Let me take you to an intimate olive grove wedding in Lefkada filled with Mediterranean touches and the alfresco flair of a wedding in Greece.
Under cloudless blue skies, rolling olive groves with their ancient trees have been a staple of island life in Lefkada for hundreds of years. Choosing a shady olive grove as your ceremony or reception decor will let the essence of the Ionian Islands shine out from your photos and will delight your guests with its rustic touch. Let nature provide the backdrop for your amazing alfresco wedding under the sun with beautiful details that will guarantee your big day is truly unforgettable.
Our elegant olive grove wedding inspiration setting is at a private villa estate in Sivota bay, Lefkada. Such a place is a perfect option for those who dream of a truly authentic Greek ceremony surrounded by the symbolism of the olive tree.
Olive grove weddings in Lefkada and Meganisi are always some of our favourites! If you have a dream of saying I do surrounded by these ancient and legendary trees, contact me to find out more.
This sunrise elopement at Porto Katsiki beach was definitely worth getting up before the sun! In this post, I’m sharing everything you need to know to plan your dream sunrise elopement and this blog will have you ready to jump out of bed before the sun comes up for your own sunrise adventure elopement in Greece.
Sunrise brings a touch of magic to your wedding ceremony. Getting married is a transition itself, and you’ll understand how beautiful it is to mark that transition with the rising of a star. To know in this big wide world as night changes to day you have found someone to share all the days of your life with.
Meet the couple of this sunrise elopement at Porto Katsiki beach
When we were planning their day, Barbara and Neven both mentioned how much they absolutely love to travel and in their nine years together they have explored the globe and made memories in over 30 countries! Maxeen and I thought it was perfect therefore that on one of those trips together, watching the sunrise in Morocco, Neven asked Barbara to marry him and she said Yes! So they decided that they would like to recapture that moment, as the sun rises for their elopement. It was to be an intimate ceremony, just the two of them on their holiday exploring the Greek islands before their more traditional wedding in Croatia in the autumn with family and friends.
We collected the excited couple from their hotel in Nidri and drove towards the south cape of Lefkada where the only traffic we met was a herd of goats, with their bells jangling as they crossed the road in front of us! The daylight was just breaking as we reached Porto Katsiki beach and we descended the steps to our deserted paradise. Kicking off their shoes, the couple walked along the beach to explore and we set up their breakfast picnic.
As the sun rose to reveal the azure blue colour of the Ionian sea, Barbara and Neven stood hand in hand by the seashore and exchanged vows. They followed this with a sand pouring ritual, mixing sand, pebbles and shells from the beach to make a lasting memory. We left them to enjoy some private moments with a champagne breakfast picnic with pastries and cookies made by a local bakery. It was the best morning with such a great couple!
And the extra-special part of it for me was that it was also my birthday! I was lucky to be at the most beautiful beach on Lefkada with one of my best friends, our elopement photographer Maxeen Duncan, and eat cake for breakfast!
3 Things to keep in mind for a sunrise elopement
Dreaming of your own sunrise elopement? Here are three things to keep in mind:
Keeping to the timeline is key
Be sure to get an early night the evening before!
Plan a post sunrise ceremony activity
First, it’s especially important to keep to the timeline for a sunrise elopement. This means you’ll need to get up and go before the sun rises to capture that perfect shot. The sun isn’t going to wait for you, for me, or your photographer. Once it’s risen, it’s risen! If you’re thinking of a sunrise elopement, you really have to be willing to keep to the schedule. If this doesn’t sound like your dream day, (and that’s totally okay if it doesn’t!), you have a bit more leeway with a sunset schedule, so that might be a better choice.
An early night is recommended as sunrise is early between 06:00 – 06:30 during the summer months in Greece. Plus, you need to get up and plan enough time to get ready and drive to your location, especially if you need to walk a little when you arrive.
Finally, it’s a good idea to think about how you would like to spend the day after your sunrise elopement. Barbara and Neven headed to Nidri harbour for a delicious brunch, and then went to relax at the beach. But you have so many options for your day! Want to go paddleboarding, horseback riding or kayaking after your sunrise elopement? You can totally incorporate all your fun ideas into your day.
Do you love the idea of planning an elopement in Lefkada but not sure where to start? Contact me to discuss how we can plan it together.
The Wedding Team:
Event Planning & Design: Claire at Lefkas Weddings
Greece just got even more gorgeous with this intimate destination wedding at Seaside Restaurant in Lefkada with green and white flowers! The picturesque location was the perfect outdoor venue for a seafront ceremony and reception for British couple Mark and Lauren.
Delighted with their beautiful photographs by Maxeen Kim Photography, the couple were keen to chat about the wedding day so scroll down to find out more.
Why we chose a destination wedding in Greece
“We both love Greek food! Also, Lauren spent many family holidays in Greece and has lots of great memories of the different places she has visited with her family. We stumbled across Maxeen’s photography of Lefkada on Instagram and instantly fell in love with the scenery. The idea of getting married on a Greek island that wasn’t well known to ourselves or our family and friends felt like more of a unique choice.
We wanted it to be a relaxed day with lots of laughter as well as an opportunity to be on holiday surrounded by our family and friends, at one time in one place.
I found Lefkas Weddings via our photographer’s recommendation and I am so pleased we did! Claire is well organised, speaks the language and knows the area well. This means she can make recommendations and resolve any local problems that may occur. Claire not only helped with the day itself but also with the accommodation for ourselves and our guests, airport transfers as well as arranging our pre-wedding dinner during the holiday!”
The white and green wedding decor
To create Lauren’s vision of an elegant white and green wedding in Greece, we used olive and willow island greenery with a mix of seasonal white flowers. The bridal bouquet included white peonies, wax, lisianthus and was scented with eucalyptus.
The ceremony had an arch by the sea and a sweetheart table with a flower garland for our signatures.
The reception tables were filled with a delicate mix of flower-filled grey ceramic and glass vases and cut glass candlesticks. As the evening fell the venue was lit by flickering candlelight.
Finding the perfect venue
“We booked Seaside as our wedding venue two years in advance on the recommendation of our planner without visiting in advance. A few days before our wedding day we went for lunch and we’re all instantly blown away by the setting. When lunch arrived, we were even more impressed… beautifully presented and tasted delicious. Any doubts or worries we had about the day were gone and we were filled with excitement.
The day went so smoothly and we couldn’t have asked for more. Owner Kostas is certainly the host with the most! This place will forever be special in our hearts and we will certainly be back!”
Plan your own wedding at Seaside Restaurant, Lefkada
The picturesque location of this Lefkada wedding venue is the perfect outdoor venue for a ceremony and reception by the sea. Located overlooking Vlyho bay on the east coast it enjoys the unique combination of sea views and a mountain backdrop. Seaside Restuarant is exclusive to Lefkas Weddings.
Do you love the idea of planning a wedding at Seaside Restaurant Lefkada but are unsure where to start?
Contact me to discuss how we can plan it together.
This Lefkada beach elopement inspiration features a floral fantasy of white hydrangeas, island greenery, and endless romance!
All that was needed to add a touch of Ionian style to this elopement shoot were some unique details. Inspired by a tablecloth embroidered with the Lefkada stitch called Karsaniko, loaned to me by Christina at Gourioti Flowers, I sourced some hand-made jewellery created from peices of the same style and set to work!
The floral arch for this beach elopement inspiration was created by my florist partners, Tasos and his mother, Christina. The base was long, feather like leaves of Greek eucalyptus studded with white hydrangeas, roses and chrysanthemums. We opted for a half moon style of wedding arch, to allow the brilliant, blue Ionian sea to be our backdrop to the initmate ceremony setting.
A tiny pop of yellow was added to the bouquet and table centrepeice with delicate marguerite daisies.
In the bouquet, I wanted to incorporate the silvery, green leaves of Dusty Miller. If you take a walk along the coast near Agios Nikitas, you can often find this growing wild, as it likes the west coast climate.
The tablewear had a touch of gold to bring out the colour of the Lefkada embroidery on the tablecloth. Paired with crystal flutes and candlesticks and a display of crisp, sweet merringues from the patisserie.
Whilst you do not need all the elements of a standard stationery set for a destination elopement, you can still have pretty details, such as an announcement note and vow cards for your ceremony.
To illustrate our stationery, the geometric design of this famous stitch was copied on to pale lemon card and paired with a grey envelope.
The west coast of Lefkada is perfect for a destination beach elopement. I chose Agios Nikitas, a traditional village which has a smooth, paved pedestrian street winding down to the white, stone beach. You wind your way past white-washed houses with wooden shutters and gardens bursting with flowers: all adding to the romance of the setting.
Do you love this shoot’s unique take on a beach elopement? Then keep an eye on my blog for more inspiration soon!
