A little about me

I thought that it was time to give a little information about myself, who I am, why I am writing this blog!!! I studied fashion design, marketing and PR at university and went on to work for a national company organising their fashions shows and parties, which was loads of fun and great experience, as it's quite similiar to wedding planning. I have been a wedding planner for the last 6 years, I "fell" into this job by mistake, initially working for a travel company who wanted to start offering wedding packages to accompany the travel side of things, eventually after 2 summers offering packages, I realised there was a market out there that was looking for more personal services, more luxurious, people wanted the option to create a fantastic day for their guests while abroad, that would be comparable to the services that are available in their home country. Anyway, the last few years I have been privileged to have organised some beautiful weddings, work with fascinating people and of course come up against some immense challenges. Yes, it's a stressful job, but I adore it, I trail the internet almost daily for inspiration and keep up to date with new trends with all the internation wedding magazines and of course trips abroad! My vice is photography which I consider to be the most important element of a wedding day, I much prefer to downsize the amount of food than cut back on a great photographer! Anyway, I must go!!!! Photograph by Annie Aggelopoulou

Wedding Dresses

And so to a matter that evokes so many emotions, excitement, stress and distress, spring to mind! Usually an enjoyable, expensive and emotional shopping experience, but also one of the higlights of planning a wedding! The idea of what to choose to wear may be something that has been forming in your mind since you were playing bride with your playmates or a revelation since you have become engaged, it may also be a simple need to dress yourself for this day! However you see your wedding dress, it is a hard decision to make and an important one! I have chosen my top ten favourite dresses for a wedding abroad: ~ Claire Pettibone dress, a beautiful silvery-grey lace dress, intricate, delicate with a modern edge, light enough to wear on a hot day and to dance the night away in! ~ Dolly Couture dress, this short 50's style dress is so "now" with the nod to vintage themed weddings, the simple style, luxurious fabric is perfect for those wanting to step away from a traditional wedding dress and are planning an informal wedding. ~ Jenny Packham dress, now an established name in wedding designers, this is a designer for the modern woman with taste and attention to detail! I love the headress that was shown on the catwalk, although it might look a little out of place on a beach. The dress is almost ethereal and would suit a castle or whimsical wedding very well. ~ Lela Rose dress, this is one of my favourite dresses in the top ten, interesting textured fabric and an easy to wear shape. This is certainly a "heavier" dress than the other ones, but suitable for a church or hotel wedding. ~Unique Vintage dress, I love the gold band on this dress and I also love the price tag, although I think it holds its own among the designer dresses very well! A perfect solution to those looking for an affordable option for their wedding abroad. ~ Divine wear dress, I thought that I should include a Greek designer in the list, the designer is Agni Hatzidaki, who has this gorgeous Grecian gown in her current collection, of course very appropriate for a wedding abroda in Greece, this is light, easy to wear and the draping will complement most body types! ~Lucibella dress, the only off white dress in the top ten, I like this colour, especially on brunettes with a slight tan, I love the shape, this would be perfect to hide a growing bump, but also extremely comfortable to wear during a whole day of festivities. I think the dress could be worn with leather flats for added comfort on the dance floor. ~ Sarah Arnett dress, I have been following Sarah's collections for the past couple of years and really love her designs, she does some slinky numbers that are perfect for a 20's or 30's themed wedding teamed with red lipstick, however I can't see this fitting into a hot summer wedding on a Greek island, instead I have picked the simplest gown, beauitfully cut, with the tiniest hint of a train, this is the dress that I would wear to my wedding if choosing today. ~ Pronovias dress, this company needs no introduction, at the moment it is the leading wedding dress company in the world and rightfully so, great dresses, great stores, good service (probably debatable) and great new ranges every season. Almost every girl wants the Pronovias experience in the run up to her wedding! I have chosen a traditional gown with a lacy edged veil, a true Spanish feel to it. This is for the romantic bride who has dreamt of her wedding since being a little girl. I would remove the veil after the wedding ceremony.

Hotel, restaurant or villa as reception????

A very good question to ask yourself is which option will offer the best quality and value for money, yet retain the atmosphere that you want to create for the evening of your wedding. There are many points to consider when making your decision, some of the most important being:

• The setting, a busy restaurant or hotel venue may not offer the privacy that you want for your wedding reception. Ask about hiring the restaurant or venue exclusively for your wedding party. If you are having a very small affair, with a small amount of guests, then look at hiring a private part of the restaurant or hotel, which will give you your own space to do as you wish with.
• A villa of course offers complete privacy, especially when choosing a property with a lush garden, high walls or that is secluded, however this brings with it a large amount of hidden extras that make the set up a little more complicated than the previous options. Hiring furniture, bringing in caterers, lighting and setting up a sound system can prove costly for a small wedding, although the end result is usually worth it's while.
• Entertainment, if you are particular about the type of music you would like played at your wedding, ensure that you check with your venue what is permitted, especially when hiring a part of a restaurant or hotel grounds.
• Alcohol, the bonus of choosing an independent wedding venue such as a villa, is that you can choose to bring in your own alcohol from a local warehouse and hire bar staff, thus keeping your bar bill under control. When choosing a 5 star restaurant or exclusive restaurant remember to look at their wine list, as this tends to make a huge difference to the cost of the overall event.
• Timings, when considering a restaurant and hotel, consider the time required to decorate the venue as most will not offer more than an hour before the starting time of event for the area to be made over, depending on what you may want, the set up may take more than a day.

In general consider all options, weigh up the pros and cons to the type of venue that you would like to choose and ensure that you make an informed decision that will please you and your guests!

Villa Eleni, Patmos

For those of you looking for a secluded villa, where you can enjoy incredible sunsets, great food and simply relax, then look no further than this private property on Patmos island. You can choose to rent the apartment for just the two of you or the entire property if you are concerned about privacy. I feel that the finish on this villa is exceptional and although it doesn't offer a private pool in it's grounds, the view more than makes up for this!