We wanted modern and romantic with a soft pop of colour.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Both are from New Zealand, with a shared love of travel. Our cups are full from the moment we start researching a trip, to when we hop off the plane and are back home. We always knew we would end up back in NZ, and now our trips are a little more local – the Coromandel is a special place for us, and many summers have been spent at Lydia’s family bach in Matarangi. We got engaged on New Chums Beach and will often be eating a pizza in the sun at Luke’s Kitchen or out on the boat by Great Mercury Island.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in a hotel lobby in Athens when Lydia was working for Contiki and Ben was travelling through Europe. Ben was a traveller on the Contiki trip, and Lydia was the Trip Manager. Off the back of a 13-day trip, Lydia had lost her voice and was exhausted; she was also a little homesick. Ben bounded into the hotel lobby with a tan and a Southland accent – he sounded like home, and we connected instantly.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
With Greece as the backdrop, we knew we wanted the other elements of our wedding to complement the setting. We wanted modern and romantic with a soft pop of colour. Our incredible Wedding Planner, Bobbie, created a design concept which played out perfectly – a striking yet intimate setting for our ceremony, framed by sea views and focused around the ceremony tree, which was decked out in gerberas and became the focal point for the evening.
A non-negotiable was everyone seated at one table – the DJ played ‘ELO – Last Train to London’ as everyone moved from Cocktail Hour to Dinner just as the sun was setting. The drapery in the trees, floral arrangements and candles on the table created a romantic setting amongst the trees for the next part of our celebration. A first dance didn’t feel like us, so instead, we had hand-painted maracas made for each guest, which they shook like crazy when we entered the garden to ‘Jubel – Klingarde’ being played by our saxophonist.
Authenticity was key for us – we wanted a relaxed evening which felt like us at every moment. We asked our best friend to marry us so that our ceremony would be led by someone who knows us both and has helped shape our relationship. We didn’t want to have a wedding in Greece and not celebrate the incredible Greek cuisine, service and setting – so we chose local Greek vendors who could provide our guests with a typical (although elevated) Greek experience. Our wedding favours (personalised, hand-painted maracas for every guest) matched the intimate style of our 40-guest wedding, but injected a playfulness that we knew would work for our entrance and the dancefloor.
Outside of the Wedding Day, we organised Welcome Drinks at the best sunset spot on the island – Keri Lighthouse, followed by a Boat Day on Friday. We hired and skippered seven boats with all our guests, and spent the morning convoying round the bottom of the island, jumping off rocks, playing volleyball and swimming in the insanely blue water. It was important to us that we showed our guests how special Greece is, and that’s impossible if you don’t appreciate it from the water! Taking Aimee (our photographer) on our boat was the best decision – the photos she took are out of this world.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
When it comes to your vendors, don’t be tempted to book someone without speaking to them first, or only basing your decision on their previous work or social media. It is so important to find someone who complements your vision – who brings another creative angle to consider while still celebrating what you want your day to look and feel like. They should elevate your vision, they should make it realistic – we felt that so strongly with our Planner, Photographer and DJ, and it made all the difference in the lead up and on the day.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
I wore a sample dress from L’eto Bridal. The rough cut drapery and neckline reminded me of a Grecian statue and felt like the ideal choice for our destination wedding. Naz at Alter Me made it fit like a glove – and even took off one of the sleeves to make it better suited to a summer wedding held in the high 20s.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
As important as it was to support Greek vendors in Greece, we wouldn’t have chosen anywhere else for our rings than Naveya and Sloane. My engagement ring is an oval diamond, coupled with a scallop set with round diamonds for my wedding band. Ben’s wedding band is a polished half-round gold band with a brushed finish.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
The venue was the most important element for us. After we had booked our Wedding Planner and Photographer, and we knew we had the right team behind us, we spent hours looking for the perfect villa. With only 40 guests, we knew we needed to find a villa that felt intimate, but wasn’t too small that every part of the evening had to happen in the same spot.
Golden July is a family-owned villa in Zakynthos – it had the jaw-dropping views we were after, as well as a lush garden which provided the perfect platform to build on. The villa is managed by a family who provide the exceptionally warm Greek service that they are so well known for. The pride they have for the property was so clear from the moment they met us at the villa for a personal tour – we knew we had made the right decision in having our wedding somewhere that was so clearly loved.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
During the cocktail hour, our incredible photographer Aimee filled up our champagne glasses and told us to take a moment to look at all the people we had brought together, in our favourite place, and to just take it all in. It was the pause we needed – it felt like we were capturing a mental photograph of such a special moment.
The police turning up at your wedding to shut down the music twenty minutes after you move onto the dancefloor is never going to be something you wish for – but as a friend said to us, “the things that go wrong will be the things you hold closest because they are the moments which make your day yours.” After 2 years of planning and saving for this day, on top of all our guests making their way to the other side of the world to celebrate with us, it easily could have ruined the atmosphere. We are lucky that we surround ourselves with incredible people – our friends started singing our favourite songs at the top of their lungs. Our Planner told the police that shutting off the music clearly wasn’t going to make us be quiet, which resulted in them relenting and moving everyone and the DJ inside the villa, and the reception then felt like a European club. That was one of the moments we realised that nothing mattered more than bringing all the people we care about together, and celebrating the most wonderful thing in the world – love.
LOCATION Private Villa, Zakynthos, Greece, @goldenjulyluxuryvilla BRIDE Lydia, @lydiaruve GROOM Ben, @ben_garratt93 PHOTOGRAPHER Aimee Preston, @aimeeprestonimages PLANNER Bobbie Karagiannis of Sand+Lace Agency, @sandnlace_events FLORIST Florist & Drapery – Katerina Fiorentinos; Assistant Florist – George Golfinopoulos of Fiorentinos Flowers, @fiorentinos_flowers_events CELEBRANT Friend of the couple, Tom Sanders, @tom_rm_sanders ENTERTAINMENT DJ, Sound, & Lights – Timos Charalampopoulos of Wedding Republic, @weddingrepublic.gr; Saxophone – Orestis Koutsoulis, @orestis_koutsoulis CATERING Estiasis Catering STATIONERY Minimal Mingle, @minimal_mingle ENGAGEMENT RING & WEDDING BANDS Naveya & Sloane, @naveyaandsloanejewellery BRIDE’S DRESSES Ceremony Outfit – Leto Bridal, @letobridal; Reception Outfit – Anna Quan, @annaquanlabel ALTERATIONS Alter Me, @alterme_bridal BRIDE’S SHOES Tissimum, @tissimum BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Gold Bangle – Bride’s Mother’s HAIR & MAKEUP Friend of the bride BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Nomade – Chloé, @chloe TUXEDO Working Style, @workingstylenz
