If you have ever envisioned a wedding in a seaside location in Greece, then Eleni and Jordan’s wedding at the Grand Resort Lagonissi is sure to inspire you. Every detail of their celebration planned to perfection by Maria Maroulidou from inEventive, was a reflection of elegance and romance, with white blooms and gold accents enhancing the breathtaking natural beauty of the venue. From the heartfelt ceremony at St. Demetrios to the lively Greek music that serenaded guests during dinner, this was a day filled with love, joy, and unforgettable memories.
Captured by Sotiris Tsakanikas.
«Jordan and I met one night when we were teenagers. That night, we only spoke a few words and left knowing one day we would meet again. It was not until a few years later that we ran into each other again in Chicago. We spoke about the first time we met and both said we knew there was more, even though there had been only a few words exchanged. Jordan proceeded to tell me, and everyone else in the bar, that he was going to marry me one day. He even put his name in my phone as ‘Husband in 3 years’! We dated 3.5 years, and Jordan proposed at one of our favorite Greek restaurants, Lyra. We decided to keep the Greek theme going and get married in Greece 9 months later.»
«I always envisioned my wedding being in Greece since I was little. I wanted to get married in the most iconic place overlooking the bluest of seas. We are a traditional Greek family, so I knew I wanted to get married in a church with my whole family around. We did exactly this! Jordan and I got married at the Grand Resort Lagonissi at St. Demetrios Greek Church and the most stunning venue on the bluest sea. Since it’s hot in Greece during the day, our ceremony started at 7 pm. In the morning, I had a beautiful bridal suite with an infinity pool looking over the ocean. I was with all my cousins when my littlest one said she saw smoke in the sky. I explained to her that in Greece there are always fires because of the heat, and we would start seeing helicopters picking up water from the ocean to bring to the fires and that the fires would be out soon. About one hour later, the sky was black, filled with smoke, and military helicopters flying overhead – there were massive fires spreading in Lagonissi, and alerts to evacuate. The power shut off, and my phone was blowing up with messages…»
As the positive person that I am, I turned my phone off, said a prayer, and waited for my wedding planner to tell me if we were going to have a wedding. It was 4 pm now, my hair and makeup were finished, but no one else could finish getting ready. When my wedding planner arrived, I asked her, “So Maria, are we having a wedding today?” And she said, “Not even the fires are going to stop this wedding!” Maria Maroulidou, my incredible planner, brought in a generator to make sure my venue was lit and food would be served. Now I’m at ease! After I knew I was going to marry my love, the entire night went perfectly as planned.
Eleni , Bride
«My wedding and venue, Grand Resort Lagonissi were unique. We had an incredible band that sang the most beautiful Greek love songs throughout dinner. If you want to incorporate your culture into the wedding, I would recommend having a band walk around from table to table singing old love songs in your language during dinner. My flowers were all white with gold accents. I felt as if I did not need much color since we had the beautiful sea behind us.»
«I showed the stylist three wedding dresses I thought I wanted, and then she picked out one, so I tried on a total of 4 dresses. The first three wedding dresses I picked out were beautiful, but not the drama that I wanted. When Erin showed me her dress pick, I told her that I was not going to look good and that it’s not my type of style. Of course, when I tried it on, it was drop dead gorgeous, and I knew even before I left the dressing room to show my family that this was the dress! My mom and sister’s jaws dropped, and we all knew dress number 4 was the one!»
My favorite memory from the wedding was walking up to the church with both my parents by my side, arm in arm. As I stepped up to the church, it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. I felt the awe from everyone there and could not stop smiling, seeing my future husband standing there waiting for me. I wanted to run and jump into his arms, I was so excited to finally be marrying my love! That moment was the happiest moment of my life.
Eleni , Bride
«You are going to have a lot of opinions from family and friends. You are going to see a lot of weddings in magazines, on Instagram, and be influenced to do something because it’s on trend. My advice is, drown out all the noise from everyone around and make sure that your wedding is your own vision and what you want. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding and no one else’s.»
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