Fun Beach Destination Wedding in Skiathos, Greece | Kirsten + Dan

A RELAXED BEACH SUMMER WEDDING AT KASSANDRA BAY RESORTS

Dreaming of fun Summer days and relaxing on the beach? I know I am, which is why I thought it was about time I shared Kirsten and Dan’s gorgeously relaxed destination beach wedding at Kassandra Bay Resorts on the island of Skiathos, Greece.

Back in my dance project days (not so long ago really!) I used to work with Kirsten, and when she and Dan announced their engagement, I was over the moon for them. When they said they were having their wedding on a beach in Skiathos and they wanted me to be their photographer, I was obviously all in. They are both such wonderful human beings!!

Being a lover of Greece, I’ve been to most of the islands, but I had never been to Skiathos before. Since it was August, I decided to take my mum, so she could have a mini holiday whilst I was off shooting the wedding (she was one happy lady). As soon as I got to explore the island I could see why they had chosen Skiathos for their wedding. It was totally bloomin' breathtaking.

I arrived to Kassandra Bay in the afternoon to flurry of excitement and laughter, and that pretty much set the scene for the entire day (with a few tears along the way). Kirsten looked SO stunning in a Maggie Sottero dress, and all the bridesmaids really rocked their electric blue dresses from ASOS. Not to be outdone, all the guys looked super-snazzy in bowties and blue suits.

The wedding ceremony took place on the beach, which considering it's a beach in the height of summer there was a distinct lack of too-small-speedo adorned tourist! It was totally peaceful and relaxed! After the ceremony all the fun followed. Check it out....

Kirsten + Dan's Beach Wedding in Skiathos

How would you sum up your wedding day?
The morning felt very celebratory but also quite chilled. Getting ready with my bridesmaids was really lovely, having my makeup done by my friend was also really fun and added to the calm vibe. I got more nervous and excited as it came to putting my dress on and getting ready to walk down to the beach, then just full of emotion!  We loved having the ceremony on the beach, hearing the waves in the background, the sun shining down on us and having our friends and family there in a more relaxed environment. It was great to have the reception looking over the sea, such a picture perfect backdrop. We had lots of laughs with the speeches, some fun with a Mr & Mrs game involving underwear, some thoughtful games organised by my sister, and then we continued to party the night away with live music followed by a DJ. A highlight was literally all of our guests doing the Macarena!! Everyone had such a great evening, of fun, laughter and smiles.

Why did you choose Kassandra Bay Resorts for your wedding day?
We wanted to get married on a beach, but somewhere within flying distance for my two Nan's. We also wanted a legal ceremony and there are limited countries that do this. Both our parents love Greece and had been to Skitahos before. There were only two hotels on the Island where we could get married on the beach, and we chose the Kassandra after having good correspondence from them.

Tell me about your Ceremony including any readings, any special moments and your vows. Did you tailor your vows?
We didn't tailor our vows, but I asked for them to be modern ones! My friend Vicki read a amazing reading which she had written herself based on both of us. That was very special.

Lets talk outfits, what made you choose them? Why did you love them?
Kirsten: I wanted something light with a detailed back. I just loved my dress when I put it on and could imagine getting married in it! We chose blue bridesmaid dresses, as it was an in keeping theme with Greece, but also suited all skin tones. Again the dresses were light for the hot weather! We chose navy chinos and white shirts to match the groom with a slight difference, and finished off with lovely bowties to add a little special twist.

Dan: I wanted some nice Barkers shoes as they are my favourite brand of shoe. A good watch was important to me, so that was also high on my agenda! Again I wanted something light, that was smart but casual enough for a beach wedding.

What made you choose your decor and styling? Tell me about your flowers/florist (bouquets, centre pieces & general decorative arrangements)?
We wanted it to be kept quite simple as the scenery was so beautiful, it felt wrong to detract from that. We went with floating candles on tables and themed table names of countries we had visited together. We both love to travel so it felt right to us. I went for simple white flowers for bouquets to keep in with the blue and white theme. We also had some postcards, instead of a guest book which was lovely, and some photos up of our families previous weddings.

Do you have any comments about your wedding photography? What was it like working with Kate Jackson Photography?
You just captured the day amazingly. We have so many gorgeous natural pictures of people which we absolutely love. You have somehow managed to capture the spirit of the day, and when we look at the photos it just takes us right back and gives us that same feeling that we had on the day. I'm confident that I can look at these 30 years down the line (hopefully!) and still feel those same feelings, so thank you - that is very special! You were so easy to work with from start to finish. Your organisation is flawless. I didn't know anything about the process of wedding photography before this and you guided us through it really simply and with ease. Other than the organised photo shots, I didn't even notice you on the day! You somehow managed to fade yourself into the background and get the most amazing pictures! We've had some fantastic feedback from family and friends too who have said how wonderful the photos are and again how you have managed to capture the essence of the day so well. Thank you so much, we have some many amazing photos and an incredible film to treasure for the rest of our lives.

Finally, if you could impart any words of wisdom to a couple planning their marriage and wedding day, what would they be and is there anything you would do differently?
Do what you want to, it's your day. I wouldn't have changed a thing, though I recommend you deal with hotel directly rather than go through a third party destination wedding site.

Kassandra Bay Wedding Supplier Shout Outs

Bride's Outfit: Maggie Sottero wedding dress from Georgina Scott's bridal shop. Shoes from Jenny Packham
Makeup: Kavita Walia / Hair: Hairwaves, Skiathos in Greece
Groom's Outfits: Shirt & Trousers: Hackett, Jacket: Claudio Lugli. Shoes: Barkers. 
Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS
Groomsmen Outfits: Shirts & Trousers from Zara, Shoes and Belts from Next. Bowties from a shop in Vietnam.
Wedding Venue: Kassandra Bay Resorts and Spa in Skiathos, Greece
Wedding Stationary: Zazzle
Florist and Cake: Organised by Kassandra Bay Resort.
Entertainment: Groom Therapy

Planning to elope? Having a beach wedding? Get in touch, I'd love to chat to you about it.

I'm an informal, relaxed and fun documentary style wedding photographer based in Birmingham, in the West Midlands, covering UK Wide as well as travelling to Europe and Worldwide for Destination Weddings.