We're back!

Sara and I  had a great time in Crete last week!  The wedding that she was organising was gorgeous and the bride, truly divine.  This is just a quick note to let you all know that I will be posting later this afternoon some of the details from the wedding but in the meantime, you have to read this article, it is hilarious!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8607132/Mother-in-laws-email-about-future-brides-uncouth-behaviour-goes-viral.html


NY

Amazing Rental Company: Style Box

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last couple of days, sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you need some time out to get your head around it!

As we have discussed before, renting accessories and furniture for a wedding in Greece, is tricky.  Sara has just sent me a link to a great, new company which rents out furniture and equipment for events.  The company is based out of north Kifissia in Athens but like most companies in Athens, they will travel to the islands and other parts of the mainland

 

All images from stylebox.gr

They have a good range of accessories which could transform any area into  a chic lounge or funky bar, as you can see from all the above images. For more information and to see their full stock of furniture and equipment check out their website www.stylebox.gr

NY

Congratulations Charlotte!

I just wanted to say congratulations to Charlotte who got married today in Antiparos!  We cannot wait for a catch up post and to see all the wonderful wedding shots!

NY & SP

Nautical Nothings

Good afternoon all, Isn't the inspiration board below cool? I didn't think I'd like the nautical theme as much as I do, I think I like the very specific take on it, it has to be feminine, yet minimal and just as I said above.....cool!!!

The colour palette speaks for itself, navy and white teamed with baby blue, red, yellow perhaps even a mid pink.

I am also a huge fan of texture, layer white on white but add different textures, think lace, broderie anglaise, meringues, feathers, fabrics, cushions, etc.

Perfect for an afternoon beach wedding or carrying on the theme from yesterday, an on board wedding!!!!!!!

SP

Out on the Big Blue: Yacht Weddings

Today I think covering the option of an on board wedding is good plan.  We haven't covered one yet and whilst researching this on the net I have decided it is plain cool!  I know that when you envision a yacht, it brings up the subject of space and maybe a limitation of numbers but I have found this is not the case.  There are yachts and gulets out there that can hold up to 200 guests....brilliant.

Image from 4interior-design.com

Image from yachts.plentyinfo.com

Image from exclusivegulet.co.uk

Image from exclusivegulet.co.uk

Image from yachts.plentyinfo.com

Image from greenweddingshoes.com

Image from exclusivegulet.co.uk

Image from dreamyyachtblog.com

As you can imagine there are numerous companies in Greece that you can hire yachts and gulets from for a wedding.  Having the actual ceremony at sea could prove to be more trouble than it's worth but the possibility to have the ceremony at a remote Greek church increases ,a s you have sea access to many otherwise inaccessible chapels.  How magical to have a wedding on a remote part of an island!  The other option is to have your wedding ceremony whilst in a  island port.  The reception could then be held on board or at least part of it whilst the rest on a secluded beach.  

Here are some links to charter companies:

http://www.exclusivegulets.co.uk/

http://www.aquacruise.com/private/weddings.php

http://www.interyachtcharter.com/europe-mediterranean 

www.a1yachting.com/Charters

NY

Greece Transport Guide Care of The Telegraph

GETTING THERE

By air

Scheduled flights

Aegean Airlines (0871 200 0040; www.aegeanair.com) Heathrow to Thessaloniki and Athens.

British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.ba.com) Heathrow to Athens (from £146), Gatwick to Thessaloniki (from £138.60).

easyJet (0905 821 0905 – 65p per minute; www.easyjet.com) easyJet flies to Athens from London Gatwick and Manchester. Prices one way start from £32.99 and return start from £67.98. Also Liverpool and Gatwick to Rhodes; Gatwick to Mykonos, Santorini and Thessaloniki; Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester to Corfu and Crete.
Jet2.com (0871 226 1737; www.jet2.com) flies to Corfu from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and Newcastle from £49.99; Crete from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle from £69.99; Kos from Manchester from £69.99; Rhodes from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle Airports from £69.99. Fares quoted are one way.
Olympic Air (www.olympicair.com) Flights from London to Athens.
Charter Flights
Seat-only flights with charter airlines start operating in April or May, continuing through the summer until September or October.
Fly Viking (www.flyviking.com) has summer flights from Gatwick to Corfu, Crete, Kalamata, Kos, Rhodes, Samos and Skiathos.
Monarch Airlines (0871 423 8642; www.monarch.co.uk) Flights to Crete, Corfu, Kefalonia, Preveza, Rhodes, Skiathos and Zante from Gatwick and Manchester. Also Crete, Corfu and Zante from Birmingham. Fares start at £200 return.
Olympic Holidays (0844 576 2386; www.olympicholidays.com) operates flights from 19 UK airports, mainly to Cyprus, Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Zante. The biggest choice is from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.
Thomson Airways (0871 231 4787; www.thomson.co.uk) From London and many regional airports to over 20 destinations including Corfu, Crete, Halkidiki, Kefalonia and Rhodes.
Thomas Cook Airlines (0844 855 0515; www.thomascookairlines.co.uk) offers seat-only fares to similar destinations to Thomson including Kos and Zakynthos from Manchester.
The Charter Flight Centre (0844 050 0100; www.charterflights.co.uk) can help find best deals with the operators above.

