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

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

Diary of a Greek Bride: Truly Cute Maps

We are so delighted with the amount of people that are coming to our wedding on Antiparos, 70 in total. Guests will be flying in from Australia (where Glenn is from) and from the UK (where we live), some of which have visited Greece before, some haven't. So we thought it would make a nice touch to leave a little map of the island for each guest upon arrival in their hotel room. I searched the internet for a map of Antiparos so we could print off and personalise but didn't really find anything that we could use. We wanted to have a map that featured a few points of interest on the island and customise it making it personal to us.

Image from cutemaps.com

After a long search we stumbled across http://www.cutemaps.co.uk/ , hand drawn maps by a lovely lady called Sheree. This is exactly the sort of whimsical map we were looking for! Not only would it be useful to our guests but we're hoping many will keep it as a little memento of our wedding day. I gave Sheree a list of everything we wanted to include on the map and we are now awaiting her final creation which I will post on here.

CC

A Stylish DIY Blog

I came across this blog today and am in love with it!  The mixture of personal posts with amazing DIY inspiration makes for such an interesting read.  Not only that, the array of vibrant photographs on the site are stunning!

There is also has a boutique shop, full of hand made produce to browse through on the site which is a new addition and certainly one worth a look.

All images from madefromscratch.co.nz

Check it out and see what you think madefromscratch.co.nz


NY

The coolest Invitation!

There are very few people that can make their invites truly personal and unique but I think this invitation deserves that description.  It is the invite of a family friend and I think it is amazing.  A little history behind the person is in order.  Male, early thirties, amusing, interesting, retro and a musician.  His fiance is no less a woman!  Now come on people.....that invite screams all of those things.

This is a great example of how to do it right.  I know it is not a traditional invite but none the less it is an invite of note.  The fact that it all comes neatly in a vinyl sleeve, is just the icing on the cake!

Love it, love it, love it!

NY

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.

www.championstamp.com

www.royalmail.com

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

NY

Diary of a Greek Bride - Charlottes's Invitations

We have had so many compliments about our invitations and we're so glad we went with Tammy at Uniquity Invitations. We decided against including RSVP cards and information sheets as we already had the website with all the info and guests can RSVP through this. We just wanted to keep it simple and elegant, so printed onto cream coloured textured card. No fold up extras, no ribbons, no diamante stick on embellishments, just a flat printed invitation!

The good thing about the template set is we can tailor it to the other wedding stationery such as menus, place cards and gift tags for favours. I've also decided to make hand held paddle fans for our guests to use during the outdoor ceremony that we're having. Whatever your budget I think you need to put quite a bit of thought into your invitations as it's the first representation of your wedding that your guests will see.

CC

It's all in the name - They Truly are Cute Maps!!!

A friend of mine has just received one of these beautiful map invitations for a wedding and I think they are just awesome.  Not only are they beautiful but they are so practical for a destination wedding, as your guests can use them to find their way around when they get to the location.  Pure genius really.

As you can see from these images you have the option of full colour, colour accent and simple monochrome.  I love all of them, as I think the option you choose would depend on your theme and taste.

Images from cutemaps.com

If you do not want them as your invitation, you can always have them as a save the date. They are equally as gorgeous!


Check out their website for more info and an larger array of their work www.cutemaps.co.uk


NY

Diary of a Greek Bride - Choosing your Invites

Your invitations are the first real hint to guests as to what kind of wedding you're planning to have. With this is mind, we wanted ours to reflect the fact that we are having an informal destination wedding so we started thinking about the design and how it will fit into our budget quite early on. 

Images from sarahanks.com

Image from weddingpaperdivas.com

There are literally hundreds of options to chose from -  you might want beautiful hand crafted invitations such as thesehttp://www.slatersparke.com  or elegant modern designs like these http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/shop/wedding_invitations.htm#all=1&papers=2,5&. Or perhaps with a destination wedding in mind you might go for this designer  http://sarahanks.com/wed_chenghalliday.html . If you're feeling crafty, there's also the DIY option. Whatever your budget, there are so many wonderful creative ideas out there, you really are spoilt for choice!

