Afternoon Lovely People. I hope you are all well and had a good weekend.
We have a beautiful wedding to share with you today, captured by Karina Leonenko Photography and sent all the way from Cyprus. It comes with a beautiful understated earthy yet modern aesthetic, a saturated colour palette of natural hues and a gorgeous mix of different textures created mainly using dried flowers and enhanced with festoon lighting and candles. It is romantic, informal and delicate and the most perfect example of how minimal decor design, especially when coupled with a venue that comes with so much natural beauty and character, can be more than enough to create the perfect atmosphere for your wedding…
We both wanted an outdoors wedding that would resemble crisp summer night gatherings with family and friends. None of us are fond of the extravagant, overly decorated or too formal weddings, so it was essential to create an atmosphere of relaxation, calmness and romance where all our guests would feel comfortable and immersed in the atmosphere.
Maria and Frixos
Sounds perfect to me!
Maria and Frixos talk us through their beautiful wedding, the DIY elements that they put together with friends that led to some very special memories and all of their suppliers that helped make it happen.
Make sure you read Maria’s brilliant advice at the end. Below is a little snippet:
Be free to adjust and adapt and don’t stress about the things that are not essential or out of your control. At the end of the day, the best and more meaningful part of the day will be the smiles and tears that your family and friends will bring to the celebration and the emotions that will flood the day.
New Years Eve Proposal…
We got engaged on New Years Eve which is also my birthday. It was totally unexpected as he had always said that it is such a huge cliché to get engaged on birthdays or special occasions.
A Bespoke Wedding Dress…
My dress was a bespoke piece from Elena Strongyliotou, a Cypriot designer based in Nicosia. When I first visited her studio, I tried on too many gowns that I liked, but as soon as she started adjusting loose pieces of fabric on me and brainstorming, I realised that I found a truly creative designer that understood and appreciated the design process as much as I do. She made a sketch for me, and we went with it. The gown was immaculately crafted, and polymorphic in the sense that the back piece could come off to reveal a bare back.
Jimmy Choo & Gold Hair Piece…
I wore a pair of Jimmy Choo heels with a geometric pattern in a nude shade. I felt the shoe design complemented my wedding dress perfectly.
I wanted my outfit to have a modern aesthetic, and the idea alone of wearing a veil made me feel very uncomfortable. I opted for a gold hair agrafe from designer Sylvain le Hen, a piece that I thought would give a graphic definition in an otherwise messy hairdo.
Bride’s Jewellery: I didn’t wear any jewelry other than a pair of matte gold earings by designer Skevi Afantiti. I felt they were very geometric, almost architectural and completed the look in a very saddle way.
A Church with Significance…
We had a religious ceremony in one of the city’s oldest byzantine churches which dated back to the 18th century. While trying to select a church, we found ourselves leaning toward the smaller, more intimate ones. St. Antonios Church in the old city of Nicosia was one of our favorites, and when we accidentally found out that my husbands grandparents got married in that exact location years ago, we felt the significance that came with that space was too grand to ignore.
Delicate Yet Powerful Photography…
When it came to selecting a photographer, we were very clear on what we were looking for. It was important to us to have an individual that would let the events flow naturally and capture the emotions and atmosphere of the event. Karina Leonenko, did an amazing job. She worked in the background, to capture everyone and everything that happened on the day in an extremely delicate and powerful way. I especially appreciate her eye in capturing moments of us on the most unexpected moments. Those images are by far my most cherished ones.
Calming, Relaxing & Romantic
We both wanted an outdoors wedding that would resemble crisp summer night gatherings with family and friends. None of us is fond of the extravagant, overly decorated or too formal weddings, so it was essential to create an atmosphere of relaxation, calmness and romance where all our guests would feel comfortable and immersed in the atmosphere.
As we live on an island with amazing beaches, we originally entertained the idea of a beach celebration. However, when we visited Aelia, we liked the aesthetic of the place, and the rough, almost desert like landscapes around it. The olive trees and herb gardens that comprise the venue gardens were enhancing the calmness that the space evokes and made us feel that this would be ideal for us. We felt that Aelia could bring a lot to the table in terms of the atmosphere and it didn’t call for much additional decoration. As they operate as a small boutique hotel and spa they have rooms where our guests from abroad and closest friends could use. We thought it would be great to prolong the celebrations with brunch with our most loved ones the day after our wedding.
