Planning a destination wedding might seem like a daunting task, but Essense of Australia bride Madeline was able to pull it off effortlessly! Combining bits of culture from her life in Texas and her groom’s Australian background, their Santorini wedding was as personal as it was breathtaking. Congrats to this worldly couple on their gorgeous day!
From the bride: Jeromie and I first met at University in Texas. He was the tall, dreamy, basketball superstar of the university and of course I was enamored. Not to mention that he is from Australia and has the cutest accent. When he started talking to me, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. We got to know each other pretty well and were soon dating. After about two years of dating, we decided to plan our first big trip to Europe. Santorini was on that list and as Jeromie remembers, that was the place he knew he was in love with me. Fast forward six months after the trip, his family was visiting Texas from Australia for Christmas and Jeromie proposed on Christmas Eve in my parent’s home in front of both our families. After the proposal, Jeromie and I were discussing where we would get married. I was never the type of girl that had planned my wedding out, but we knew we wanted a place that both our families could travel to, so Australia and America were out. Jeromie mentioned Santorini and I knew that was the perfect place for us!
Planning a wedding from abroad might seem like a daunting task, but I absolutely loved every minute of it! I found all of my vendors through the Internet and email and things definitely fell into place. Next, I found our photographer, Anna Roussos. Her photos instantly captured me with their soft, but vibrant style. Her photos were so natural and it seemed perfect for Jeromie and me. