Destination Wedding Photographer Cyprus | Chantelle and Omar

Tell us a little bit about you two as a couple.

We met in 2008 through mutual friends at a gathering and hit it off straight away. Due to life commitments it soon fizzled out but love found its way back in 2012 when we finally made it official. We pretty much have been inseparable ever since.

How did the proposal happen?

During our travels to one of our favourite countries Thailand. Omar surprised Chantelle by taking her to a romantic spot, a cliff top restaurant overlooking the beautiful Thai seas. Omar pulled out all the stops, wined and dined Chantelle before finally getting down on one knee. of course, Chantelle said yes!

How did you go about choosing your venue/s?

We decided to get married abroad as it was a perfect excuse to escape to the sun with all our nearest and dearest. Not to mention it was half the cost with the guaranteed sunny weather! Chantelle came across the Olympic Lagoon and fell in love at first sight. We joined a local group on social media and got all our information from there. The Olympic Lagoon wedding coordinators were fantastic and fully informative throughout our 18 months of wedding planning via email. They made planning a wedding completely stress-free and nothing was too much of a problem for them.

What was the general style and vibe of your wedding?

The overall theme of the wedding was hessian with lace with a romantic dusky pink hint. As for the decor we literally needed no input as the gardens were so beautiful- more so at night with the lanterns lit creating a relaxed and happy vibe for all. We hired a floral arch which was placed at the altar, also floral garlands which trailed along the railings surrounding the water. As for the table decor, we had hessian runners and filled vases with water, placed floating candles on top creating a calming and romantic effect. Chantelle made table numbers from books which added a really quirky effect.

Talk us through your wedding day outfits.

The grooms’ men were dressed in taupe trousers with braces and ties- the groom dress the same but with a waistcoat and bow tie to stand out. The bride wore a champagne/ivory fishtail lace dress with a long ivory veil. Chantelle chose her gown in the second shop she visited whereas the Omar took almost the 18 months of wedding planning to find the men’s outfits- due to the colour being taupe and having to wait for the spring season colours to come out. leaving it 4 weeks before the wedding until actually purchasing a suit. (Only part of the planning where the bride stressed)

Tell us all about your choice of catering.

We decided to go for a very informal BBQ buffet with a choice of selected foods such as barbecued meats, fish, salad, potatoes, rice and not forgetting a range of desserts. Being foodies ourselves we wanted to ensure there was a taste to suit all.

What did you choose to have as your wedding entertainment?

We hired a recommended DJ from the Cypriot area- Husband and wife, Shirley and Dave. We both highly recommend this couple as they got everyone in the mood to party after the first dance. They were awesome and so so helpful leading up to the big day.

Tell us about your floral arrangements.

Chantelle has a passion for arts and crafts and decided to make her own floral arrangement for herself and 3 bridesmaids. Chantelle mixed dusky pink Peonies and ivory roses in each- lacing them in hessian and ivory lace. They were beautiful and had so many compliments for them.

Any particularly funny stories from the day?

Everything went accordingly as planned- except for ending up in the famous Ayia Napa strip at the end of the wedding night in our wedding attire. This resulted in one of the wedding guests getting locked out of her room having to spend the night with us. Not quite how we imagined our first night together of married life. Also the ‘Cave’ incident- you know!!! :D

What were your favourite moments of the day?

Omar- the speeches | Chantelle- the build-up to the ‘i do’ Getting ready with the girls  | Overall an amazing day- would not have changed a thing about the day  (Apart from Bee not being there of course ).

Do you have any words of wisdom for future brides and grooms to be?

As stated above would not have changed a thing and highly recommend booking your wedding abroad. It was literally stress-free and so easy to plan.