Perfectly Stitched Greek Wedding Favor Ideas

11/04/202004/05/2020

karsaniko lefkada embroidery blue earrings

Enjoying your coffee in leafy Karia village square, you will notice a cluster of little shops selling beautiful linens showing Karsaniko, the Lefkada embroidery style.

This unique type of stitch was created in 1885 by a local woman who suffered an accident that resulted in the loss of one hand and partial paralysis of the other. Desperate to pursue her passion for embroidery, she created the Karsaniko stitch, which entails the use of only one hand and has since become world-famous.

From traditional to on-trend…

Eletheria, the talent behind Elixriso, learned as a child and sewed with her grandmother. She wanted to preserve and keept the tradition and craft alive and reconised the need to evolve it for the modern generation.

Inspired by jewellery pieces she received as a gift, she set about adapting the size of the Karsaniko design to fit jewellery such as brooches, necklaces and earrings.

karsaniko lefkada embroidery pendant necklace and earrings

1. Boho worthy wedding accessories

Accessorise your boho bride squad with Eletheria’s cute, fringed clutch bags. Embroidered in cream and softest aqua blue they will match with every Greek island wedding palette.

karsaniko lefkada embroidery fringe clutch bag

I particularly love the cobalt blue, not only the colour of Greece but also on trend as Pantone colour of the year 2020!

2. Bride style – It’s in the bag!

You have chosen the wedding dress of your dreams and a gorgeous pair of shoes to match, but don’t forget to find the perfect clutch bag to tie your look together.

I am swooning over these silk embroidered clutches by Elixriso. It is the prettiest way to carry around your wedding day essentials and you can even use it again when you jet off on your honeymoon!

clutch bag with gold karsaniko geometric embroidery design

3. Fabulous Favors!

Having a destination wedding on a Greek island like Lefkada or Meganisi would not be complete without a favour for your guests that reminds them of Greece. Why not use the Karsaniko Lefkada embroidery charms to decorate your favors?

A traditional Greek bonboniera (favour) is a decorated pouch or box containing koufeta (sugared almonds).

wedding favor box tied with ribbon and an embroidery charm

4. Say Thank you

Give a big Efharisto! to your bridesmaids or mothers for all their wedding planning help with an exclusive piece of handmade jewellery.

Eleftheria uses vintage bronze frames, gold-plated brass and 925 silver througout her designs.

karsaniko lefkada embroidery pendant necklace and bracelet

karsaniko lefkada embroidery cream earrings

Thank you to Elixriso Creations and Maxeen Kim Photography

Want more inspiration…

See how we styled our Agios Nikitas beach elopement with embroidery details here

Classic Blue – Colour of the Year Wedding Inspiration

14/12/201914/12/2019

Collage of nine pictures for wedding inspiration in classic blue colour

American colour company Pantone has chosen “universal favourite” Classic Blue, or Pantone 19-4052, as its statement colour of the year for 2020. They describe it as “a reassuring presence, instilling calm, confidence and connection”.

If I were to ask you to close your eyes and picture the Greek Islands, what would you see?

White sand? Feta cheese? Olive trees?

Yes, you may see sand, cheese and olives, but to most people, the first image that will pop into their heads will be of whitewashed walls and bright blue rooftops — the classic buildings of Greece, especially the Greek Islands, and the subject of posters plastered all over the walls of travel agencies around the world.

Let’s look at how you can use some Classic Blue in your wedding inspiration…

Dresses and attire

An easy way to bring a pop of colour to your destination wedding in Greece, is with your choice of bridesmaid dress and groom and usher attire.

Bride and four bridesmaids in classic blue vera wang maxi dresses holding white and green bouquets

Lefkas Weddings bride, Jessica choose these stunning, White by Vera Wang, Classic Blue maxi dresses for her bridemaids at her June 2019 wedding in Parga. Image by Lefteris Kalampokas

Groom and bride on steps entering greek stone church with blue railings

Denise & Franz took time out from their six week cruise of the Greek islands to have a destination elopement in Meganisi. His summer tailoring in Classic Blue, was paired perfectly with tan accessories. Image by Maxeen Kim Photography

Floral accents

Floral arrangements are one of the best ways to bring your wedding colour palette to life.

At this gorgeous, spring wedding in Meganisi, bride Innes’ wanted to celebrate her Scottish heritage, by adding blue eryngium thistle to her white rose bouquet and the buttonholes. Image by Lefteris Kalampokas

bride bouquet of white roses and blue eryngium thistle with thistle buttonhole

The Classic Blue tones of delphinium and hydrangea filled these plush arrangements by my florist partners, Tasos and Christina, at this Orthodox church wedding in Lefkada.

Collage of six pictures for wedding inspiration of blue delphinium wedding flowers

Inspiration from the islands

The colours of the Ionian Islands offer so much Classic Blue wedding inspiration from the sparkling blue seas to the island architecture.

The gradient shades of blue of the Ionian sea, as it falls away from the white sand at Stravnam beach, inspired this first wedding mood board.

My Meganisi blue mood board was inspired by the white washed buildings of Vathy harbour with their Classic Blue shutters and doors.

If you would like to discover more about destination weddings in Lefkada, Meganisi and Parga you can browse my blog and galleries for inspiration!

All collage images via Pinterest, Stravnam beach image by Exclusive Meganisi

Beach Elopement Inspiration with Lefkada Embroidery

29/11/201929/11/2019

Beach wedding arch and table on the sand decorated with white and green flowers

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!

