From the very first glance, Efel and Lucas’s summer wedding in Rio Greece completely captivates us with its romantic aesthetic, beautifully brought to life by Sparkling Day through lush floral arrangements in soft pastels featuring roses, lisianthus, peonies and delicate white wildflowers embraced by eucalyptus and greenery, creating a natural garden style setting around the decorated aisle and the wooden arch at the ceremony space. The day stood out from early on, as just before the wedding the couple shared their first look followed by an unexpected photo shoot on a tennis court that filled them with smiles, while later on the sweetheart table for two appeared set on the lawn, surrounded by lush greenery and pastel blooms beneath a stunning chandelier. The most unpredictable moment of the evening came when Efel chose to cut her hair during the wedding reception, embracing the «wedding chop» trend, a playful idea where the bride steps away briefly for a quick haircut before returning with a refreshed look that delights everyone. Their entrance into the venue, their first dance, and the kiss they share at their sweetheart table perfectly convey the love between them, and all that’s left for you to do is enjoy every single moment!
Captured by Orestis Zoumpos.
«We met through an online dating app eight years ago in Brussels. He is Belgian and I am Greek, and we were both already living there for a few years. It was a kind of love at first sight, because he had just returned from a work trip to New York and still rushed to come see me despite the jet lag. Six months later we moved in together and we have not been apart since. We stayed together through the good and the bad. We traveled all over Europe by car, discovering every beautiful little village along the way. Two years ago we became parents to Iris, a wonderful baby who came into our lives after many difficulties and through IVF. We learned through the beautiful moments and through the hard ones. We are meant to be together, because nothing makes our relationship fragile. Only stronger. The proposal happened at an Oscar and the Wolf concert, my favorite Belgian band. That’s where he pulled out a simple, clean, understated Tiffany ring and got down on one knee to ask me to marry him while the song «because you are mine!» was playing.»
I was following the greek site of Love4Weddings to get inspiration. Mostly decoration ideas but also styling ideas for photo shoots. It helped me so much, and now my sister is using it too as she’s getting married next year. That’s also where I found our wedding planner, Sparkling Day.»
Efel , Bride
«We did a first look and it was the best decision we made for the wedding, because the moment we saw each other all the stress disappeared. We no longer cared about getting wrinkled or messy, since what mattered was being perfect only for each other. We didn’t have printed invitations but used a website on SmartyWed where we shared all the information. We didn’t have favors, as we chose to donate that money to a charity. We also didn’t go table by table to greet guests, instead we invited anyone who wanted to see us to join us on the dance floor and dance their way over.»
«I wouldn’t change the first look for anything in the world, and this way we also managed to do a mini photo shoot on the tennis court. The videographer even had me lie down on the scorching tennis court for the perfect shot, and later told me she was impressed because not many brides would do that. Get messy before their wedding. But I explained to her that this was my wedding. What I was living in that moment, even though I wasn’t married yet, was already my wedding. Because the person I was preparing for that day was right there next to me. We were living it together, so I didn’t need to wait for the ceremony to feel like I was getting married. I was marrying my person!»
«My wedding dress was designed and purchased in London by Made with Love, an Australian brand that truly is worth every penny. The wedding took place at Idyllefon, including the ceremony, dinner, and party. The dinner was handled by a high end catering team. The decor concept was centered around arranging the tables so that every guest would feel special. We chose to eat alone at our own table, while our closest friends and families each had a long table for 25 people, decorated with chandeliers, 12 meter garlands, and Louis style chairs. The dinner area also featured, besides the bar, a vintage mirror set up as a photo spot. We also had fun games like foosball, darts, bowling, and more.»
«From the very beginning we wanted our wedding to be symbolic. Even though we could have had an Orthodox church wedding, with me being Greek Orthodox and Lucas Catholic, I had always dreamed of a wedding like the ones we see in movies, so we decided to change everything. The goal of our decor was to give Tuscany vibes, with soft shades but also many variations of green so the space would stay natural and not feel overly sweet. The dress code was pastel chic, and I highly recommend it because as you’ll see in the photos, the background tones are very soft and not overpowering, so they don’t distract from the main focus of the image. My bridal bouquet was made of peach toned peonies, dahlias, and pink roses with touches of eucalyptus so it wouldn’t feel dull. The ceremony was decorated with floral and greenery shrubs, country style chairs, and a simple, completely classic arch. Our goal was not to follow too many trends, so that our wedding would still feel relevant even 20 years from now.»
«The ceremony featured a live orchestra playing specific songs as we walked in. We had bridesmaids and groomsmen, six on each side. The girls wore shades of pink, and the boys followed the groom in beige earthy tones. During the ceremony we offered water and fresh lemonade, straw hats, and fans with our names on them. After the ceremony we had apero time with Greek delicacies like saganaki fried on the spot in front of the guests, Greek salad served as skewers, ouzo, and tsipouro to honor my father’s roots from mainland Greece.»
The advice I would give to a bride planning her wedding now is to choose a light and small bouquet. Mine was large and heavy and I didn’t realize how important that would be. Safety pins are a must, and a second pair of bridal shoes. Live it with your person and don’t look at anyone else. Your goal is not for everyone else to have a good time, but for the two of you to truly enjoy it. All these people are there to experience your joy, not the other way around. Forget social obligations and don’t leave the dance floor or your husband’s arms.
Efel, Bride
We had 170 guests from all over the world, Greece, Belgium, Lebanon, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Switzerland. We didn’t take photos with aunts and uncles. Only with our two families, and that lasted five minutes. Our goal was to enjoy it as much as possible ourselves, not to fulfill social obligations and practically miss our own wedding. When we made our entrance, we started with a small party all together on the dance floor. We didn’t cut the cake at the beginning but after dinner, and after that we had our first dance.
Efel , Bride
«In between, after I had already eaten while guests were still dining, I went down to the little house with my makeup artist and the photographers and cut my hair short and removed my skirt to transform my look from romantic to sexy and stylish. So I ended up in a fitted mermaid wedding dress with short hair!»
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