Inspiring Fashion Designer

Hi All,

Today I am writing about a fantastic wedding dress designer called Maria Lucia Hohan! I happened across her website, from another wedding blog and fell for her designs! She is trained in Paris, a beautiful woman herself, young and on her 7th year of designing and I feel she has really created a fantastic collection of wedding dresses!

Aren't they beautiful?

All her designs are available to buy online at  http://www.mlh-shop.com/landing/bridal-gowns

Magpie's Cake

Good Afternoon,


I happened across this fantastic site featuring the most gorgeous, ruffly wedding cakes that I have ever seen, I think I may now be convinced that I need to make an emergency order for my own wedding!!!

This is my absolute favourite cake, of course I'm not having a ruffly dress, but why not have a ruffly cake???

Simply divine, find them on www.magpiescake.com

SP Weddings planning services

• As you don't offer packages, how exactly does the planning process work?

Well, we offer a range of services that include on the day coordination, a full day coordination and three day event coordination that is the most popular option that I offer.

Once a couple has contacted me we discuss the options, some have decided on a ceremony or reception venue, sometimes the type of ceremony dictates the location of a wedding, we look at the options and decide on a few venues that the couple are interested in.

The ideal next step is for the couple to come over to Greece, meet with me, visit the venues and decide which one they would like to book. In some cases couples are unable to make a trip at this point, so we create a visual presentation of the venues and discuss on the phone or via video conferencing.

•  And what happens next?

Next we look at the design of the wedding, colors, styles, textures and food and drink are all thought about and we will create several mood boards with different concepts and ideas, once we have settled on the best we move on to vendor selection.

• Are you affiliated to any vendors? How do you select and recommend suppliers?

SP Weddings does not have any affiliations with suppliers. We have very high expectations and recommend suppliers based on our own experience of their services. We are happy to recommend and obtain quotes for each service from several suppliers. 

Please note that in some smaller locations there may not be an array of suppliers, SP Weddings may recommend working with suppliers from a nearby larger island or even the mainland, if we are unhappy with the quality of the local suppliers.

• So, what services can you offer us exactly?

We offer an array of services including but not limited to:

• Design & inspiration boards
• Site & vendor selection
• Organization, budget & planning
• Communication with all vendors, wedding party, etc
• Vendor Contract Review & assistance with Negotiation
• Assistance with out of town accommodations
• Design guest room amenities including gift bags, baskets and other elements
• Transportation coordination
• Room layout, floor plan, seating charts
• Weekend timeline & detailed schedules
• Oversight & placement of set-up, décor, etc.
• Design and handle all wedding favours and giveaways
• Coordinate Final Details with Vendors
•  Final Vendor Confirmations
• Complete coordination of wedding weekend

• How does your pricing work?

Pricing depends on a lot of different factors the location of the venue, the size of the wedding, the set up required and the services that the couple would like us to handle.

Typically our full wedding planning services for the day only costs from 2800 EUROS and includes interaction from the signing of the contract until the wedding has been completed.

• What do you offer that other wedding planners do not?

Our main objective is to offer high end wedding planning services, the type of services that you would find in the rest of Europe and the world. We aim to offer the best suppliers, the best communication, the best service to our clients. We don't arrange services a few days before the wedding, we try to have all items booked and confirmed prior to your arrival so that you are able to sit back and enjoy your holiday and the days leading up to the wedding. 

We make every effort to take on all the stress and anxiety of planning a wedding off you and where possible rectify any last minute problems that are bound to crop up in the lead up and on the day of the wedding.

We pride ourselves on our design vision and the ability to deliver a fantastic set up, we aim to use new venues all the time and don't repeat our creative ideas once already used at other clients weddings. We believe each wedding is unique and should be treated in this manner.

Contact us to discuss your wedding plans on sp@spweddings.com

My idea of a great wedding in Lindos

Lindos weddings, and especially civil weddings at St. Paul's have become quite popular in the last few years! During high summer you would expect to see three to fours civil weddings taking place each afternoon with a maximum of seven if it's a particularly popular date.

