A Luxury Wedding at Le Ciel. ‘Getting married abroad makes the whole experience extra special, we not only have the most amazing memories from our special day but we also have the memories of spending the week with our closest friends and family.’
Venue Le Ciel, Santorini • Date 5th of September 2017 • Number of Guests 55 • Budget £££
We asked Lily and Lee to tell us the secrets and tips behind their luxury wedding at Le Ciel.
Why did you choose to get married in Santorini, Le Ciel in particular?
We originally wanted a Country manor house in the Kent countryside and had even shortlisted a number of venues, but after finding a picture of a wedding in Santorini on Instagram we absolutely fell in love with the picturesque views and amazing sunsets. We took a chance and booked our wedding a few months before initially visiting the island, as soon as we arrived and saw the Caldera View for the first time we knew we’d made the right decision.
How long in advance did you book your wedding?
We booked our wedding 20 months in advance.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding and how many accepted and attended?
We invited 64 guests and 52 adults plus 3 children attended.
Your dress is incredible! Who designed this and how did you know it was your ‘dream dress’?
I’ve always known that I wanted a Berta Bridal dress, I absolutely love Berta’s designs as they are unique and so elegant. I tried on a number of Berta’s dresses but fell in love with one dress in particular, it was a little pricey so I decided to visit a few more bridal boutiques to ensure I was making the right decision. After 10 boutiques and what felt like hundreds of dresses, I decided to go back and purchase the Berta dress as nothing had compared.
My dress was backless with a very long train which was made up of three layers; the bottom layer was a very pale blush pink, with a cream delicate lace overlay on top and a thicker applique lace in certain areas. The dress was finished with a matching belt and a floor length veil.
What about your shoes and accessories, can you tell us about these?
I wore a classic Jimmy Choo heeled sandal and kept my accessories minimal with a pear shaped vintage inspired earring that matched my engagement ring. My mum surprised me the night before our big day with my grandmothers sapphire engagement ring which was also my something blue.
We love the groom’s formal attire! Where was this purchased?
The groom, our two best men and my dad had handmade suits by Anthony formal wear. We decided on a classic navy suit, with a grey double breasted waist coat. We made each suit personal by having our wedding date stitched into the jackets and put something under each of the jacket collars as a surprise on the day.
The bridesmaid’s also look stunning in their dresses. Where were these from and why did you choose this particular style?
I purchased the Bridesmaid’s dresses from Jarlo as I didn’t want a traditional bridesmaid’s dress. They were called the Blaze dress in nude pink, with a boned bodice and train. The dresses were so elegant and looked perfect with my dress as it had a blush pink undertone.
Your beautiful bouquet, what flowers did you choose?
I had a round compact bouquet made of white roses and hydrangea, light pink David Austin roses and bombastic roses. The bridesmaid’s had identical bouquets but in a smaller version.
How did you choose the theme for your Luxury Wedding at Le Ciel
Our wedding theme was classy and sophisticated with a hint of vintage. I wanted a theme that would be timeless.
Can you tell us a little bit more about how you personalised the day? We’d also love to hear your decisions made on the cake, menu and favours.
The small details of the day were so important and special to us. We had personalised fans for the ceremony, a cigar bar in the evening for the gentlemen, flip flops for the ladies and the page boys had personalised pajamas. I bought a number of Jo Malone candles which I now have at home, every time I light them the smell takes me straight back to the reception.
Our cake was made by a baker in Athens, it was a traditional 4 tier cake with piped icing and sugar flowers. We also had a cake table with sweet treats, cake pops and cookies to name a few.
For our meal we decided on a 4 course sit down meal, we choose two different menu’s to give our guests the choice.
The tables were dressed beautifully by our stylist with a tall glass vase with a flower arrangement made of white roses and hydrangea, light pink David Austin roses, bombastic roses, a few light pink astilbe placed on a round mirror in the centre of the table with three small vases around it with flowers and candles. For our favours, each guest was given a personalised candle on the table.
How did you find the planning experience from booking to the big day?
I had moments where I found it extremely stressful, but it was all worth it on the day!
What’s your best memory from the day?
It’s so hard to choose as there are so many amazing memories from our day, but I think it would have to be the moment I saw Lee waiting for me at the end of the aisle, I will never forget the look on his face.
What do you think makes a wedding abroad stand out from a wedding in the UK?
From the moment everyone arrived in Santorini they were instantly more relaxed – most of our guests took the opportunity to make our wedding their annual holiday or a long couples weekend away (kiddie free). We had a pre-party two days before our wedding and it was the first time all of our guests had seen the Caldera view, they were all blown away and said they’d never been to somewhere so beautiful. Getting married abroad makes the whole experience extra special, we not only have the most amazing memories from our special day but we also have the memories of spending the week with our closest friends and family.
What advice would you give to future brides and grooms who are getting married abroad?
Relax and enjoy the wedding planning journey, it really does go so quick and you’ll wish you could start the journey all over again once your special day is over.
It will be an emotional roller coaster but every single step along the way is worth it!!
We hope you loved reading about Lily and Lee’s fabulous Luxury Wedding at Le Ciel Santorini for a supplier list please see below.
For a list of suppliers for this Fabulous Luxury Wedding at Le Ciel Santorini see below.
Bride’s Dress – Berta | Bride’s Shoes – Jimmy Choo | Groom’s Suit – Anthony Formal Wear | Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Jarlo | Photographer – Studio Phosart
Budget Key | £ – 10k and under | ££ – between 10k and 20k | £££ – over 20k.