With family members on opposite sides of the country, finding a date and location that worked for everyone was proving to be impossible for Katie and Brian. The solution? Running away to Santorini.
As the bride puts it: “The idea of celebrating our love by sharing a once in a lifetime experience, halfway across the world, became our best idea yet.”
Their private wedding allowed the couple to truly focus on one another – not to mention the breathtaking surroundings.
Thanks to the talented Sotiris Tsakanikas for capturing this stunning elopement and to planners Stella and Moscha Weddings for sharing this beautiful elopement with us.
Katie & Brian
Location: Santorini, Greece
Wedding Date: May 14, 2017
Number of Guests: 0
Wedding Ceremony Location: Sun Rocks Hotel
Wedding Reception Location: Sun Rocks Hotel
Why did you have an intimate wedding?
Our families live on opposite coasts of the country. When we were initially thinking about planning a traditional ceremony, it became evident that we wouldn’t be able to find a date and location that worked for everyone. On New Year’s Eve last year, we threw out the idea of eloping, almost as a joke. Once we started discussing it, the idea of celebrating our love by sharing a once in a lifetime experience, halfway across the world, became our best idea yet.
What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?
We live in Florida, and planning a wedding from nearly 6,000 miles away may sound intimidating or even crazy, but with the help of our fabulous wedding planner, and the team that she assembled, Brian and I didn’t have to worry about a thing. We were very fortunate to find Stella & Moscha, who helped execute our vision for our wedding perfectly. From the moment we Skyped with our wedding planner Lydia, we knew that we were in good hands. After that, the most difficult thing was figuring out how to get my dress to Santorini. Everything was flawless and we would do it again in a heartbeat.
Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?
Once we decided to elope, the guest list took care of itself 🙂
Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family?
Our friends and family were very supportive of our decision to have a private ceremony. Once we returned to America, we had a big party so that we were able to celebrate this special time in our lives with friends & family.
What were the highlights of the ceremony?
Holding hands as we read the vows we had written for one another.
What were the highlights of the reception?
Having dinner as the sun set over the caldera, it was like something straight out of a fairytale. Brian made a playlist of songs that were meaningful to our relationship, which served as the background music for dinner.
What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?
Being able to really focus on one another and truly enjoy every part of our special day, without any distractions was one of the best parts about having a private ceremony.
What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?
The wedding planning process was so much fun for us. Don’t be afraid to do what is best for you and your fiancé. Eloping doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the all of the traditional aspects of a wedding. Look for opportunities to include personal details which are meaningful to you and your fiancé.
Vendors:
Wedding Planning and Design: Stella and Moscha Weddings
Venue: Sunrocks
Photography: Sotiris Tsakanikas
Flowers and Decor: Wedding Wish
Hair Stylist: Georgia Theodoraki
Makeup Artist: Renia Bledaki
Wedding Cake: Alexandra’s Cakes
wedding Dress: Watters