GETTING AROUND

Internal Flights
Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines (see above) offer the largest range of options. Based in Heraklion in Crete, Sky Express (www.skyexpress.gr) flies small planes to a wide range of other islands.
By sea
Find ferry schedules on the internet at Greek Travel Pages (www.gtp.gr). Thomas Cook Publishing (01733 416477; www.thomascook publishing.com) has various travel guides for Greece including Greek Island Hopping 2011 (£14.99 + £1.50 p & p). Also see the useful website, www.greekislandhopping.com.
Car Hire
Try Holiday Autos (www.holidayautos.co.uk), Hertz (www.hertz.co.uk) and Avis (www.avis.co.uk). Compare prices on
www.carrentals.co.uk or www.carhiresearch.co.uk.

Greek Favour Ideas for Weddings Abroad in Greece

Today's post is a little different from the theme of posting weddings that SP Weddings has organised over the past in Greece. I thought I would showcase some ideas of how to use local products as favours. I have found that guests love receiving a small gift from the country that they have travelled to and if you use locally produced items, the favour becomes even more authentic and memorable to your guests

Small (or large) bottles of your favourite Greek wine, perhaps the one that you have chosen to serve at your wedding reception is a lovely keepsake for your guests to take away with them.

Consider customising the label with your names, the wedding date and location of the wedding for a more personal touch.

Greek coffee, this is the perfect favour for those that love coffee, easy to transport back home and a product that you will use again and again!

Consider providing personalised instructions on how to make the "perfect" cup of Greek coffee!

www.loumidisfoods.com 

Olive oil is of course associated with Greece and a very useful favour that all your guests will appreciate receiving and certainly use when they return home!

You could include a personalised note on where and how the specific oil has been made or a couple of Greek recipes that feature olive oil quite prominently.

Mastiha is a product you may or may not have heard of, grown only on the island of Chios, this is basically a delicious tree sap that has been made into many products, you can find beauty products as well as edible items. Mastiha in it's best known form is like a chewy, very sweet paste that you take a spoon of and dip in ice cold water, you then slowly consume the paste with the water!! Sounds strange but is actually very enjoyable!Of course I would recommend adding a note explaining how to consume this product!

www.mastihashop.gr

Finally most people are aware of the cool cosmetics company called "Korres", started by a Greek this is one of the most successful companies to emerge in the last few years and can be found around the world with high street stores in New York.

The products are made with natural Greek products and smell and feel amazing!

Consider giving after sun lotion to your guests or perhaps some body lotion with a smell that you love. If you are using herbs or olive leaves in your wedding flowers you can perhaps link this with the product that you choose as the favour for your guests!

www.korres.com

SP

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

The Guide to a Civil Wedding in Greece

Good afternoon, I hope everyone is keeping well!

Today we are discussing the requirements and trying to explain what is and isn't possible in order to hold a civil wedding in Greece.

• The couple can be of any nationality or faith to have a civil wedding in Greece

The paperwork required depends on the country of origin, however as a general guide the authorities will need you to produce:

• Full Birth Certificate, must include the names of both parents, the shorter version of the Certificate will not be accepted.

• Divorce or Death Certificate, if previously married a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate if marriage ended due to the death of spouse.

• Certificate of No Impediment, this document certifies that both parties are free to marry, can be obtained from your local registrar and can take up to a month to obtain, this certificate must not be issued more than three months prior to the wedding date.

• Change of Name or Deed Poll Certificate, this is required in the event that the bride or groom has changed name by Deed Poll or court order.

