Vicki and Luke were married on a beautiful romantic setting in Kefalonia, “overlooking the stunning mountains and the crystal blue waters of the Ioanian Ocean; a combination that took their breathe away”. Beautiful flower arrangements with pink and red roses decorated the ceremony venue and created a very romantic atmosphere. Bride chose a unique gold wedding gown with embellishments and she was stunning; she stole the show!
Captured beautifully by Lighthouse Photography!
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Luke and I had known of each other for a few years, but had never actually met. This was because my brother Daniel had been introduced to Luke first through a mutual friend of theirs. The stars must have aligned as it was through this mutual friendship which eventually brought us together. Our mutual friend Michael, along with Luke, started taking regular Saturday morning bootcamp sessions. Being a fitness enthusiast, I joined in. This is where I first met Luke. Yes, believe it or not, but Luke was my bootcamp instructor!”, the bride shared with us.
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Luke is an incredible organiser, forever whisking me away to a new destination. We are natural explorers and find limitless adventure through travelling often. Every year since we have been together, Luke has always taken me on an adventure for my birthday, whether it be near or far. Thoughtful, fun and romantic! In 2014, Luke arranged for us to visit Margaret River, in Western Australia. We had spoken very openly about marriage before this, so much so, that 6 months prior we went together to look for an engagement ring! Having chosen my dream ring, both friends and family knew that a proposal was just around the corner! So, after the most amazing week exploring beaches, watching sunsets, travelling around in our campervan, snorkelling and site seeing… On the very last day of our trip, my birthday, the 8th of December… Luke proposed! We had spent the morning out and about, visiting this beautiful Lavender Farm (We had the most delicious lavender ice cream there!), walking through the vineyard, sun was shining, it was just the two of us, and it was absolutely perfect. Luke’s first words to me were… “You know you’re the one for me?” This was a give away! The tears then followed! Such happy tears! More tears than there were words! Both so overwhelmed with happiness, not much needed to be said. Luke then asked me to close my eyes as he had “something special” to give me. I closed my eyes and when I opened them… Luke was down on one knee, with a big smile, ring in hand”.
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Our absolutely beautifully decorated ceremony took place outdoors in a town called Vlachata on “Paradise Island” Kefalonia in Greece, at the venue Andromeda Centre. We were graced by the stunning mountains as our backdrop and the views of the crystal blue waters of the Ioanian Ocean. A combination that took our breathe away. The location could not have been more perfect. Being surrounded by these incredible elements of nature are a true representation of us individually and as a couple”.
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Luke and I have always wanted to visit Greece together. Not just because of it’s unbelievable beauty, history and culture, but most importantly to visit the family that I have there. It was definitely an important event for Luke to meet my family in Greece. This was something we had been looking forward to for a long time. We had many conversations on whether we wanted a “Melbourne Wedding” or a “Destination Wedding” – We went back and forth with ideas many times. It was Luke who finally made the decision – Kefalonia it was! My Pappou (Grandfather) was born in Kefalonia, he moved to Australia for many years only to have re-located back to the beautiful Kefalonia for the last 15 years. It was an absolute dream and privilege to have the opportunity to get married on the island where my grandfather was born. Our love for travel, our appreciation for nature’s beauty, the unbeatable views, an excuse to create a holiday for family and friends in the most stunning location, to tie two cultures together, to visit family afar – You can see that there are just too many wonderful reasons as to why we chose Kefalonia, and it exceeded all our expectations. Words do not suffice!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“You could say that our concept was somewhat “Rustic and Romantic” in theme – We had such a gorgeous backdrop of the ocean and the mountains that our chosen color scheme for the floral were bold pinks and purples. These colors also complimented my gold dress and Luke’s black suit with navy lapels. Hints of gold, paired with the luscious greenery against crisp white table settings worked perfectly in conjunction with the location and scenery. Just brilliant! Having planned the wedding details from Melbourne, I wasn’t too picky with the type of flowers that would make the bouquet. Communicating with the wonderful wedding planners at Sun and Sea weddings, I left it in their trusting hands to put together the bouquet with their florist. I had only sent through images as inspiration with the details of the color and floral style. This element of “not knowing” exactly what my bouquet would look like, made for a sweet surprise on the day!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“With a venue like Andromeda and the spectacular views of Kefalonia, it is safe to say that decorations are barely needed! We had a very simplistic, minimalist approach to our wedding – The result was just gorgeous even so! We chose a white carpet, white wicker chairs and a white wooden flower arch for the ceremony. The flower arch was decorated with luscious greenery as well as pink and purple floral. There were also a few white stands which lined the isle with matching floral in rustic gold vases. The tables were dressed with white table clothes, bronze cutlery and table numbers with sweet, floral graphics to match the color scheme of the wedding. I printed these table numbers out myself the day before we flew out actually! They worked a treat.”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Having worked as a stylist previously, visuals are very important to me! I had a great time researching and collecting images of inspiration in order to help me in making my final decisions. I searched through Instagram and Pinterest mostly, eventually making a folder on Pinterest to help me refine the look and feel of the wedding”.