Image from uniquityinvitations.com

Image from uniquityinvitations.com

We decided to go for a half-way-house option of getting our invitations professionally designed but getting them printed ourselves. We found Tammy from Uniquity Invitations http://www.uniquityinvitations.com/ to do this for us. You can choose a design and for $75 she will email you a digital file template set including editable save the date, invitation, RSVP cards, table numbers, place names etc… what a brilliant idea and great value!

For a little bit extra ($99) Tammy will create a custom template with your own unique design which is the option we went for. After briefing Tammy on what we wanted, a few days later she emailed over a design concept which we revised and developed together. We decided to ask a local printers to do the printing as we wanted a professional look and our printer just wasn't up to the job.  I am pleased to say how glad we are we made this decision because not only do we have unique and professional looking invitations to send but a beautiful memento of our wedding too!

CC

Beautiful Hand Painted Stationary

These stunning, hand painted invitations and general wedding stationary blow my mind.  They are absolutely breath taking.  As you can tell by the amount of images below, I am a huge fan of this wonderful stationer and if i had had my way would have put all her images on this blog but a little restraint was needed!

All images from www.momentaldesigns.com

How awesome is the stationary with the frog on it!  I love it but I was always quite keen on the Wind in the Willows books.  I have always been interested in painting and art and these for me are a truly gorgeous option for your wedding stationary.  What is also great about this company is that they will personalise this for you. So you could have beautiful paintings depicting where in Greece you are getting married or just using the wedding flowers you have chosen.  Endless options are always my favorite and I firmly believe that you would also enjoy the process of designing these invites, which can sometimes be quite an arduous task.  Please go to their website to be inspired by more of their gorgeous designs  www.momentaldesigns.com .

NY

So So Succulent

Succulents are a great choice of flower for Greece.  They can withstand a lot of heat and the do not need too much water. I personally, love their structural form, especially coupled with bright coloured flowers to really give them a lift.

Here are some moodboards for you to peruse at your leisure.

Images from (top left clockwise) recycledbride.com,
floracadet.com,  floragrubb.com, jasminestarblog.com,
rootedinpaperandart.blogspot.com,
& alchemyfineevents.com

Images from (top left clockwise) heidiryder.net,
forgetmeknotweddingsblog.com,  jmsucculents.com,
floragrubb.com & pgjennielove.wordpress.com

There are so may different ways to arrange the succulents that all produce a completely different feel.  They really are such a versatile plant and definitely worth considering for your wedding arrangements.  I am loving that table plan.  It looks gorgeous!

NY

I wasn't lying...I Love These Table Plans

Images from jasminestarblog.com

Truly I wasn't!  I just love the depth of them.  They have great texture and are visually beautiful. For me it makes a great change to the one dimensional stationary versions although there are some of those that I love but this is just something different.  

As I have said before, this can be adapted to your taste in flowers and your theme.  It would look beautiful made up of indigenous plants to the different islands in Greece, the colour would be spectacular.

Tying the stationary in with the foliage would also be a striking detail and what a wonderful visual greeting for your guests.  A great way to set the tone of your wedding reception.

NY

A Magical Tablescape

This amazing tablescape blew my mind.  It is an amalgamation of ideas from Datura - A Modern Garden (amoderngarden.com)and Jubilee Events (eventjubilee.com).  Their blend of creative ideas has resulted in a beautiful tablescape that just oozes chicness and rusticity.

Images by carlateneyck.com

 The use of moss is genius and I adore the texture that it gives to the bouquet.  It has also given such a contrast in texture to the cake without detracting from its edible allure.

Images by carlateneyck.com

Images by carlateneyck.com

This is such a great base to build your own theme from as all the plants can be adapted to your floral taste and any destination as, whatever the climate they can be watered to keep them fresh.

As for the seating plan, you will gather from my next post that I am loving the floral plans.  I think they are striking and a great way to set the theme for the rest of the reception.  They are the finishing detail to a beautiful tablescape which has blown my mind.