At the moment civil weddings can take place on any day of the week in the afternoon from 14.00 onwards, although I would recommend choosing after 17.30 for your wedding as it gets cooler and the beaches are less crowded at this time.

Sometimes though, you want something different and something very private! I see a lot of couples coming to me who don't want to have onlookers at their wedding and would also prefer to hold their wedding somewhere a little more "exclusive". In these cases I recommend considering a private villa, ensuring that it's grounds are spacious enough to hold at least the ceremony and perhaps a cocktail party afterwards before moving on to a reception venue.


Of course the ideal scenario is to keep everything centred around one venue, so if you are able to splash out on a large venue it will save your guests a lot of hassle moving from one venue to the next.

The benefits of booking a villa for your wedding are that you can use it as your accommodation, you can have a reason to choose an even more beautiful venue as it will also be your ceremony and reception venue, there is no time line, there is no issue of annoying other guests with your music tastes.

In addition the best advantages of booking a private villa for your wedding is that you get complete control over the quality of the suppliers, meaning the food, alcohol, DJ, live band, sound and lighting are all your own choice with no one dictating what you can and can't have which is very common in large corporate hotels.

So freedom is basically what you buy with choosing a private villa for your wedding in Lindos and that is the key to getting the wedding that you really want!

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

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• 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!

The Guide to a Greek Orthodox Wedding

Good afternoon all, 

Today we are disecting the requirements in order to have a Greek Orthodox ceremony, of course the place to start is with whether you are eligible to marry in this faith:

• One of the couple must be Greek Orthodox and have a baptism certificate to prove it
• The other must be Christian and again have a baptism certificate to prove it

Next we have the dreaded paperwork:

• Certificate of No Impediment can be obtained from your local parish. Two friends or cousins must certify that you have never been married and are not related. You must ensure that the exact location of the wedding ceremony is included on the Certificate.
• 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.
• Full birth certificate, the shorter version of the Certificate will not be accepted.
• 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.
• Declaration of N. 1599/86
• 2 copies of the declaration of intent to marry from a nation wide newspaper
• Proof of where you live, a recent telephone or electricity bill can be used
• Photocopy of your passport or your Greek identity card

Paperwork requirements for a Christian marrying in the Greek Orthodox Church

• Full Birth Certificate, 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 and 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.
• Baptism Certificate, required only for a Catholic or Greek Orthodox ceremony
• Photocopy of passport
• A legal declaration that you will allow your future children to be brought up and baptized in the Christian Orthodox faith
• 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 in your area or the Secretary of State.
• The Birth Certificate, Certificate of No Impediment, Divorce, Adoption or Change of Name Certificates will need to be stamped with an Apostille.
• Documents issued directly into Greek or issued by the Church do not need an Apostille stamp.
• Document Translations, All the above documents, except for the copies of passport must be officially translated into Greek at the Greek Embassy or Consulate. This must be completed at least one month before the wedding. Contact the Greek Embassy nearest you on www.greekembassy.org or www.greekembassy.org.uk

Once the paperwork is complete, it is then time to choose all the components required at the church for the Orthodox ceremony, this is what I call paraphenalia!

• 2 large candles, known as lambades, these can be on pedestals, free standing or even held by your best man and maid of honor. The most popular version is the free standing (around 20 cm wide) and around 1,5 cm in height, these can be decorated with flowers or left plain depending on the location and style of wedding that you are planning.
• The wedding crowns, known as stefana, these can be made of silver, crystals, pearls, even made of flowers. The most popoular is to have silver crowns perhaps with encrusted with crystals or a design hammered on to it
• The wine glass, an integral part of the Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony is that the bride, groom, best man and maid of honor drink from the one wine glass. You can choose to buy this in the same shop as you buy the lambades and stefana, however I would advise taking one from home as it seems a real waste buying one glass that will not really be used again in the future!
• The wine, DON'T FORGET THE WINE, must be red, the most common is Mavrodafni (although personally I can't stand it) but anything will do
• The caraf, this is purely for decorative purposed, you can decant the wine into a caraf that matches the wine glass, again this would be lovely as part of a set to use in the future! 
• The tray, during the ceremony the tray is laid out along with the glass, caraf, stefana, this can be ornate, plane, wooden, whatever matches your decor!
• The rice, this is my favorite part of the ceremony, guests are invited to throw rice at the couple, symbolising the wish for their marriage to sprout roots and sew itself into the ground, this is the only part of the Greek Orthodox ceremony that the guests get to play a part in, so ensure you have plenty of rice to hand, this can be dispayed in large baskets handed around by bridesmaids, in pouches, cones or any other small container and you usually estimate a handful or so of rice!