Dried Flowers and Botanicals…
In between the ceremony and the dinner, we organized a small gathering for our friends which was timed perfectly during the golden hour. Carpets with large cushions were laid amongst the olive trees at Aelia and a cart with homemade lemonade and DIY Gin & Tonics was set up for our guests. This was really a time for everyone to come together, talk, mingle and relax. It was also a chance for us to get to talk to everyone and wind down.
The décor comprised an accumulation of dried floras and botanicals that can be found in the endless fields of the Mediterranean late summer landscapes. The understated, almost desaturated, colour palette along with the rough textures of the dried florals reflected our aesthetic of an earthy yet modern décor. Hints of black metal pieces of furniture gave a minimal edge to the organic arrangements. Our event planners “The Event Co” and our florist Sophia did a great job extending the surrounding landscapes into our décor and setting up everything in a meticulous way.
Long tables decorated with dried florals and numerus candles were arranged in a radial arrangement around the dancefloor. We didn’t opt for a head table because we didn’t want to separate ourselves from our guests. Bistro lights lighted the venue space and set a nostalgic atmosphere.
The dancefloor itself was marked with an overhead structure that held numerous Edison lamps and a large floral arrangement. We kept the table décor minimal and emphasized on a few larger pieces that would make more of an impact to the space.
An Invaluable Process…
Since we started planning, I knew that I wanted to take on some DIY projects. Being an architect by profession, I like to be involved in the creative process and see my ideas realised. The process included the invaluable help from a lot of our friends which was definitely one of our best decisions. Our memories from the wedding don’t just include those of the day of the event, but also the days and weeks leading to it, the gatherings with friends to fold the origami envelopes over gin and tonics, the wrapping of the wedding nutty pastries in fabric, collecting lunaria brunches during excursions in the mountains and so much more. The stories are infinite and make our wedding feel more of a process rather than a day.
Instead of wedding favors, we donated to a charitable foundation. I created little flower bouquets that were placed on each guest’s napkin and attached a thank you note on them as a very personal and intimate way to appreciate their being present on our wedding.
DIY Origami Inspired Invitations…
I designed the invitation cards and envelopes myself. The envelope was piece of translucent intricately folded in an origami like way that created different levels of transparency. I focused on the textures of the paper and the wrapping and gave a lot of attention to the details in order to create an interest in unfolding the invitation as this would the first impression of the wedding.
Instead of a large format seating chart, I used photo frames that were spread on metal stands at the entrance of the reception area.
A Minimal Yet Stunning Wedding Cake…
Our wedding cake was designed and executed by my childhood friend Constantinos Pelavas who specializes in bespoke wedding cakes in Cyprus. We saw a sketch of the cake, which comprised of many asymmetrical bands and gave him the go ahead because he is a true artist at what he does. The flavor was a delicate lemon schiffon with hints of basil.
Is This Love…
Being very private and shy, the decision of whether we would even go for a first dance was very difficult for us. Our DJ suggested that we do, and we are glad we took his advice. In an effort to lighten the atmosphere during that moment, we chose Bob Marley’s “Is this Love”. Most importantly, this song is an ode to the simple and most meaningful aspects of love and togetherness. It does not boast grand declarations but rather emphasizes the simplicity and meaningfulness of love and respect in a marriage.
Favourite Moment…
Following the Greek Orthodox tradition, my husband along with our friends and family waited for me outside the church. Walking into the church hand by hand symbolizes the couple’s unified entrance to married life and was an overly sentimental moment.
Any Advice?
While planning for a wedding a lot of ideas you have may end up not being realised or having to be edited in the process. I have found that this only yields a better result. Be free to adjust and adapt and don’t stress about the things that are not essential or out of your control. At the end of the day, the best and more meaningful part of the day will be the smiles and tears that your family and friends will bring to the celebration and the emotions that will flood the day.
On the day, while I was getting ready, I found that surrounding myself with dear and trusted friends kept me calm and relaxed and allowed me to keep the stress at bay and enjoy the day.
The Line Up…
Photography: Karina Leonenko Photography; Venue: Aelia Wellness Retreat; Wedding Design & Invitations: Maria Louca (Bride); Planners: The Event Co; Floral: Sophia Charalambous; Bride’s Dress: Elena Strongyliotou; Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo Bridal Boutique; Bride’s Headpiece: Sylvain le Hen; Groom Attire: Zegna; Rings: Nikos & Alexis Neophytou Jewellery; Earrings: Skevi Afantiti; MUA: Ilona G; Hair: Blow CY; Cake: Constantinos Pelavas; Catering: Pandora Catering