NY

Odds and Sods

I thought I would show you an unorganised array of things I found and just loved.  It is a random collection of images just for your visual delight and a little inspiration!

Images from
 stylemepretty.com &
nextexitphotography.com 

Image from
 notonthehighstreet.com

Images from oacphotography.com & ambientstudios.ca

I know it really is quite a random post but I just saw these images and felt I needed to share.  The portrait photograph with the moustaches has been amusing me for at least an hour now.  How hilarious is that shot!

NY

Some Advice for Planning Your Greek Wedding: Information Packs

When planning a wedding in Greece you have to get organised. The first piece of important advice is to make sure you give your guests enough information about the wedding as soon as possible.  Sending a save the date card or just an email will give everyone enough time to source flights, accommodation and put in for leave from work well in advance.  I actually sent out the whole invitation complete with a guide book (filled with all relevant information) 6 months a head of the wedding rather than the standard 3 months.

Make sure that you make the information packs are as fool proof as possible and packed with interesting information.

• Give an itinerary of the wedding festivities with times, places and dress codes. 
• Provide maps with all the venues clearly marked as well as all your recommended hotels. 
• Important contact numbers such as police, taxis, hospitals, doctors and of course your contact number for the duration of the trip.
• Pick a range of accommodation for people to choose from, with a small written description of each.  Make sure you check out all the recommended accommodation personally and try and arrange special rates with the hotels.  Most hotels will do a preferential rate for you so it is definitely worth arranging meetings with the managers to discuss this.
• Include all the logistics options for your location.  Some people may want to visit other areas of Greece on their trip so cover all options; ferries, yachts, direct flights, internal flights and coaches.
• Have a list of good restaurants and bars for your guests to visit. Some of them will be coming in for only a couple of days so having this information will make their stay a lot more stress free and enjoyable.
• Give people a heads up of what sites of interest there are in the area and an estimated cost of entry.
• Lastly, in Greece there are different opening times than other places so inform your guests of these ie everything is shut on a Wednesday afternoon and banking times etc.

The more you give your guests the less you will have to worry about organising when they are at your destination wedding.  Obviously I chose to do this in the form of a guide book as I felt that this was a more practical way to deal with it and was more convenient to carry for my guests.  There are other ways to go about it and all the information does not necessarily need to go out with the invites.  Some Information could be left in all the guests rooms as welcome packs but this will mean more work for you on site but the options are endless so enjoy sourcing what is best for you.

This really is a very important detail to cover, so please take a little time to get it right.

NY

Save the Date

I came across these two save the dates which were cool and I mean really, really cool.

Image from ruffledblog.com

Image from kellimurray.com

I adore the cartoon save the dates., what a great way to personalise them.  As for the 3D, just plain love it!

NY

Designer Wedding Show Part 3 (yes it is stationary ladies!)

Stationary as promised!

I am not sure if the below stationary needs much discussion as I think they speak for themselves.  I just liked them a lot!

Images from hellolucky.co.uk & sugarlily.co.uk

Images from hellolucky.com & lovelyfavours.co.uk

Images from hellolucky.co.uk & sugarlily.co.uk

Images from augustmoon.co.uk & sugarlily.co.uk

OK I do have to give one little opinion.... I love the invitation directly above this text from augustmoon.co.uk.  It is soooooo cute.

Nx

From the Designer Wedding Show...Part 2

I came across one stand which had two designers showcasing their work.  One made beautiful bridal shoes and the other designer jewelry, both of which I liked.  I loved the detail on the heals of the shoes designed by Hetty Rose.  They were very striking and added a  little something extra to what I normally find to be quite a boring topic!  I loved the uniqueness of her work and how it could be a way to put a personal touch on your wedding outfit.

Images from hettyrose.co.uk

The jewelry designer was Kimberley Selwood.  The designs were simple but beautiful and inspired primarily by nature.  I have chosen a bracelet and necklace that I loved below for you to see but she also does earrings and rings as well as a men's range.

Images from kimberelydesigns.co.uk

Both designers had some gorgeous things at the show and are definitely worth a look.  I think part 3 will be on some cool stationary I saw.

NY

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