Carolyn & Grant got married on the 3rd June 2017 on the beautiful, lush island of Kefalonia, here is a look at their amazing story!
How did you both meet?
We met all the way back in 2010, in a bar called the Freemasons in Brighton. It was the May bank holiday and my friends and I were in full party mode. Grant however, was nursing a slight hangover!
I remember clocking Grant immediately as he walked across the road to the bar but I was far too shy to talk to him. Nevertheless, you can always rely on your friends to embarrass you and my friend Carly didn’t take long in approaching him and giving him my number! But thank goodness she did!
Tell us about the proposal?
Ah, such special memory! Grant proposed on New Year’s Day which is such a lovely anniversary to have at the start of ever year. He completely threw me off the scent, as I thought something funny was going on when we were having this very romantic meal on New Year’s Eve, but on the count down to the New Year (anticipation building) I had gotten it completely wrong! The next day, still slightly full and hungover, Grant told me we were off for a walk (I wasn’t overly keen I have to admit). We arrived at a beautiful place called Scotney Castle, which was in the most stunning grounds. Wearing completely the wrong shoes for walking, we slowly wandered round. The castle was situated next to an idyllic lake. As we meandered over the bridge to get some photos I turned round to find Grant on one knee. No one was around and I was in complete shock! It was perfect! I was so excited that I said yes even before Grant had the chance to ask me the question.
What attracted you to Kefalonia as a wedding destination?
We love Greece and have been many times to different islands; Kefalonia however, was the first place we went on holiday together all those years back. So, the island holds very special memories for us. It’s a beautiful island and we knew we wanted to get married on the beach and of course for the weather to be hot and sunny. When we discovered we could marry at Antisamos beach we couldn’t believe it! It’s the most stunning beach set in the mountains with crystal clear water. We talked about that beach many times since we first went there and to see all the plans unfold for our dream wedding was amazing. Planning the wedding in a place we had already been made the process less overwhelming, as we already had a fairly good knowledge of the island. Meaning we could advise and help our guests prior to the wedding.
Did the venue meet your expectations?
Without a doubt yes! To have a unique venue with such breath taking views all to ourselves was incredible. The beach bar had changed quite a bit since we last saw it in 2011, but not in a bad way as it was even more amazing! They had since built a really cute Hawaiian bar closer to the beach which was the central gathering point at our wedding. We had our dinner under a gorgeous pergola within the garden and a flower arch right at the end of the cobbled path which met the pebbles on the beach. It really was perfect, especially with all the decorations!
What was most important to you both for your wedding day?
In no particular order, the food, the music, the atmosphere. Sounds very obvious, but for us, getting the simple things right was everything. To create a warm, authentic and relaxed atmosphere (with great food and drink!) was our main aim. We had the beautiful location and an amazing guest list already, the rest came down to focusing on those essential details that make the day special – things that can easily be overlooked or underestimated.
Tell us about the theme for your wedding day?
I guess overall we cherry picked from a lot of initial research. Grant and I came at the process from different directions but we ended up liking the same things. I spent hours pinning pictures on Pinterest of how I wanted it to look and feel, and he focused more on summer dress codes (he works in men’s fashion industry) and the overall Mediterranean style – and how we could achieve it on the day.
Predominantly, the notion of a rustic beach wedding with a touch of bohemian style was the original inspiration. Simple and elegant (with authentic Greek food).
Key colours were white, dusty pink and olive green. Against the blues of the sea and the hilly backdrop the colours really worked.
To try to sum up the style or theme is quite tricky, but looking at it all now in hindsight (once you add in the dress code of the guests too) I would say “relaxed Mediterranean glamour” – a phrase my husband just conjured up. Once guests started arriving, looking amazingly chic, it kind of elevated the whole thing.
All those people travelling all that way for us, we wanted a feeling of real togetherness. Most importantly, we wanted the day and evening to feel social and relaxed. With great conversations over dinner and unlikely friendships popping up all over the place.
Did you do anything special with your Guests leading up to your wedding day?
We were lucky as most of our guests arrived three or four days before the wedding, which gave us plenty of time to greet everyone and get excited, whilst still preparing for the wedding. Two days before the wedding we both had a mini hen and stag evening in Sami which was really fun! However, by the end of the night and with the town being relatively small we ended up all coming together. It was great! The day before our Antisamos wedding, we actually got married legally in Agia Effimia town hall. It was great as it felt like we had two weddings. After making it legal we went for an amazing lunch at a garden terrace restaurant overlooking the sea.
The day after our wedding, we continued to celebrate by having a barbecue at our villa. It gave everyone the chance to relax by the pool and reminisce about the day!
What was your favourite moment from the day?
Gosh it’s so hard to pick as the whole day was just magical from start to finish. But if I had to pick one it would be walking down the aisle! There really is no feeling quite like it. Seeing all my family and friends together on the most beautiful beach was just incredible. I just remember seeing an explosion of colour as I walked down the aisle, everyone looked so glamorous and happy. All the months of planning and decision-making seemed completely insignificant at that point and all you feel is pure love! That moment of seeing Grant and turning round to see all the guests and venue decorated and finished will always stay with me.
What advice would you give to other couples thinking of getting married abroad?
A couple of things I guess. Firstly (if you can), have a pre visit to your location. I can’t tell you how much difference it made to us feeling relaxed and prepared before the actual day. It allowed us the time to re-familiarise ourselves with the island, practise the drive from the airport, find our villa, check out bars, other towns and restaurants – and of course to see the venue and meet the wedding team! It was the most productive four days and we just couldn’t have done all that in the same week as the wedding!
Secondly, Relax! Sounds silly I know as it’s very hard to do that when planning a wedding, let alone one abroad. From going through the process I learnt that I really didn’t need to spend hours worrying about the logistics of the day or if tables and chairs were going to arrive. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing and everything ran seamlessly. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, it just added to the whole experience!