JESS + PAUL
It came as a bit of a shock to be honest, although it was a lovely one! Paul proposed on my 24th birthday while we were on our dream holiday in Mauritius. He’d kept his plans for my birthday a secret and told me not to go in his case because my presents were hidden in there, so I had no idea there was a ring in there too! After a candlelit dinner on the beach he got down on one knee and proposed. The ring was beautiful – a simple and classy rose gold band with a solitaire diamond.
My Alfred Angelo gown came from Love Me Do in Kingston, Surrey.
“I wanted a relaxed, boho look to suit our rustic beach venue, inspired by Mamma Mia, and I knew I wanted a flower crown!”
My dress was about the eighth one I tried on and was the perfect balance of a free flowing skirt and tighter top, with a little bit of bling and a manageable train. It gave me an ethereal look, which I loved!
“My flower crown made my look for me – I was absolutely in love with what Ana Maria Bufnila created for me!”
I added at diamante sandals from David’s Bridal in keeping with our beach theme, and these were my something new.My grandmother’s pearl earrings were my something borrowed, my mum surprised me with a pearl bracelet with a tiny blue bead, and my something old was my mum’s veil, which tucked beautifully into my flower crown!
Paul was very relaxed about what he wanted to wear. We knew it wouldn’t be a full suit because it wouldn’t suit the beach or the Zante heat, so we sourced a pair of beige trousers, white shirt and brown leather boat shoes from John Lewis. He chose a pink bowtie from Mrs Bow Tie and braces from H&M to complete the look, and I gifted him a gold engraved pocket watch too. He looked so handsome and cool!
My five bridesmaids are all beautiful and very different, so I didn’t want to dress them the same.
“I chose mint green and pale pink floaty fabrics from the bridesmaids collection at David’s Bridal and had them choose the colour they preferred, as well as one of the six styles available, all of which finish just above the knee.”
Zante Weddings, our planner, organised a local hairdresser to do my hair, which I wore in long loose curls beneath my flower crown. I did my own makeup because I like it to be very natural, using Bare Minerals, MAC and Laura Mercier products.
Our ceremony was held on Cameo Island. I entered along rustic stone steps that led down to a stunning cove, looking out to the open sea without a person in sight.
It was magical and the cove was decorated exactly as we wanted, with rose petals scattered along the aisle, a wooden arch with wild flowers and mason jars filled with roses and gypsophila. During the ceremony we also had a symbolic sand unity ceremony, where we mixed two bottles of sand into one, giving us a lovely memento from the day.
“Guests enjoyed canapés, followed by a Greek style buffet, with a naked cake, fresh fruit and mini baklavas for dessert!”
My brother’s speech totally took me by surprise! He wrote a ‘Wedding Day Song’, which he performed for us on his ukulele. It was hilarious and sweet in equal measure and extremely emotional! We couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
“Our bohemian, rustic wedding theme with handmade influences had a pastel and ivory colour scheme.”
Virtually all the décor was supplied by our wonderful planners, Zante Weddings. They provided the flowers, arch, table settings, LOVE ladder, vintage suitcases and photobooth! We opted for one long table for a more informal feel, dotted with mason jars.
“I wanted a DIY vibe and nothing too matchy matchy, so we turned to Norma and Dorothy who designed our vintage invitation bundles.”
We purchased our favour bags in advance but were keen to support the local community,
so we waited until we arrived in Zante to purchase the gifts to go inside. We chose olive oil soaps for the ladies and infused bottles of olive oil for the men.
We aren’t fans of icing, but we do love a Victoria sandwich with cream, so that’s what we had for our fantastic three-tier naked cake!
C E R E M O N Y Cameo Island, Zakynthos
R E C E P T I O N V E N U E Artina Luxury Villa, Zakynthos, Greece
D R E S S Alfred Angelo at Love Me Do Surrey
B R I D E S M A I D D R E S S E S David’s Bridal
G R O O M John Lewis and Mrs Bow Tie
A C C E S S O R I E S David’s Bridal and Ana Maria Bufnila Bespoke Accessories
P L A N N E R Zante Weddings
S T A T I O N E R Y Norma and Dorothy
P H O T O G R A P H E R Beyond My Eyes Creative Photography