Close up of white hydranges and roses on beach wedding arch in Lefkada

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.

white and green half moon ceremony arch on the sand by the sea in Lefkas

Close up of white hydrangea and eucalyptus wedding arch flowers

Elopement ceremony table on the sand at Agios Nikitas in Lefkada

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.

white yellow and green bride bouquet by greek door

white and yellow daisy buttonhole and groom holding crystal dish with sand and wedding rings inside

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.

Landscape image of beach elopement tablescape in white and gold set for two people

Lefkada embroidery tablecloth with vase of white and green flowers

Beach elopement tablescape with white and gold flatware

Crystal candlesticks and glassware on embroidered tablecloth on beach in Lefkada

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.

Close up of vow card and Lefkada Karsaniko embroidery on a white tablecloth

Flatlay of beach elopement stationery on the sand

beach elopment inspiration stationery close up

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.

Beach wedding decoration at Agios Nikitas Lefkada

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:

Planned and styled by Claire at Lefkas Weddings
Photography: Maxeen Kim Photography
Floral design: Gourioti Flowers
Sweet Treats: Patisserie Il Sapore
Hand-made jewelley: Paradise Gifts, Lefkada

Lilac & Pink Cactus Wedding Inspiration in Parga

16/11/201830/04/2020

Cape North West is located on the sandy beach at Valtos with the Venetian castle as a back drop and the sun setting over Paxos island in the distance.

For your destination wedding in Parga, Cape North West is the perfect venue for a small, intimate celebration of barefoot luxury or a bigger celebration with all your family and friends. The relaxed atmosphere with stylish, white, minimalist decoration offers you a wonderful blank canvas to work with. The ideal starting point from which my team and I will create your wedding theme and styling.

I came up with the concept for this styled shoot with photographer, Maxeen of Maxeen Kim Photography, who mentioned she wanted to design a table setting based around her love of cacti and succulents.

We infused romance into the décor of this chic beach club with a lilac, pink and green theme, in keeping with the current trend of potted cactus wedding centrepieces. Succulents and cacti are a great option for your wedding décor because they last long after the wedding and each of your guests can take a cute mini cacti home with them as a keepsake.

The table featured natural décor elements that we chose to fit with the beautiful beach location such as hand painted terracotta pots and ecru weave table-mats. To highlight the extra special feel of the occasion we added little extra touches with pink glassware and dove-grey wedding stationery.

If you are considering your own luxury destination wedding in Parga and looking for a planner who can bring your elegant vision to life send me an email here with all the details of your day. I would love to help bring your wedding dreams to life.

Thank you to my wonderful team of suppliers who helped bring this vision to life.

Planning & Styling: Lefkas Weddings
Photography & Concept: Maxeen Kim Photography
Cacti & Succulents: Gourioti Flowers
Venue: Cape North West

Emerald and Copper Autumn Wedding Inspiration

03/11/201819/04/2020

emerald and copper wedding inspiration tablescape

Kalo Mina! Welcome to November, are you ready for today’s styled shoot from the Autumn 2018 cover of luxury bridal magazine Ellwed! It features emerald and copper autumn wedding inspiration. The gorgeous rich tones add a real touch of elegance to this beach romance.

Stone windmill ruin on Lefkada beach Greece with copper and emerald wild fauna

Our idea behind this cover shoot was to display the diversity of the Ionian Islands as a wedding destination across the seasons, whilst keeping close at heart the beautiful beach locations the islands offer you. The beach at Agios Ioannis stretches for miles and ranges from glorious golden sands at itswestern end, to wild windswept sand dunes dotted with old stone windmillswhere our shoot took place.

Model in Stalo Theodorou bridal gown with v neckline and delicate bow back detail

I wanted to feature a Greek bridal designer and this Complice Stalo Theodorou wedding gown encompassed trends from Vogue Italy Bridal report for 2019. With bow detail, nude tulle embellished with lace detailing and exaggerated volumes, for a skirt to make you feel like a true princess.

peach and copper roses with eucalyptus and pampass grass

And did we mention the florals by Gourioti Flowers! Truly perfect for this autumn wedding inspiration, he blended the emerald and copper pallette, using a combination of peach Tiffany roses, hand dyed roses, eucalyptus and pampas grass, wrapped in silky, emerald green ribbon

emerald and copper wedding stationery menus and agate slice

All stationery, from thank you cards to menus and invites, was created by White Olive Design Studio, London especially for this styled shoot in Lefkada. Copper embossed menus and agate slices with hand-written calligraphy script, place settings and favours, were the important touches to the table.

The concept for our Ellwed cover shoot was produced with a mood board, to curate the ideas in the same way I help my brides put together the styling for their days. It was great to have creative input by the shoot photographer Maxeen Kim who is known for her love of capturing personal wedding details.

table on wooden balcony with sea view decorated in emerald and copper tones

We styled a copper infused wedding table and blended the metallics with other textures such as tiles and glass. Adding the multi-tonal copper, emerald and deep blue crockery supplied by our venue we wove the look together. The keepsake for each guest was a polished agate slice
personalised with their name and a traditional Greek coffee pot called a “briki” planted with a succulent as a living reminder of the special day.

An Emerald and Copper Autumn Inspired Styled Shoot Snapshot

Thank you to Sanya at Ellwed magazine and to the team of vendors who cooperated make this shoot possible: