Real Wedding: Emma & Dustin

I think the bride said it best herself when she told me that her wedding was "ripped from my girlie dreams". This is one of the most dreamy, beautiful weddings I have ever seen -and though it's up with the ranks of the best of Style Me Pretty, the event was almost entirely DIY. I'll let Emma tell you more!

From The Bride:

Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of having my wedding in Gastouri, Corfu, where my family spent our summer holidays. Planning a wedding abroad definitely had its challenges but from the moment we arrived we knew it was the right decision. Having never been to Greece, Dustin had to take a leap of faith and I think it surpassed his wildest dreams. Seeing the wedding come together in the weeks leading up was something I will treasure for the rest of my life; it was really a labour of love. True to European culture, our friends and family rallied around to help us execute our vision. My Greek family and our amazing wedding planners were fantastic in helping us find everything we needed. The days before the wedding were a flurry of cooking, gardening, decorating and, of course, celebrating. 50 of our family and friends from Canada were able to make the trip and were eager to join in and get their hands dirty.

The event went off so seamlessly I kept waiting for the moment something would go wrong. We had a brief ceremony officiated by my dad followed by champagne and toasts catered by my brother. The dinner that followed was a traditional, village-style garden party that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. Musicians had Canadians and Greeks alike dancing on the tables and even our waiters joined in on the action. We finally had to shut down the music and sneak back to our honeymoon suite at 5 am while our friends kept the party going back at the hotel. The event was a beautiful melting pot of cultures, ideas and people from every aspect of our lives that made the whole day even more meaningful. We are so lucky to have been able to pull off the event of our dreams and I can’t wait to spend many more anniversaries reliving the memories with a glass of ouzo in hand!

Vendors:

Photography: Margaret Syngrou

Dress: Pronovias

Jewellery: vintage findings, hair piece was made by the bride's cousin
Engagement ring was the bride's great-grandmothers, Paul Mara jewelers made a band to match
Groom’s Suit: J.Crew
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: H&M
Wedding Planners: Sylvia and Alexandra at Dream Corfu
Venue: Gastouri House, Corfu (bride's great-uncle’s place)
Centerpieces: a collection of items found at stores in Canada and Greece as well as old jars, candleholders etc. that were in the house
Flowers: arranged by the couple, friends and family using flowers from a friend’s garden
Cake: also DIY
Musicians: family and friends