Romanian couple Taisia and Gabriel wanted one thing when it came to their destination wedding, to wed somewhere in an Orthodox church on an island. Naturally, the beautiful country of Greece was the first location to come to mind, specifically the Greek Isles.

“We love this country, it has spectacular views and places, amazing food, and it’s close to our home country of Romania,” the couple says.

Oh – did we mention Taisia and Gabriel work in the wedding industry themselves? Well, because the couple knew exactly what they were doing, planning for their Greece destination wedding got off to a quick start.

“We really wanted to do everything by ourselves since we work in this field in Romania and we were sure we could organize everything smoothly,” Taisia says.

And, everything was running quite smoothly, that is until COVID-19 hit. “Our flights were canceled and postponed multiple times,” Gabriel says.

Thankfully, Gabriel and Taisia already planned on having a small guest list, comprised mostly of family members, which was advantageous when it came to adjusting plans due to the pandemic.

“We were sure we wanted a small religious ceremony with our closest family members and friends since we already had a big civil ceremony at home,” the couple says.

Beyond happy to spend special time away together, the couple and their guests saw the wedding celebration as a sort of family vacation to celebrate a magical event in Gabriel and Taisia’s life.

Truly, this Greece wedding couldn’t have been more perfect, especially because a Romanian priest performed the couple’s religious ceremony – exactly what they’d set out to find.

Sharing their first moments as a married couple in the company of their closest people, Gabriel and Taisia soaked in the beauty of the stark white buildings contrasting the turquoise blue ocean waters.

“Our wedding would have been special in any place in the world,” the pair says, “but we really wanted to be close to the sea and change the scenery to mark the moment.”

Vendors: Photographer: Ioana Porav; Videographer: Weddingtellers; Ceremony/Reception Site: Church of Saint Nektarios (Crete); Florist: Nicu Bocancea; Calligraphy & Invitation Suite: Charmink Calligraphy; Gown Designer: Rhea Costa Bridal; Shoes: Casadei; Wedding Bands: Cartier; Hats: Palaria Dadarlat; Bride’s Light Blue Dress: Privato Dress