~Bus rides and happy brides~
A destination wedding has endless pros, stunning venues, lower cost and a more intimate experience with your guests. The list goes on. It's becoming increasingly popular for couples to ditch the classic wedding and spend the day surrounded by sun, sea and sand.
Emily and Cody chose to have their destination wedding on the island of Cyprus, fittingly known as 'Aphrodite's island' in the Grecian sands hotel. This island, with its balmy breezes, golden sands and stunning views of the Mediterranean boasts as one of the most romantic settings for a wedding abroad.
Grecian sands is located in Ayia Napa 2 minutes from the centre. This hotel truly is a "Place of tranquillity" Famous for its history, stunning coastline and enviable Mediterranean climate. A short walk up from the hotel is Cape Greco national park. The staff were attentive and were more than happy to answer any questions I had prior to the day.
I love it when the bride and groom preparing for their big day are so relaxed and taking in the moment. When arriving to Emily's room I noticed how relaxed and calm everyone was sipping Prosecco and taking in the gorgeous views from the balcony. The same can be said for the boys, who were also very chilled although I suspect this could have something to do with the amount of shots they were having at the time :D Once everyone was ready, Emily's dad came up to see her in her dress for the first time, This for me is a golden opportunity to capture some genuine emotion, Emily and her dad didn't fail to deliver!
Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, the outdoor patio where Emily and Cody held their wedding was dressed to perfection by Emily herself. Emily dressed the venue with bursts of colour which gave the perfect mix of elegance and boho beach vibe.
The wedding party was dressed accordingly with the groomsmen sporting crisp white shirts and tan linen pants. Perfect for the heat. Emily wore a classic off the shoulder dress with lace details at the top and her hair in a beach wavy up do to fit in with the theme of the day.
The ceremony was charming, and afterwards the wedding party were surprised with a wedding bus that explored the coast, little towns and then parked up in the amazing Cape Greco. Unlimited drinks and the guests holding on for dear life on the open top double Decker bus made for a rather bumpy location to capture some footage! :D I think we managed to pull it off. Once we had pulled up to Cape Greco we took this opportunity to get some photos of the bride and the groom on the cliff.
On return from the bus trip we were welcomed to a beautiful set up for the speeches. This for me was one of the most emotion filled speeches I've had the pleasure to shoot. Being a first time flyer can be daunting, but our Father of the groom took it to a whole new level. As far as ringing the call bell to suggest to the air hostess that maybe they should fly around the turbulence instead of through it.... To Emily's dad having the room in tears with his emotion filled speech. We then enjoyed an amazing Cypriot barbecue on the white wedding pavilion which is hidden amongst olive trees. The food was AMA-ZING!! Anti-pasti for days. Meat of every variety, I think the guests appreciated the free drinks the most.
Day turned to night and we took the opportunity to get some more portraits of Emily and Cody with the lit up Ayia Napa as a beautiful back drop.
For such a big destination wedding I was so lucky to have such an amazing couple. The stresses of working abroad in unfamiliar territory, the worry of getting my kit there in one piece melted away. It truly was one of the best experiences of my working life. This wedding taught me a lot about my future destination weddings and how I want to approach them creatively. So thank you Emily and Cody and to their family and friends. You all made this trip so memorable and I honestly wish you both and little Isabelle all the best for the future.