Staying with Tradition

James and Joanna combined English and Greek traditions to make their wedding day extra special

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Early days…

The couple met on a group holiday in Cyprus in 2002. James was immediately attracted by Joanna's big brown eyes and she liked his kindness and good looks.

The proposal…

James proposed on Valentine's Day, says Jo. "We went out for dinner to a Chinese restaurant and it was a total surprise. He had also arranged for our immediate family and close friends to meet us at a nearby bar for a few drinks to celebrate which was also a surprise!"

Hen and stag parties…

The hen party consisted of a long weekend in Dublin with seven of the bride's friends. "We went on a tour of the city in an amphibious car which also had a five year old's birthday party in it!" laughs Jo.

James' stag party took place in Latvia. There were 16 men on the tour with ages ranging from 22 to 62, he says. The stag was given specific outfits to wear by his friends, and on one evening there was a doctors and nurses theme, with the groom dressed as the latter.

The venues…

The couple chose their local Greek Orthodox Church, St Andrew's for the wedding venue. The reception took place at the Winter Gardens Pavilion because of its exquisite ballroom and guest capacity.

The dress…

Jo wore an ivory satin strapless dress with a side drape and full train. The bodice of the dress had a flower detail which was accentuated by diamantes and pearls.

The side drape continued down the side of the dress where the detail was also continued, and the back was laced up.

The bride accessorised with a tiara and veil, and also wore pearl earrings and a diamond necklace.

The flowers…

"My bouquet was a mixture of roses and cymbidium orchids," says Jo. "The table centrepieces were a mixture of Windsor liles, hypericum berries and gladioli. The buttonholes were roses and the bridesmaids' bouquets were cymbidium orchids."

The decorative touches…

"There are 21 arches around the ballroom, which all had a cloud nine configuration of balloons in them. They were a mixture of red and gold," recalls Jo.

"The arches also had red swags with gold bows hanging from them. The head table and cake table were also decked with swags and the stage had organza material draped around it. The gantry in the centre of the ballroom had fairy lights hanging from it."

The honeymoon…

The couple spent 14 days in the Dominican Republic. "The resort we stayed at was beautiful and the staff could not do enough for you," says Jo. "There was entertainment during the day and the evening."

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