Sam and Lauren hosted three days of fun and celebration for their Indian inspired destination wedding in Greece. Their 65 international guests travelled from America, UK and India to the warm, autumn sunshine of Lefkada.
“We knew that no matter where our ceremony was, a large portion of our family would have to travel. So, we thought if everyone is having to travel, we should have them travel some place that people would also like to visit like Greece! We also, serendipitously met Claire from Lefkas Weddings via a friend and it just all fell into place” Bride, Lauren
They welcomed all the guests on the Thursday with a pre-wedding private boat cruise cruising around the off shore islands of Meganisi and Skorpios.
On Friday evening the villa garden was filled with the bright colours of saris and clink of champagne glasses for the mehndi party, complete with authentic Indian food expertly prepared by Royal Indian Chef from Athens. The atmosphere that night was electric as guests of all ages from grandmother to grandaughter were dancing to the Bollywood beats before heading to bed to get ready to enjoy the wedding day on the Saturday.
So happy you could come!
“My mom and I designed the gift bags and what would go in them. We chose miniature products from each of our home countries, the places we have lived and Lefkada honey for our wedding destination!“
The mehndi party
“Our mehndi party attire was all bought in India for us by Sam’s family. I loved the vibrant colour of the sari chosen for me by Sam’s mom and sister and Sam’s sherwani and dhoti (jacket and trousers) was chosen by his other sister and brother-in-law.”
“I really loved the Bubble Couple van and the decor for mehndi. The whole evening including the food and drinks was colorful! The food was Sam’s area of expertise, he chose all the dishes and we wanted it to be as authentic as possible.”
The wedding day
“My dress; I knew I wanted something lacy and slim fitting and I definitely wanted sleeves. I saw this design and loved it straight away and had the dress custom made. Sam opted for classic tailoring by Hugo Boss for the wedding day with tan accessories and a gold tie to keep with our theme.”
“We met when we were both living and working in Paris and we attended the same Protestant church. We became good friends and it started from there!
In the ceremony with our Pastor we included elements that reflected our shared faith and it was also very important that people close to us from our family and dear friends took part in the ceremony. The live music was the perfect accompaniment, and we also opted for a singer. We chose songs that were very special to us as a couple but also in our spiritual journeys.“
For the décor we put together a colourful mood board for the Mehndi party and then a classic and elegant board for the wedding day incorporating Lauren’s favourite colours of white and green. Knowing that Lauren and Sam wanted an Indian inspired wedding in Greece the cohesive colour of gold and little elephant details worked beautifully across both days.
“The most memorable moment was looking out over the sea and mountains while ‘King of my Heart’ was being played and sung by the musicians. Everyone we loved was sat just behind us and it was so perfect and special.
Thank you again Claire, for everything you did for our wedding. It was seriously perfect and everyone had the best time!” Lauren & Sam
Is a destination wedding in Greece at a private villa something you have been dreaming about but not sure where to start? Contact me to discuss how we can plan your day together.
A big thank you to my wedding team who helped create this celebration:
- Event Planning & Design: Claire at Lefkas Weddings
- Photography: Kalampokas Fotografia
- Videography: Aggelos Lagos Filmmaker
- Florist: Gourioti Flowers
- Catering: Bubble Couple | Royal Indian Chef | Il Sapore Catering
- Private Boat Charter: M/S Christina
Our Villa location
When Lauren described the garden setting she had in her mind for the wedding, I immediately proposed Thealos Village as an ideal location for their day. The estate has a large lawn, with sea views and mature gardens and I felt it offered them the right note of formality for their ceremony. They could also host all their guests close together, within the privacy of the individual villas and suites.
“We loved Thealos from the beginning. It is such a stunning venue and most important for us, all of our family and friends could stay on the property. It gave us additional time with our guests as we gathered every morning for an amazing breakfast. Thealos’ garden, reception area, villas, swimming pools and views were all as amazing as the pictures!” Lauren & Sam