Georgia & Peter

Set the scene. A beautiful Greek American bride in a stunning Sarah Seven gown and gorgeous Juliet cap veil marries a British groom in the quaint ancestral village, Monastiraki, Crete where they met and fell in love. Surround by their family and a squad of fabulous friends in grey suits and mis-match blush and gold dresses, with the Islands mountains as a stunning backdrop. Add a few well placed floral garlands and a pastel rose bouquet with a sweet 'something blue' ribbon and it doesn't get much more special and perfect than that. Anna Roussos has captured all the love and pretty of this traditional greek wedding SO beautifully you'll want to view it again, and again, and again.

Venue

Georgia The Bride: Set in my family’s ancestral village, Monastiraki, Crete with the highest peak of the Island in the backdrop, this wedding gave us a chance to bring everyone we loved to the incredible place where we met and fell in love.

Love Story

Both new to the country and eager to learn the language, we stumbled on each other in Greek courses, where I developed a terrible habit of looking over my future husband’s textbook in exchange for giving him answers. This soon grew into weekends exploring every corner of the island together, from ancient cities to pristine beaches. When I returned to the U.S. to pursue my medical degree, he eventually followed, thankfully shortening the long distance by a few time zones.

Planning

Planning a wedding in Greece from the United States and England (Peter’s home country) without a planner or unlimited budget proved to be no small feat. We were blessed to have the support of both of our incredible families in this undertaking. From aunts who gifted us olive oil wedding favors and a beautiful room to get ready in, and even a hand-made veil and wedding crowns; to my cousins who designed our invitations and did an incredible job on my hair and makeup; to my Mother and Father who patiently supported us through every unexpected turn Greece had to offer (and there were more than enough), it could not have been such a beautiful day without their support. After my husband-to-be’s initial trip 6 months before the wedding, we arrived on Crete with 2 weeks on our hands to organise our venue, food, cake, music and décor without a single contract. Luckily, by way of décor, we knew we wouldn’t have to do much: between the beauty of the mountains and the incredible food Crete has to offer, our venue needed little more decoration than a few well-placed garlands (which, thanks to our wonderful florists, blended seamlessly and organically into the scenery.)

Special Moments

It was a surreal day for both of us, but my favorite moment was perhaps when, in old Cretan tradition, my husband-to-be came surrounded by his groomsmen and Cretan musicians to serenade me with Greek poetry (mantinathes) and music in an effort to convince my father to accept the groom before we embarked on the short walk from the old village home to the church next door.

Photography

The photoshoot after the wedding service was in the Orthodox Christian monastery of Arkadi, a place rich in history and beauty.

Reception

We then joined our guest at Panakron Estates to enjoy great food, music and dancing as the sun set behind the mountains.