It's so important for us that a couple have nothing but fond memories of their big day, which is why I just love today's real wedding - it's obvious Julie & Rob are still on a high! The couple chose a destination wedding in Corfu - bringing their family and friends to their favourite place, for a celebration of good food and great cocktails in the sunshine at Villa Sylva. Julie had a firm vision for the day (she'd picked out her gorgeous Grace Loves Lace dress a year before the engagement!), and from the big picture elements like a poolside reception under the starts to the many, (many!) small details (acrylic stationery, abundant florals and stunning tablescapes), and with the help of a local planner, it was even better than the couple had hoped for. Photographer Nik Pekridis all the special moments...
Julie describes her mood on the day as ‘excited’, “I wanted to get married since birth and as soon as I met rob I knew I wanted to get married to him. All of those emotions of the dream coming through spread across the whole wedding party getting ready. We laughed a lot and rushed around. Decided to have a gin and tonic very last minute and I didn't even want it. I was high on life. The pride shining from my parents when they gained Rob as their son in law was priceless and the happiness from my sisters and bridesmaids dancing with me on the dance floor was infectious… especially when the girls jumped into the pool in their dresses after one too many gin brambles!”
For Rob, the mood was a little more relaxed, “For us the boys, the morning was very chilled with a swim down at the pontoon after breakfast and some relaxing in the sun. The lads then headed to my room to help me get ready and keep occupied! A few beers and chats was a lovely way to approach the main event.”
Julie carried the most gorgeous bouquet of peonies and protea - big blooms like these make for a really luxurious, romantic bouquet.
Finding her dream dress was at the top of Julie’s list of priorities, “It was a long love affair having emailed Grace Loves Lace in Australia the year before Rob even asked me to enquire that they would ship to Ireland! Luckily Rob isn't nosey enough to ever check our laptop history feed!”
These three are giving us all the feels!
Julie tells that for her, meeting Rob was infatuation at first sight! “I didn’t know just how much I could fall for someone immediately. I spotted him at a party and he spotted me. We exchanged eye contact all evening but didn't speak and I was convinced he had a girlfriend. After some time spent eyeing me up on the dance floor he arrived back with two drinks.
Thankfully after some quizzing, Julie found out the girl with Rob was actually his sister, “It was fair game now so conversation flew and he soon ended my uncontrollable gibberish by going in for a kiss.”
The couple laced their day with acrylic stationery and signage, the result is chic, contemporary with bohemian touches.
When it came to their courtship, Rob was the perfect gent, “Rob started slow taking me on the nicest picnic or park day dates and wined and dined me for weeks. Lucky for us one of us had some kind of control over ourselves because I would have said yes years ago! It's been a great love story since, from our first trip together to Greece four years ago to returning and continuing our happily ever after at our wedding in Corfu.”
These two went all-in on the floral details!
Jullie and Rob say it’s important to set you priorities early and stick to them, “For a wedding enough is never enough sometimes but it's impossible to do everything well. I’d say pick your favourite aspects and execute those to the best of your ability and let the little stuff go. Remember the importance of it is just for you two, all your guests will be happy with nice food and drink and to see you smile… saying that I knew all this and still obsessed over tablescapes and colours and it all payed off for us on the day.”
Rob tells us about how he planned his proposal, “Julie’s parents and younger sister came down to Achill, Mayo for their yearly trip. On the first night, I ambushed Paul, her dad and asked for his blessing, he was so surprised he had to say yes! The following day we went for a long hike. Everything was in place as it was a gorgeous sunny day. When we got home I asked Julie if she wanted to go for a walk on the beach to our usual spot. Knowing that her mom Ann would want to come, I had to use the pretence of wanting some space from the Fitzpatricks, which seemed incredibly rude at the time but it was the only way to do it!”
Thankfully he had some good news to bring back to the family! “We sat on the rocks and I placed the ring on a rock beside Julie. She failed to notice it for a good few minutes so had to be prompted to look. Her immediate reaction was to say ‘Shut up’ but I took that as a yes. That place is even more special now for us and we have our own memory rock which we go and visit every time we’re down in Achill.”
These two poured so much work into their big day - and it paid off! “We may be biased but the look was extraordinary! I've never seen a more beautiful wedding in all my life thanks to Lorraine Young and the fact that it was mine just made it all the better (sorry I know!),” gushes Julie. “We worked very hard together for 15 months straight so it was like the unveiling of all of those long conversations and an instant realisation that it was worth every single bit of stress, sweat and tears.”
Flowers and decorations can sometimes be left to chance with destination weddings, but not Julie and Rob! “I wanted the most flowers I think any bride has requested,” Julie tells us, “Our venue was perfect. So green and lush but it was enhanced even more so with the florals provided and displayed by Christos Rizos with the help and oversight of my planner Lorraine Young. Lorraine took every thought we had in our minds and made them come to life. She sourced stationary from Athens because we (or I) just "needed” a glass table plan, signage and menus. The tables looked as breath-taking as the food placed on it!”
These tables are just beyond beautiful!
The couple knew they wanted to get married in a venue with a view, “We wanted the most spectacular album that a Greek back drop could offer up and we knew we would get that in Corfu having started our first holiday together there four years prior to the wedding.”
From the moment Julie and Rob decided to head to Corfu, Villa Sylva was at the top of their list, and thankfully it lived up to their expectations, “Villa Sylva is definitely a ‘you need to see it to believe it’ kind of place. It's just magic. We arranged a viewing and I cried as we pulled up the green drive way and got out of the car. The house was beautiful, the views were like a post card and the pool area perfectly placed bar was made for a movie set. The fact that it appeared in ‘For Your Eyes Only’, Rob’s favourite Bond movie, only made it all the more special.”
Food, wine and cocktails were another big priority for the couple, “Our guests traveled far and wide to be with us and we wanted to put on the finest spread for days. From our rehearsal dinner and our bridal morning brunch to the wedding meal itself by Venetian Well we achieved this. All was helped with a fully stocked bar, provided by The Botanist, serving our signature cocktails into the early hours.”
The pair recommend investing in a wedding film, “Get a video! We haven't seen ours yet but are already delighted with our decision to get a videographer as so much of the day we didn't see. I can't wait to see my girls walk down the aisle ahead of me!”
A bunch of beauties! To pair with Julie's backless Grace Loves Lace gown, the bridesmaids wore embellished mix and match dresses from Needle & Thread.
Despite all the gorgeous details, it was the moments money can’t buy that meant the most to Julie, “My highlights were definitely writing and reading my own vows to Rob in front of all who love us. It was so special for me to hear Rob’s for the first time while looking at him in his tux so handsome but so nervous. We definitely switched roles. I was not nervous at all.”
Memorable moments with friends and family were among the other highlights, “The speeches. The union of our families was definitely the key subject and feeling. My dad made me melt!” recalls the bride, “And my morning with my bridesmaids and sisters and mom. Those memories are the most vivid of the whole day and I felt so loved and supported and happy. Sarah my very dearest friend traveled from Canada to be by my side on the day and that love shone through for the whole morning as she held a fan on my face for hours!”
The couple loved taking time away to have their photos taken, “Our photo session with Nik, he was a dream to work with and has become a very dear friend. Enjoy your alone time on the day, we didn't have time to go way for a chat or reflection but we did have a private photoshoot and used that to convey our love and happiness and giggles with each other and those moments have become our best photos.”
For the goom, music was a key element in the celebrations, “Rob is obsessed with music and insisted on choosing every song to make it onto our playlist… a slight worry for me but he worked with the best DJ Alekos who became our friend and I knew he would slip some Britney in for me.” You can’t have a wedding without I’m a Slave 4 U, right?
Seeing as they were there already, the couple stayed in Greece for their honeymoon, “We stayed in Greece for three weeks total and went to three Islands, Corfu, Naxos and Mykonos. All were beautiful and valuable in very different ways. Corfu is like a home from home and we'd recommend it to everyone of any age. Food, Scenery and beaches are gorgeous. It's also very easy to travel to and from which we took advantage of. Naxos was fabulous and very traditionally Greek. It allowed us to slow the pace and take in the wedding and rest. Mykonos was completely different. Faster and fancier. If you want party life then September and October would not suit as it was low season but that was perfect for us. We spent most of the time eating and relaxing to be honest so we will have to go back to explore again.”
And honeymoon Part II is coming soon! “We plan to go on our honeymoon in a few months and have a road trip/adventure holiday in the States as we will have gained back our energy by then.”
The dress, the place-settings, the dessert table, there's just so many gorgeous details, it's impossible to pick a favourite! Thanks so much to Julie and Rob for sharing your day with us, and to Nik Pekridis for documenting it so beautifully.