• Adoption Certificate required if either party was adopted.

• Photocopies of valid passports

• All paperwork provided must be stamped with an Apostille stamp, this is a special seal applied by an authority to certify that a document is a true copy of the original. These can be obtained by the Greek Embassy or the Secretary of State.

• In answer to the question of residency requirements, this depends on where you would like to marry, as a general guide I would suggest that you plan to stay in Greece for 2 weeks and marry in the middle of your holiday, this should ensure you have the time to complete the paperwork before and after the ceremony, always allow for a few extra days incase of any holidays, strikes or other reasons why the public sector may not be working.

• The only "accessory" required for a civil ceremony are wedding rings

• The ceremony last no longer than 5 minutes in it's entirety, enquire about the possibility of extending the ceremony by adding readings and songs to make the ceremony more personal and meaningful

• I always recommend that my clients arrange for a cocktail party immediately after the ceremony if they have chosen for it to be held in a pretty, outdoor location, thus extending the ceremony and making the cost of decorating the venue more reasonable

The main question that must be asked is where it is possible to hold a civil ceremony in Greece:

The answer to this is simple, it depends! Perhaps the best way to approach this choice is by speaking to wedding planners about where it is possible to hold civil ceremonies, before making the decision on where in Greece to hold you wedding. As a general guide, the less touristy areas are less flexible, the larger islands offer many more options!


SP

Wild Flowers in Greece: Design Inspiration

I thought a follow up post from Sara's Wild Flowers in Greece would be of some interest.  So here are some ideas of how to use and design the local flowers that Sara described.

Cyclamen images from flowerdesignstannes.blogspot.com
& couturebridaldesigns.blogspot.com

Anemone images from flowerdesignstannes.blogspot.com
& gapphotos.com

Daisy images from thestylishbloom.com
& blog.afloral.com

Iris images from floralaffair.net &
w-weddingflowers.com

Bougainvillea images from konapuppy @ Flickr.com
& thedame.tumblr.com

Hibiscus images from flowerhawaii.com
& projectwedding.com

All of the above images are just a few ideas of what you can achieve with the local flowers in Greece, there are endless options.  There are also advantages to using local produce when planning your Greek wedding, the biggest being cost.

The Bougainvillea wrapped around the flaming torches is just amazing!

NY

Traditional Greek Wedding Cake

I got asked the other day what was a traditional wedding cake in Greece.  To be honest I had no idea so I asked Sara.  So here is the answer!  Traditionally the Greeks have a very thin sponge cake with a white, very sweet cream.  Some people opt to have the sponge flavoured with fruits, syrup or a little chocolate.  It was originally to be white on the outside and oblong rather than tiered. 

Image from blog.natashamaresca.com

The other rendition of this cake consisted of honey, sesame seeds and quince.  It was said to symbolise the couple's enduring commitment to each other.  These days, most Greek couples prefer a flourless almond cake, which is filled with vanilla custard and fruit, and covered in sliced almonds.  

NY

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

Amazing Photo from a Very Interesting Blog

Wow!  The movement in this shot is mind blowing.  I absolutely love it!!!  You really feel the dance rather than just looking at a photograph of a special moment.

Image from  hubpages.com/profile/seabastian

I found it on a site that I also found a very interesting read.  Hubpages seems to be a community of people who write and share about a variety of topics, this particular person is called Seabastian.  It has such a wide range of subjects from weddings to art to business, it honestly is a fascinating site,  I fully recommend  you have a browse and a see what I mean for yourselves here is the link www.hubpages.com .

NY

Wild Flowers in Greece

A question that I get asked very, very often is if I can incorporate local grown flowers or wild flowers into the arrangements for their wedding! I thought it might be interesting to have a look at some of my favourite local flowers and discuss some ideas of how these can be utilised for your wedding day! Some of my favourite flowers found in the wild are the anemone, I have been known to screech to a halt when driving through the countryside and insist on picking as many as possible! 

Cyclamen 

Anemone

Bouganvilia

Daisy

Iris

Hibiscus

All images are borrowed from flickr.com

Cyclamen, hibiscus flowers, bougainvillea, I love the hues that these flowers come in, the purple, pink and white look beautiful together, even the dried flowers are pretty! Daisies can be found in the spring throughout Greek fields! Please remember that there are lots of wild flowers between January and the end of May, however during the summer and in to early autumn the flowers tend to dry up from the heat, so these are impossible to source. 

SP