A Beach Theme Wedding in Greece

“My color palette was mostly light blue and some peachy pink. I wanted to create a beach theme at the reception, so I had a blue tablecloth and also a blue cake with seashells.”

Photographer: Chris Gouberis

Planner: Marryme in Greece

Matin and I met in Dallas. I was a pharmacist there, and he was doing a hospital residency. He is originally from Baku, Azerbaijan whereas I am from Gretna, Louisiana. Ironically, on our first date I found out that the first place that he lived in America was in Louisiana. So of course I asked if he liked jazz and crawfish, which my state is famous for, but he only liked one of the two. That was the wrong answer because I love both, but then he quickly charmed me with his cute smile and dance moves. Plus we both have a lot in common like listening to jazz, binge watching netflix, hiking, and traveling.

I never thought that I would love someone so different from me. He is quiet, reserved, and very calm whereas I am loud, gregarious, and often hyper. He even asked if it was okay that he did not talk much on our first date which I thought was weird, but then he turned out to be the person I never knew I needed. – Someone who really listens and understands me. Paris was our first amazing international trip together, and it was also the city that I was saving to see with someone really special to me. I thought that he would propose in Paris for which he did not, but then he really surprised me with a proposal on another trip under a waterfall in Birmingham, Alabama. We hiked for 4 hours looking for this waterfall, and I was all hot and sweaty by the time we found it. I was so happy when we finally got there, so that I could cool off with a little dip in the water. Before I jumped in, Matin stopped me and pulled out the ring. I was screaming with joy while he put the ring on my finger, so I could not hear what he was saying. We sat on the rock for a bit and just held each other.

Matin wanted to get married abroad because of his family who still lives in Azerbaijan, and we wanted to pick somewhere they can get to easily. I have vacationed in Greece prior to the wedding, and I knew that my family and friends would love it! I mean who could hate a paradise in my opinion. Chios is a very accessible island from Turkey where his family would be flying into, but I have never been to that island. That made me very nervous. The pictures were beautiful online though, and it seemed very different from the other islands because of the medieval villages and unique art on the buildings. The beaches looked beautiful, and I was curious and wanted to see the Mavra Viola beach with volcanic pebbles. I decided to take a chance and luckily found a great wedding planner at Marryme in Greece. I’m so happy that we decided to do it in Chios! My wedding day was amazing and unforgettable.

What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning? Matin and I both love the ocean so a beach wedding ceremony was how I imagined saying our vows. We appreciate music, so I dreamed of having stringed instruments played on the beach for enjoyment but also to enhance the romantic setting of the waves in the background.

I did not want people sitting around and being bored at the reception hall, so I wanted a really good DJ and an open bar to get the party started quickly. We ended up dancing the night away, and I messed up my hair and at that point I did not care anymore.

What was your color palette and your style vision? My color palette was mostly light blue and some peachy pink. I wanted to create a beach theme at the reception, so I had blue tablecloth and also a blue cake with seashells.

What unique elements or DIY details did you include? I bought baroque, ivory frames with pictures of us to decorate the tables, and I think it was great way to share with the guest’s our love story.

Instead of a sign-in book, there were little wooden hearts that guests could write their “wishes for the Mr. and Mrs.” and sign their names before putting it in a rustic box.

What was your favorite moment? My favorite moment was dancing with Matin at the beach bar right after we got married with the violinist and guitarist playing in the background and having our friends and family around us.

Your favorite crafted detail? The hanging lights made the reception hall feel so dreamy, and it was perfect for our first dance because I felt like I was under the stars.

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc. I used mostly pink and white roses that looked really elegant on the arch and in the vases for tables. The bouquets were white and pink roses with dark blue larkspurs dispersed around them. I had a lot of compliments for the flowers.

The designer of the dress is Made with Love from Australia, and it’s called the Stevie Dress. I wanted a wedding dress that was lacey, had a V neck, and was subtly captivating which led me to saying yes to the dress. I loved that I could dance in it easily too.

I had a sweets table for the favors. The macaroons were elegantly decorated and very tasty.

I had a 3-tiered seashell wedding cake. I liked that each tier was a different shade of blue with the darkest being at the bottom. There was brown sugar sprinkled on the cake to make it look like sand. The flavor was a delicious coconut lemon.