Shabby chic wedding in Santorini | Vana & Vasilis

We have been swooning over the amazing shabby chic wedding in Santorini for hours! Every single detail carefully curated by the bride is utterly gorgeous! Vana, the beautiful bride wore a stylish airy wedding dress by Denise Eleftheriou, a designer that her creations are inspired by each bride’s style and personality.

“From the very beginning we wanted our shabby chic wedding in Santorini to be a three day party… Friday afternoon with friends at Theros Wave Bar… dinner turned out to be a party that lasted to the early hours of the following day… Saturday was the wedding and the reception at Theros Wave Bar and… on Sunday from noon until late at night we had an after wedding pool party only with friends at Cavo Ventus” Vana told us.

The bride got prepared in the Cavo Ventus villas that are built on levels around an old stone windmil with a stunning view of the emerald Aegean Sea waters. Her bridal makeup was subtle with earthy and natural tones that were conbined with hints of pink. The island chic bridal hairstyle was created by hair stylist Antonis Rizopoulos from the known Beautique Hair Salons.

The couple decided to give their guests a very unique thank you gift: vintage keys that spelled the word LOVE…  Vana mentioned: “The vintage decorative keys were tied together with a custom made ribbon that had “keys to happiness” written on it. We used them as wedding table decorations and then after the reception we gave them to our wedding guests as gifts.”

The pink gold wedding rings were the same rigns that the groom’s grandparents wore… their names were also Vana and Vasilis…

“When we decided to get married  we started planning all the details of the shabby chic wedding in Santorini for months… Vasilis would tease me and say that he was going to propose the day before the wedding! In the end… as a suprise on our 6 year anniversary together as a couple… he gave me my ring in front of our Christmas tree! It was so unexpected, authentic and natural… it was incredibly heartfelt and emotional!”

Vana and Vasilis got married at the Church of Agios Efstathios. As Vana told us, their shabby chic wedding in Santorini was planned to take place on that exact date 31-08-13… as it is one of the few dates that can be read also in reverse.

Shabby chic wedding details indeed… The wedding tray was made from driftwood and it also had rope handles. There were many beautiful wedding decoration details with burlap, such as the cones that were filled with rice.

Vintage bridal bouquets with astilbe, David Austin roses and miniature roses. The flower astilbe was the perfect choice for this wedding location.

The most emotional moment for the bride was: “The whole day was incredible! However, one of the top moments was when I saw the groom and all our loving family and friends waiting for me at the church! As soon as I noticed them as the car was going down the hill… it was an intense moment that impulsively I stood up in the car and started to wave!”

Vana and Vasilis had two different types of wedding favors:  a sail boat made out of drift wood and  a plexiglass box with a cover that immitated the texture of the white washed walls of the Santorini houses. Perfect wedding ideas for an island wedding!

Absolutely gorgeous wedding welcome gifts: miniature bottles filled with vinsanto, Santorini’s traditional sweet wine.

The shabby chic wedding decoration had many personal touches:“We had ordered many items from all over the world… That us how I found the the wooden picture frame that had written on it: Right in the middle of life… love gives us a faiytale”

“One of the most beautiful moments of our wedding was our first dance…” says Vana.

“My advice to future brides is to start planning right away. Enjoy your wedding day and do not let the small details distract you! On your wedding day, the emotions are so intense that all you really see is the hapiness in the eyes of your loved ones! A year before the wedding I said that whatever happens on that day… even a snowstorm… that would not ruin my day!”

The next day an after wedding party took place at Cavo Ventus. The newlyweds, friends and family had an unforgetable time!

When we asked Vana how she met Vasili, she told us: “A collegue at my old job was leaving and Vasilis took his place. My collegue had told me that he was being replaced by his friend and asked me to take care of him… I guess in a away I did!”

Dont miss tha amazing video by Lee Bakogiannakis…