I hope this guide will help brides and grooms across the world who are planning a Greek Orthodox wedding and especially those who have never attended or watched the ceremony!

Kala Stefana

Preview of fantastic wedding in Lindos, Rhodes

Hi All, Happy Monday!

Today I am bringing you a preview of an incredibly beautiful and lovely couple who married in Lindos in May!

I love this picture, the movement and colours are fantastic. This is at the couples wedding cocktail a few nights prior to the wedding!

Jukka the fabulous hairdresser is such a character and you can see the bride is simply beautiful!

The dress looks fabulous here!

I adooore this picture, all the girsl in their lovely dresses!

Walking through Lindos being cheered on by the locals!

Married at last! Congratulations!

I will be bringing you more on the decor, layout and how the day went later next month when the photographs are finalised!

All the photography is by Antonis Giannelis, www.giannelis.com

Bridesmaids Fashion

I do love fashion, I love talking, looking and thinking about fashion, so today I created an inspiration board regarding bridesmaids!



My key image is bridesmaids in white, using different textures, lengths and style of dresses. Personally I am not particularly worried of other attendees or guests stealing my thunder or not realising who the bride is, ok perhaps I would be slightly offended if a guest turned up to my wedding in a maxi white dress and looked really good in it, perhaps that isn't so cool! Anyway, I think it looks very cute when all the bridesmaids wear white and the bride wears a cream or alternative shade! I also quite like it teamed with a bride in white and love when the bridesmaids dresses resemle the bridal gown in some way.

I love having all the dresses hanging while all getting ready and the general excitement, buzz in the atmosphere makes for some great shots!

Cute hems, details and colors are all great when it comes to bridesmaids gowns and of course I do like it when the bride allows her attendants to choose their own style of dress depending on their tastes!

Especially liking this concept:

It is created by butterbynadia.com and is a dress sold in many shades that ties in almost 15 ways, so perfect to suit many body shapes!

Introducing......Little White Agenda

Hi All,


So my friend Natalia (a former client of mine) and I launched a new blog called Little White Agenda a few months ago, we are slowly gathering content and creating an identity for it, however the objective is similiar and that is to give information on how to plan a wedding in Greece!

We have many exciting ideas and plans for the blog, it would be wonderful if you could visit us and leave a comment or even become a follower of the blog!

http://littlewhiteagenda.blogspot.com/

A favorite photographer

Hi All,

Sorry about the infrequent posts, I am currently very busy and planning my own wedding and it is taking it's toll really!

Today I am posting some images from a great photographer, whose work I admire immensly! He is not particularly photojournalistic, his style is more to arrange amazing photoshoots after the wedding which to me are more like works of art than simply documenting a wedding!

Aren't they mesmerising?

For those wishing to book Nikos Papadopoulos head over to his website at www.nikophotography.gr

Inspiring Wedding via Style Me Pretty Blog

Hi All,

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed the gorgeous summer weather (perhaps a little too hot in my area at 38 C, but I dealt with it by staying in the sea until 20.00).


Today I wanted to share a beautiful wedding that I spotted over on Style Me Pretty (if there is anyone in the world planning an event that hasn't visited this blog, please bookmark and get yourself over there at least once a week for the most incredible inspiration.......ever).

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/07/29/central-california-wedding-by-abby-ross-photography/