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“Wow, what can I say about my wedding dress? I was incredibly lucky to get my hands on this stunning gown! I had always wanted a gold wedding dress – Gold with embellishments of some sort. (Side story: When my father asked my mum, “What is Vicki’s dress like? Is it white?” My mum replied, “No it’s not white. You know our Vicki! She is always wearing something different! My good friend and wedding planner, Janice, gave me the heads up to have a look at Jane Hill. At this stage, I hadn’t looked for wedding gowns. One Saturday after work, I decided to bite the bullet and visit Jane Hill. I took Mum with me too. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a gold dress hanging on the rack as soon as I walked in! I thought it was too good to be true. What was even more astonishing was that it fit like a glove. I tried on a few dresses (white in color) but was mesmerised by the detail and beauty of this truly unique gown. I am still astonished at how fitting my wedding gown was. It was always important to me to choose a gown which represented me truthfully – This was definitely it! I also had my veil custom made to pair with this one of a kind dress. The veil was “biscuit” in color with applique embellishments along the hem as well as embellishments placed in various spots around the front of the veil to frame my face. Divine!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“From one moment to the next, Luke and I were just in awe of how special not only our wedding day was, but how incredible our whole time spent with friends and family in Kefalonia was – It would be unfair to just pick one moment! We are both speechless at how precious it was to have our friends and family from different cultures and countries come together in the one place – That in itself is a moment that we will cherish forever. To see all our guests dancing, laughing, getting to know each other in a situation that we could only have dreamt of is really and truly a dream!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“From our vows being both in Greek and English for our guests, to my father walking me down the isle to Luke, to the most enchanting scenery, being on the mountain top over looking the Ioanian Sea, to Luke’s teary delivery of his vows, to the delicious food, to the band that flew in to Kefalonia from Northern Greece to play live traditional music from Epirus, to the fireworks that my Pappou surprised us with, to the talented and skilled Kefalonian dancers who put on a show for us, the joy and happiness radiating from my Pappou, his humbling nature and adoration to have us all there with him, to all the people who were involved in creating such a perfect day for us and to the smiles on our guests faces… I could list so many moments that we feel so much gratitude for. We will treasure our experience forever!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Bride’s advice: “Take it step by step! Create a list of the things your need to address and do. Ticking them off one by one is so satisfying! It gives you a clear indication of what needs to be done as well as what you no longer have to think about! I often would hear how “stressful” planning a wedding was. In all honesty, it is as stressful as you allow it to be. My advice would be to – “Enjoy the process!” Planning your wedding to your loved one is an incredible and special event. No matter the situation, you are in control of your feelings – Try not to let any “stress” or “drama” get in the way of what should be a fun event to plan! If you are in need of support, make sure that you have your partner, family and friends to lean on if a few decisions are tricky to make – Don’t try to take on all the responsibilities. Work productively as an individual but don’t be afraid to enjoy time planning with those close to you, whether it be your partner, parent, sibling or good friend. The best advice I was personally given – I agree with this 100% – “Do what you and your partner want to do – It is your wedding” It took Luke and I almost two years to get our head around this piece of advice! We brainstormed countless times and we made sure not to rush into making a decision until we were 110% convinced that it would be the kind of wedding that resembled us as a couple. Naturally, couples can’t help but think what their family and friends might want for them. Expectations and/or family traditions can at times cause conflict. Keep in mind that you and your partner are two unique individuals, with a style of your own – This should reflect in abundance on your wedding day.
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
“To brides in particular: Make sure you snack and drink plenty of water as you get ready with hair and make up (It’s a long day – Staying hydrated and having food in your belly is important. It can be easy to forget to have a bite to eat with all the excitement!) You want to dance all night long! So make sure to wear your shoes in a little before the big day. Invest in “Party Feet” or similar, gel cushions which can be placed in your heels for more comfort. Going to the bathroom can be tricky in your gown – Especially if it’s heavy! Zips, buttons, trains – Maid of honors can be a great helping hand in this instance! Not a bad idea to have a think about how this might be possible in your gown. The wedding day in itself will be just perfect as it turns out. Amongst all the excitement and nerves, remember to smile, relax and enjoy every moment!”
Photography : Lighthouse Photography
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