Remember overseas travel? Destination weddings are officially on the agenda again, and we are celebrating its (slow but steady) return today with the insanely stunning Santorini nups of Emily and Reece.
Folks, this Greek island was truly made for amazing weddings – those quintessential white stone buildings, the Mediterranean sun, the food – oh! the food… “Reece is half Greek and when we got engaged we innocently joked about getting married in Greece,” Emily tells us. “Once our families got wind of the idea they were SUPER excited. So, we looked into it, locked it in and didn’t even consider anything else!”
So Emily packed her Rime Arodaky dress, Reece grabbed his Joe Black suit and – with photographer extraordinaire Janneke Storm in tow – the pair headed to the other side of the world to say ‘I do’.
THE VENUE “We didn’t want to do the ‘typical’ Greece wedding. We did a lot of research on different venues… we wanted a more ‘stone built’ vibe as opposed to the blue and white look. We also had to consider accessibility and convenience for our vendors and guests, and Santorini is the easiest island for logistics like that. Venetsanos Winery is perched on the cliff of a little traditional village called Megalochori – there are very few tourists. It ticked all the boxes for us with its ‘natural’ Greek aesthetic (not like Oia/Fira) and had the MOST spectacular view overlooking the Caldera. We booked it almost instantly after seeing it.”
THE THEME “We wanted earthy tones, natural textures – understated but with real attention to the details. We didn’t want it too pink or peachy so olive was our hero colour, followed by sand, with accents of terracotta, browns, dusty pinks and white.”
FAVE DETAILS “Everything was done exactly how we envisioned it. We loved the table settings with the alternating plate, napkin and menu setup with our brushed gold cutlery. Add in the terracotta vases, dried florals and cut glasses paired with our drop-down Edison bulb lighting – altogether it was just the most perfect combination! I also cried when I saw it all set up. lol.”
THE DRESS “I think the universe really wanted me to have that dress! Rime Arodaky isn’t stocked in Australia and I had been following her on Instagram for some time. I was completely obsessed with her Trilby gown but knew it was almost impossible for me to try it on without travelling overseas. Six months before the wedding I still hadn’t found anything I liked and still had my heart set on the Trilby gown. Like magic, Rime posted a story mentioning that The Mews Bridal, a bridal boutique from London, was making the trip to Sydney to showcase all their French designers (including Rime). I instantly contacted them to book an appointment and asked if they could bring the Trilby gown with them. I tried it on and as I walked out, my mum burst out in tears. I absolutely loved wearing it on our wedding day. It was 100% meant to be!”
REFERENCES “Our planner Bobbie from Sand+Lace Events helped us with all our vendors. We didn’t know where to start with having a wedding overseas and Bobbie was absolutely incredible with lining up all the right vendors for the style of wedding we wanted.”
COOL CUSTOM “We incorporated white orchids in our flowers to nod to our passed grandparents and special friends.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We’re so glad we did exactly what we wanted! We loved having my mum marry us, we loved not doing some of the traditional stuff and we loved the whole day’s format – we had a wine tasting after the ceremony, followed by a big grazing table while we were getting our portraits done. We organised live music during this time to keep our guests entertained, too!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our gorgeous photographer Janneke Storm, who we’re so lucky to call a friend, too. We went to uni together and it was really special having her shoot our day. She’s a rare talent in this game – we are still pinching ourselves we had her there for our special day! Bobbie, our planner from Sand+Lace Events, was a complete angel. Nothing was too hard or too much of an ask. She was on the same wavelength with us the whole time and really listened to our ideas. Without her, our wedding wouldn’t have been possible.”
This phenom day first appeared in print in our 2020 Real Wedding Special and you can grab your very own copy right here. While you’re at it, check out Janneke Storm‘s directory listing for big day snaps you’ll love forever. And if you’re still to find your guy’s look, check out what Joe Black has to offer.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Janneke Storm Event Planner Sand+Lace Events Florist Betty Flowers Stationery Em.ly Studio Printer The Distillery Ceremony & Reception Venetsanos Winery Catering Spicy Bites Hire Items Sand+Lace Events (napkins, cutlery, crockery, flower vases, cut glasses), Spicy Bites (tables), Weddings & Whimsy (chairs) Lighting Hire Weddings & Whimsy Sound Hire Venetsanos Winery Entertainment FOS Productions Celebrant
My mum (Greece), Ketrina Coffey (Australia) Rings Armans (engagement ring), Larsen (wedding bands) Accommodation Airbnb THE BRIDE Gown Rime Arodaky Bridal boutique The Mews Bridal Hairpiece Amber Sceats (gold hairpins) Shoes Jacquemus Earrings Reliquia Collective Necklaces (worn down the back) & Choker YCL Jewels Coin chain Brie Leon Wicker purse Cult Gaia Perfume Diptyque Paris ‘Oyedo’ Flower girl Tea Princess THE GROOM Jacket Joe Black Shirt Tommy Hilfiger Pants Academy Brand Shoes Betts