Thank you to everyone who helped with this beach elopement inspiration at Agios Nikitas:
The elegant atmosphere of Seaside Restaurant was perfect for the intimate and personal Lefkada vow renewal of Brian and Siobhan.
Brian contacted me a few weeks before their family holiday to Lefkada, Greece. He wanted to arrange a surprise vow renewal for his wife Siobhan, as this year was their 30th wedding anniversary. The holiday was especially important as the family had been separated for a while as their daughters had been travelling.
They were all looking forward immensely to reconnecting as a family, during a relaxing week in a luxury villa on Lefkada, where they had passed a previous, enjoyable holiday together.
Brian told me he is not known for planning surprises or events so he wanted to take the lead and make all the arrangements for a memorable evening with their daughters.
When the evening arrived, Siobhan thought it was just a dinner at their favourite restaurant on the island. She was completely blown away as Brian revealed the real purpose of the evening and the surprise was met with lots of happy tears and joy!
Owner of Seaside, Kostas, appeared with champagne and the photographer Maxeen and I revealed ourselves, as not just fellow guests at the next table, but part of his special plan!
The white Phalaenopsis orchids were the standout highlight of the vow renewal ceremony. Paired with eucalyptus, olive fabric and gold geometric details it was stunningly elegant on the Seaside Restaurant terrace.
The ceremony included the re-confirming of their wedding rings. A ring which Siobhan thought was safely at the jewellers back in the UK being cleaned! She was surprised and delighted to find it presented to her by Brian, for this second, meaningful moment in their life together.
Including the family is always an important part of vow renewals, and as they all love Greece I added an exchange of olive wreaths called stefana. This fun ritual was led by daughters; Tierney and Ailis, who followed this with a poem entitled ‘Thirty Years’, they had written especially for their parents about their respect of their relationship and the love of the family.
Their dinner table featured an identical floral arrangement as the centrepiece with white flatware and black stem glasses on dove grey table linen.
We had a fabulous evening thanks so much! It was a beautiful service and moment for the four of us. Brian & Siobhan
If you are considering your own luxury vow renewal in Lefkada or Meganisi and looking for a planner, send me an email here with all the details of your day. I would love to help bring your special day to life.
Thank you to my wonderful team of suppliers who helped me this memorable Lefkada vow renewal happen.
Set against a backdrop of clear blue sky and the inviting Ionian Sea, Gary & Clare’s private beach wedding in Lefkada will have you dreaming of summer days!
“We both fell in love with Lefkas and knew we wanted to marry on the beach . Claire suggested Zorbas as it had the privacy, a secluded beach and those amazing views! It was just perfect and we would not have wanted to get married anywhere else.” Bride, Clare
Clare fell in love with her Sophia Tolli dress with illusion neckline and lace embellishments as soon as she took it off the rail. It was light and romantic, perfect for a their destination wedding in Greece. “As soon as I put it on I couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle and see Gary’s face!”
Let’s talk about those lovely lilac florals!
“We loved the natural beach location of the restaurant and we wanted our flowers to match with the bridesmaid dresses. We choose dusky pink and lilac colours and left the rest of the design to Claire and the florist. They were absolutely gorgeous and were definitely our favourite wedding venue decorations!”
I was delighted to get an update from Clare a few months after the wedding, that her mum had planted a section in her garden with the wedding flower colours. Every time she looks out of the window it reminds her of their wedding day in Lefkada.
For the bouquets Clare chose gypsophilia and we clustered each cloud of white flowers with olive greenery. Gypsophilia is derived from two greek words gypsos + philios with philios meaning loving; a perfect flower choice for a Greek island wedding!
Zorbas Restaurant served a dinner full of Gary and Clare’s favourite Greek meze dishes including a delicious dish of Feta wrapped in filo pastry drizzled with Lefkada honey and sesame seeds. Lashings of tzatziki and big bowls of salad accompanied platters of fresh local seafood and grilled meats all seasoned with local oregano.
Enjoy every moment of planning your wedding day. It truly was the best day of both our lives and we will forever treasure the memories of our wonderful day!
All that was left to do was enjoy the first dance, to a glittering backdrop of firework fountains and well wishes of their guests in the warm summer air.
Truly a beach wedding from Lefkada with love… Na Zhsete!
If you are dreaming of your own private beach wedding in Lefkada and need some help making it happen, send me an email here. I would love to discuss how we can make your very own destination wedding in Greece a reality.
Thank you to my vendors who helped make this day possible and I am so delighted it has been featured on Want That Wedding blog.
