The love story
Nick and Marina attended the same school but hardly said a word to each other the whole time they were there. Fast forward to a few years later and there was an attempt from Nick’s sister-in-law and Marina’s cousinto set them up on a blind date. Marina had no idea who she was going to be meeting, and was not interested in meeting anyone, especially on a blind date. Her answer was a resounding ‘No!’ Nick was on his own mission in life at the time, but when he was told about the blind date, he was lucky enough to see a photo of Marina, making it not so much of a blind date for him. He was immediately interested. Marina was completely unaware and after weeks of persistence finally agreed to meet him – it was one coffee afterall! They met for coffee at a place called Melrose Arch and instantly got along. After dating for a brief time, Nick proposed in Santorini, and the rest is history!
The location
The church service was held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Pantanassa, in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The reception was held at the Indaba Hotel, in Fourways, Johannesburg.
The theme
Although the wedding did not have a specific theme, Nick and Marina were aiming for elegance, sophistication and something outstanding, using pink and white. Marina sourced thrones for herself and Nick to sit on at the reception, and transparent tiffany chairs for their guests. They had a white dance floor with their initials “M & N” printed on it, and surrounded by pink petals in a heart shape design. Instead of candles they opted for lighting. Underneath the base on which the orchids were sitting there was a pink light which illuminated the whole centrepiece of each table. There was also pink lighting around the hall. When the lights were dimmed this pink light reflected through the transparency of the tiffany chairs, and the whole hall became illuminated, making for an enchanting atmosphere.
The dress
Made by Greek designer Demetrios. The wedding dress was princess-style and covered with Swarovski crystals and pearls from top to bottom. The veil was 5 metres long, with lace and crystals all around the edges.
The women
The three bridesmaids wore pink dresses designed by Mischa Designs. The seven flower girls wore white pouffy dresses like mini wedding dresses, made by a specialist boutique called “O Bebe”. Marina wanted their dresses to be little replicas of her wedding dress.
The men
The groom and groomsmen had their suits tailor-made by master designer Grant, at Frank Bespoke. The pageboys wore white little outfits, waistcoat, bowties made by ‘O Bebe.’
The cake
Made by Sugar ‘n Ice, who specialize in wedding cakes. The cake was a white 5-tier cake with pink dusted edible flowers and petals. Each tier had a different flavour: chocolate ganache, Italian sponge, Irish coffee, vanilla & chocolate, and the top layer was a traditional fruit cake. The cake topper had a James Bond theme.
The flowers
Marina, incorporating the excellent ideas of her mother, knew exactly what flowers and décor she wanted. She chose the events company ‘Seating Plan’ to implement their vision, and it was done perfectly. Nick and Marina’s wedding was awarded the “Award of Excellence” for best décor at a Wedding Expo. Their flowers were predominantly white orchids, but they also had white with pink-centred orchids too.
The invitations
The invitations were made by a specialist invitations company called ‘The Card Boutique’.
The bomboniere
The bomboniere were made by J& R Creations. There were three different bomboniere- one was a crystal oyster and the other was a crystal flower-which were given to female guests. Male guests were given a bottle of speciality wine with a photo of the happy couple on it.
The music
DJ Alexi Kotsi.
Nick and Marina entered the reception with the James Bond theme song playing in the background. Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” was chosen for the bridal waltz and the happy couple did a ballroom dance spectacle for their guests. Ninety percent of the music was Greek and there was lots of Greek dancing and breaking of plates - the way any Greek wedding should be –great food, great music, great dancing, great company and great kefi!
The photography
Mario Sales Artistic Imagery.
The honeymoon
Ten days in the Maldives followed by a three week trip to Italy which included stays in Rome, Florence and Venice.