How to Plan A Destination Wedding in Greece
Where to Start After the Ring
If you’re recently engaged and you don’t even know where to begin in your wedding planning process, it can all be overwhelming. One of the biggest choices is the location of your wedding or elopement. Some couples find it easy to choose somewhere in their hometown or close to family. However, some couples take on this incredible task of a destination wedding. A destination wedding across the world can come with many hurdles before your big day: where to stay, how to fly your friends and family out, a perfect venue, florists, bakers, makeup artists, photographer and videographers… the list goes on. Here are some helpful planning tips and an inside look into an intimate destination Greece wedding on the island of Santorini.
Finding Your Perfect Location
Nicolai and Landry chose the beautiful island of Santorini for their destination wedding location. They knew that it offered the incredible ocean views and one of the most iconic photo locations at the Blue Domes. The intimate venue was located at the Albus Villa in the town of Pyrgos. This villa was large enough to house 18 people comfortably with a large main house, a guest house, and a private guest suite. The main house backyard had a large open space with a beautiful infinity pool and outdoor seating. Their micro wedding planner, Megan with Curated Mess, flew out from Oregon and set up a phenomenal table scape for their reception dinner. Even on a windy island day, she was able to ensure that everything was perfectly in place for Landry and Nicolai. Just in time for sunset, we made our way to the Blue Dome Church sitting on the cliffside of Santorini. Landry’s adventurous and fearless demeanor helped her gracefully walk with Nicolai along the tops of the buildings overlooking the sunset. We were graced with the most incredible sunset that evening for some stunning bridal portraits along the Santorini coast.
Who to Trust as Your Vendors
This is one of the most important days of your life! You both want to make sure that you hire the best of the best, because this might mean flying out your vendors. What does that mean, how much does it cost, and is it worth it? Every vendor was flown out from other countries to make this wedding happen. Landry had her makeup artist (Alesia Solo) fly in from Paris, which was a three hour flight instead of a fourteen hour flight from the US. The florist (Alexis Ramblings with The Slow Cult), photographer (myself – JennyJaeMinPhotos), and the planner all flew out from the US for Landry and Nicolai’s day. If you connect with your vendors and can’t see your day happening with anyone else, it’s worth the investment to hire the team your trust. Some vendors will give international discounts based on locations. Some vendors cover certain costs if the couple pays for flight and stay for a few days. It varies from vendor to vendor, so be sure to ask your vendors what their travel fees consist of.
Start Planning Your Dream Wedding
Remember, this day or weekend celebration is about you as a couple and your story. Investing in a destination wedding may seem daunting and impossible at first. However, with the right team, your Pinterest board of Santorini coasts and Greek Villas can become a reality sooner than you think. Invest into the right people who care about you. Give plenty of time to plan ahead, make reservations, and buy tickets. Ask for help from people who have done it before. And enjoy the wedding of your dreams when your big day arrives!
