which was beautiful, but I think that has been discussed enough by everyone else.  So I want to talk about the flowers in Westminster Abbey.  How stunning were they?!  Absolutely gorgeous.  What I found interesting  was the mention of the scents that were given off by the ferns, strawberry plants, Lily of the Valley and mixture of the filed maples and hornbeam trees.  Not only did they line the aisle of the abbey perfectly but apparently the aromas let off by all the plants were amazing.

Image from society.ezinemark.com

Image from CTV.ca

Stimulating the nose as well as eyes heightens peoples senses and sets an amazing atmosphere.  Obviously choosing where to have these intense smelling plants must be thought through carefully as choosing the wrong aroma for a dinning table can wreak havoc with the taste of the food.  In the church or cocktail area you can create a beautiful fresh atmosphere and transform the entire feeling of the space.

If you are wanting to create such a feel, talking to your local florist in Greece will give you a great sense of which plants would be appropriate for each area and what type aroma  you can achieve.

I loved it!

NY

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Postage Stamps with a Personal Touch

I do like the idea of having a personalised stamp on your wedding invites.  It really can be the perfect detail to bring it all together.

Image from marthastewart.com

Whether it be a photo or just a really cool design, it can look awesome. Obviously, it can also be hideous if not done well!  I think simplicity is called for in this area and also to go with your destination wedding adding a touch of your wedding location would, for me, start setting the atmosphere of the day to come.

Image from royalmail.com


Image from royalmail.com
& here's one I made earlier!

Below are a couple of links for you to check out.  One is a company in the USA that has a range of alternative postage stamps and for the UK, the good old Royal Mail does personalised stamps.



Have a go at playing around with some designs and see how you like them!

NY

Monday, 31 January 2011

Throwing the Bouquet with a Twist!

I was watching a wedding programme last night (to Jubb's disdain!) and although the majority of it was a mixture of entertaining and painful, one part of it struck me as terribly sweet.

Image from Images.com

The bride invited all the married guests onto the dance floor after their first dance and instead of throwing her bouquet, awarded it to the couple who had been married the longest.  Who lovely is that? It makes such great change to the normal tradition and I love the sense of achievement it would have given that couple. A beautiful touch.

NY

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Lambades

Images from
enkipo.gr &
Annie Angelopoulou

Lambades are a key part in the Greek Orthodox ceremony. They tradtitionally adorn each side of the table which holds the crown tray.  The candles symbolise the couples belief that Jesus is "the light of the world and whoever believes in shall never walk in darkness but eternal life".

That said, there are some hideous ones out there!  Now do not get disheartened when you google them from outside Greece and only come up with the classic organza bow specials. There are some beautiful options for decorating them and as long as you have a good florist, you will be fine. 

I have had problems trying to locate some images for you to prove this point, mainly due to my lack of written Greek and Sara is out of the country on business so cannot aid me in any way. I have managed to find 3 example for you to look at for the meantime and will work on some more for a follow up post.  I love the floral arrangement with the pom poms ( yes I know, I am a bit of a sucker for them) I think it gives the candles a different dimension and adds detail to the base of the candle.  Also the lambades with the calla lily is also beautiful and quite striking.

NY



A Wealth of Traditional Information

Whilst net surfing this morning I came across this wonderful blog dedicated to Greek traditions. I have just spent the best part of an hour reading through all the different and wonderful Greek wedding traditions and I must say it is definitely worth a read. There are some fascinating traditions out there (obviously differing depending on the island or area) but would be lovely to incorporate into your wedding celebrations.

Image from jupiterimages.com

My favorite one so far is the 'step on your foot' tradition and I quote: 

“During the marriage ceremony it’s a tradition that after the Gospel has been read the groom or the bride will step on each others foot. Whoever steps first will be the dominant one.” 

 Damn, if only I had known this before our wedding, I would have whipped Jubbs!

Check out the site for yourselves, there are so many wonderful traditions worth reading. http://greekweddingsandtraditions.com/tag/greek-wedding-traditions/ 

NY

Saturday, 25 September 2010

Brooch Bouquet

Image from 1amanda Etsy.com

I saw this and had to share it.  I think it is incredible and quite frankly, extremely cool!  Can you believe it is made up of brooches? The intricacy of it really is beautiful and in my opinion is a great option if you are not wanting real flowers.  I will say it again, very, very cool!

NY

Friday, 24 September 2010

A Sprinkle of Confetti

Images from marthastewart.com & Annie Angelopoulou

There is a range of confetti out there but a lot of Churches nowadays have either banned the use of confetti or have restricted which type you can use.  On speaking with our priest it became apparent that he had no demands in this area so we went with a blend of petals, lavender and rice.  Now for the fun part, how to package it!  I originally saw a great image in the Martha Stewart magazine of transparent bags (see above) but after painstakingly ordering stamps and little bags I  realised they were not going to work out. A change of plan was in order, so we went for something simple; baskets full of the confetti, that the guests could just take handfuls out of and they worked perfectly. Although, I still love those ones above, so cute!

I thought that you may want some images for inspiration on this subject so please enjoy the below ideas.

Images from mrandmrsweddingshop.com,
orchardandbrown Etsy.com & myhayleygirl Etsy.com

Images from Marthastewart.com & paper-scissors.co.uk


Remember a lot of these are easy to make yourself so if you are wanting to cut the budget, making your own confetti and packaging is a great way to do it. That's why you have bridesmaids!


NY