Bringing The Inside Out

Bringing the Inside Out

Who says you have to compromise on your wedding dreams? So you want big crystal chandeliers but you also want to dine under the stars...this wedding proves that you can have it all with the right team of creatives behind you! For this couple, Greece was an easy choice for their destination wedding because the groom and his family are from there, and the couple had visited many times before finally tying the knot–it felt like home. With gorgeous florals, a mansion with a garden backdrop, and enough pastries to make Marie Antoinette jealous, this wedding is a feast for the eyes!

Hatzi Mansion was the perfect venue for this regal summer wedding. Vicky Galata Weddings & Events created this over-the-top romantic garden design after listening to all of the bride's wildest dreams. It couldn't have been an easy job, but they made every single one come true! The floral installations by Fillo Flower Studio are definitely the standout piece from this wedding from the asymmetrical ceremony arch to the levitating chandelier arches that framed the elegant dining table. It's easy to tell from these photos by Vasilis Kouroupis that this couple was blessed with an absolutely perfect day–tons of natural light and a slight dreamy haze that rested gently on the hills in the background. They hired Vasilis Kantarakis Films to create their wedding video, so they always have a way to look back and remember this magical day in Greece. To see more from this gorgeous wedding, check out the full gallery. Keep scrolling to read more from Planner, Vicky Galata.

Bringing the Inside Out

A LOVE THAT BLOSSOMED QUIETLY

Bringing the Inside Out

For Filippos and Emily, love was something that blossomed quietly and slowly among cities, planes, studying abroad, and endless summers in Greece. That is why they chose the Athenian Riviera to tie the knot in a fairytale-like ceremony in the middle of May, after the first postponement of their marriage in 2020 due to the pandemic. When they met in London ten years ago, while studying law and finance, they instantly became friends. That friendship turned into late-night shows, weekends in the countryside with their whole uni squad, and countless papers and midterms. When they graduated, an ocean divided them for good, as Emily had to return to the States and Filippos would go on in London for a couple more years. Something was not forgotten though, and when the time was right they met again and it felt like they found a part of them that had been missing. They fell head over heels in love. Deciding to marry was in no one’s immediate plans, but when love calls, you ought to answer.

Bringing the Inside Out

AN EASY CHOICE FOR THEIR DESTINATION

Bringing the Inside Out

Since Filippos’s family is from Greece, they decided to say “Yes” in the Athenian Riviera and its unique landscape, which they’ve both visited before and had fond memories of. They chose Hatzi Mansion, an estate half an hour in the outskirts of Athens that had the history to back up its grandeur and the aesthetics they both desired for their Mediterranean yet luxurious wedding day. They knew their wedding guest list was not going to be as large as they had originally planned, but a quiet and personal ceremony with just a couple of family members and a few best friends would be all they’d need to celebrate finding true love.

Bringing the Inside Out

BRINGING THE STYLE

Bringing the Inside Out

However, an intimate guest list did not mean that Emily would compromise her bridal style. Our bride’s impeccable taste and search for a finer, more luxurious approach led her to Vicky Galata Weddings & Events. We curate experiences inspired by classic and timeless grandeur and sophistication, with a touch of French finesse and an eye for a romantic overflowing styling. For Emily, that worked like a charm. “I was in awe when I stepped into the ceremony location for the first time,” she told us after the wedding. “I mean, I know we had mood boards, schedules, and floor plans throughout the planning process, but oh my God, I could never have pictured it as magical as it was!”. Emily chose a silk tulle gown by Maria Konidi with applique flowers for the wedding, a nod to spring in the Mediterranean that’s overflowing with wildflowers, and a pair of embellished kitten heel mules a la Marie Antoinette, a vibe that was flowing through all the elements of the wedding styling. A delicate headpiece and barely-there makeup were the finishing touches. Her flowers? Just picked spring flowers with fragrant sweet peas, Emily’s favorite flowers, and perfume of choice! Filippos chose a classic tuxedo worthy of James Bond, a sharp watch, and his favorite, a vintage MGB ‘67 to drive his girl away at the end of the night and the start of their life together!

Bringing the Inside Out

A GARDEN BACKDROP

Bringing the Inside Out

The ceremony was built in a way to complement the breathtaking view from the mansion’s garden and add it to the styling, so the guests could enjoy the beautiful landscape while the couple said their vows. A fairytale-like floral arch by the amazing Fillo Flower Studio made the setting overflow with romance. Of course, a string duet with a violin and a cello gave the atmosphere the imperial touch that Emily and Filippos wanted for their wedding day. It was a truly special moment when Emily walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon and Filippos teared up seeing her.

Bringing the Inside Out

DON'T FORGET THE PASTRIES!

Bringing the Inside Out

What we love about minimonies is the flexibility we enjoy in creating unique guest experiences. Hatzi Mansion is perfect for creating culturally inviting experiences, like Apero time with Greek products and delicacies baked in the wood-fired oven and coffee made the traditional way. Moreover, we created a dessert table à la française; flower decorated croquembouche, red velvet wedding cake, macarons, and Choux au Craquelin filled with champagne cream! What made the dessert table stand out was a “Let them eat cake” neon sign. To wash down the Chantilly sweetness? Champagne of course! We loved watching the couple fill the champagne tower for the guests, it gave the night another wow moment no one will forget.

Bringing the Inside Out

AN INTIMATE DINNER UNDER THE STARS

Bringing the Inside Out

The wedding dinner took our breath away. Between an almost heart-shaped chandelier installation dressed in flowers, we created a table setting for the couple’s nearest and dearest. The table was set with crisp and fragrant flower centerpieces, silver cutlery, and flatware, as well as crystal glasses illuminated by the afternoon light. We loved the subtle level-play with the menus and the name cards inspired by French calligraphy! It was really important for us to give the guests a beautiful space to enjoy dinner and conversation, after months and months of lockdowns. It was important to be both safe yet beautiful and aesthetically pleasing for all, making the garden the perfect place to set it. It definitely helped that, in the Athenian Riviera, the weather in May is really mild and warm. But, to be prepared if anyone was feeling a little chilly, the Mansion provided us with the softest hand-embroidered blankets for guests. It’s really the details that matter.

Bringing the Inside Out

LESS GUESTS, NOT A LESSER EXPERIENCE

Bringing the Inside Out

In retrospect, Emily and Filippos’s charming wedding day was the romantic couple's dream, from an invitation suite and stationery fit for a king and queen by Manousenia Design and a fairytale-like ceremony to amazing guest experiences and impeccable styling throughout. For us, it was all about showing couples that having a destination minimony does not mean that you will lose from the overall style and atmosphere. An intimate wedding simply means fewer guests, not a lesser experience. Once more, it comes down to the people behind each wedding detail we created. We could not provide such a stellar wedding day to our couples if it wasn't for the talented vendors making up our team! From the talented photographer, Vasilis Kouroupis and amazing videographer, Vasilis Kantarakis, to the breathtaking flower installations by Fillo Flower Studio, and all the people that worked tirelessly to provide such a beautiful result, we hope you love the glimpse into Emily and Filippos’s wedding day as much as we do!

Bringing the Inside Out