Brian asked Alexandria to be his life partner in Greece, so when it came to deciding where to have their destination wedding, the adventurous couple decided to return to the beautiful country.

The couple from Charleston, North Carolina knew it would be challenging for some on their guest list to attend, but they also recognized the need to please their adventurous hearts. 

“After we decided on a destination wedding, Santorini was an easy choice. The idea of sharing our vows in such a beautiful place was a no-brainer,” Alexandria says.

Guests that could attend were ecstatic about getting to visit Santorini and many planned to make an effortless vacation out of it. However, planning the Santorini wedding day was not all smooth sailing for the couple.

The newlyweds say, “The norm for weddings in Santorini (at least from our perspective) is VERY different than the process we would have experienced had we planned our wedding at home.”

The two admit it was a bit nerve wracking when, three months out from the wedding, the cake, flowers, musicians, etc. were not secured. Not to mention, the difficulty of trying to “decode” everything needed to have a legal ceremony in Greece.

For all their troubles, the couple leaned on their wedding planner, Anna Vafeiadou, to make it all happen.

“Our wedding planner did a fabulous job outlining all the documents we would need – not only that, she went an extra step further and offered to take the marriage license to the court house following our wedding so we could get straight to enjoying our honeymoon,” the couple says. 

The bride also thanks Google and Pinterest for providing a platform for her research, because many online wedding resources have not fully expanded out from the U.S.

Ultimately, the couple left most of the details up to the professionals, but did incorporate a DIY touch for the name “cards.” The two purchased sea glass at a local craft store and used a gold paint pen to scribe everyone’s name. The fun project ended up fitting in perfectly with the rest of the décor. The Santorini destination wedding required clean and simple décor, since the intimate beauty of the location took center stage second to the couple, of course.

After all, the adventurous lovers got exactly what they wanted by having their wedding away from home. 

“We also had a much more intimate wedding in Greece (it would have easily been 10x the size had we opted for a local wedding) which meant less mouths to feed and a smaller venue,” Alexandria says.

For those planning to have a destination wedding in Greece, the couple advises to run with it and don’t look back and to find a trustworthy wedding planner who makes it easier for you to tie the knot with your soulmate, stress-free.

Vendors: Photographer: Aaron & Jillian Photography, Wedding Planner: Santorini Weddings by Anna Vafeiadou, Ceremony/Reception Site: Santorini Princess Spa Hotel, Florist: Betty Santorini Flowers, Stationery: Dunkirk Designs, Cake: Afroditi Tsipa, Hair & Makeup: Litsa Alefragi, Gown Designer: Venus Bridal, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Joseph Abboud, Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Bridesmaid: Oyisha; Groomsman: Calvin Klein, Musicians: Vassalos Team