The welcome party – Rehearsal dinner ideas to wow your guests

The welcome party is a fun pre-wedding event that can take many forms. It can replace the traditional rehearsal dinner or be added on to the end of one. The welcome party may also be distinct from the rehearsal dinner, taking place on a different day entirely.The event might be a chic, simple gathering with cocktails and/or dessert, or a more interactive affair. 

Others may skip the typical formal rehearsal dinner and do something a little more fun and lighthearted instead. We love this because it means your wedding weekend begins with a casual start, making it easier for your friends and family (many of whom are strangers before this day) to mix and mingle.

That being said, this night should be about the two of you and not go overboard. You can celebrate with a happy, and friendly party—and your guests will thank you later. To do so, simply incorporate one (or all) of the creative ideas below and, who knows, your welcome party might be just as memorable as the wedding itself.

Create an experience 

Find an interesting aspect of your location and make that the focal point. Is your locale near a body of water? Charter a yacht, or a cruise and host a cocktail hour on board so guests can take in the sights. This is perfect for a destination wedding but can highlight cool local hotspots, too.

Have an informal style setup

This idea is not for everyone, but we think you should at least consider it. The next night is going to be fancy so make the rehearsal dinner homey and laid-back. Wooden tables and natural linens do the trick. and of course, elevate this look with next-level flowers or local greenery.

Incorporate a grazing table 

What’s the best way to bring guests together? Food, obviously. Grazing tables have taken over cocktail hours with their fun and aesthetically pleasing, family-style alternative to the usual hors d’oeuvres and canapés. Choose rustic wooden boards, marble slabs, glass platters or porcelain bowls to wow your guests. Add signage, flowers, herbs and greenery for a show-stopping look.

Hire a local band 

Set the mood for the night with some local music—whether it be a bouzouki band, traditional musicians or a folklore dancing group. Your guests will appreciate the entertainment as they mix and mingle with strangers (and new friends).

Make it interactive 

Bring in a form of entertainment that is both special and incorporates an interactive element. You can even fit this to the destination to make it even more special. Think along the lines of setting up a local artisan making small charms custom for your wedding guests or handmade pasta. 

Get creative with food 

Turn the menu into a fun experience by drawing from local tastes and flavors to really immerse your guests in the culture. If you’re having a traditional fish port taverna setting why not bring on the fresh fish and lobster option? Flying guests into the Greek Islands? Bring on the Greek Salad and tzatziki!

Don’t be afraid of a theme 

Your rehearsal dinner should act as a representation of the two of you as a couple, and not a copy of other events or a mirror image of the wedding reception to come. So don’t hesitate to make it special to who you are with a theme. If you both love greek music and BBQ, why not have a good variety of grill and fresh salads. If you love  wine what better way to highlight that than with wine tasting during the cocktail hour.

Now that you’re brimming with rehearsal party inspo, it’s time to figure out who should invite to this event!

Design workshop with Joy Proctor Design

Joy is a celebrity event designer and editorial stylist. She has been named top wedding planner by Harpers Bazaar and Brides Magazine. As one of the most highly sought after destination wedding stylists in the world, Joy has planned and designed over 400 weddings from Bali to Italy, France to Napa Valley.

In addition to her event work, Joy is regarded as one of the most highly sought after editorial stylists and creative directors in her field. Her work as a speaker, capsule collection line with Bella Bella shoes and others collaborations have earned her global recognition as a trend setter in the wedding industry.

We had an amazing expierience to participate in this intensive workshop, Joy show us ideas and challenges to define and differentiate ourself as a designer and help to fine tune our design practices in ways that speak to our couples.

Vendor list

Catering: Dipnosofistirion

Design: Joy Proctor Design

Photographer: Wedtime Stories

Workshop: Wedding Circle 2019

Gown: Made Bride by Antonea

Flowers: Jim Labrako

Rentals: Zazoo

Furniture rentals : Zazoo

Dinnerware: White Lilac

Makeup: Katerina Theocharis

Hair: Giorgos Athanasiou

Model: Lolita Gonzales

Cake: Pavlovs Lab

Stationary: LoveMe Do

100 Best Wedding Planners in the World 2018

So excited today to share with you the news we have been included in the list of 100 Best Wedding Planners in the World 2018!

100 Best Wedding Planners in the World 2018

This list is compiled by Nicholas Purchell “One of the World’s Best Wedding Photographers”. He has been a professional wedding photographer for 15 years. and his work has appeared in Harpers Bazaar UK, the New York Times, Style Me Pretty and brides.com. The 100 Best Wedding Planner list is intended to honour and recognise these planners who devote their artistry and organisational talents to other people’s weddings. It’s not meant to be scientific in any way nor could it be.

The starting point in compiling the 100 Best Wedding Planners in the World list was reaching out to a handful of wedding plannersNicholas respects and asking them to anonymously nominate others. Then he spents a lot of time looking at their work and a thousand other portfolios has come across. He prefers to have personally worked with the planner before including them but sometimes it wasn’t possible and when people’s names keep coming up again and again they can’t be ignored.

Santorini winery wedding, Photo Vasilis Kouroupis

 

The most importand is that this list is compliled by other wedding planners that have suggested us to be included in the list and we could be more honored to be included!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Joanna

 

Tips and Ideas for a special destination elopement wedding

Planning a destination elopement wedding is a trend that many couples are embracing due to the intimate, simple and freeing nature of planning a wedding for two. Inspired by the romantic notion of eloping to the most romantic islands in Greece tucked away in nature and breathtaking views, today we share with you some Elopement tips and ideas to consider when planning this unforgettable occasion.

Photos: Vasilis Kouroupis

Elopements allow you to spend the entire day with your spouse and gives you an almost unlimited timeline to do what you want to do, instead of feeling pressured to have events or things planned for a large group of people, you can simply be. If you decide you’d like to elope in Greece, it allows you to combine both your honeymoon and wedding into one experience and gives you ample time to reflect and enjoy that time together as newlyweds.

Santorini wedding – Greek Island wedding – Elopement in Greece

Choose a spot that has a meaning to you like the place you met or your favorite hiking spot. Remember this day is about you and your love. Make it personal. Destination Elopement wedding doesn’t have to include a trip to the courthouse.

When eloping to a destination, hire a coordinator to assist. We offer Elopement Wedding Essentials(please ask for more details) that include everything you need for your special day for the day. We’ll direct you to the best vendors that will accommodate you with your special needs so you can focus on the fun things, like planning your honeymoon!

Santorini Elopement

Write your own vows. Sometimes weddings, by their nature, are big, exciting events, with a lot of guests and a space that isn’t quite. One way to keep your wedding personal and unique is to write your own vows. Writing your own vows can be one of the easiest and simplest ways to bring calm and intimacy into your wedding day without needing to restructure the wedding day itself.

Setting up a portrait session with your photographer can be a great way to build trust and a connection. If you’re wedding is a pretty intimate day, your photographer may be one of only a handful of people present—in cases like this, it really helps to have some report and an ongoing relationship, because it can make taking photos together feel special vs. feel like you’re inviting an outsider in.

Santorini wedding

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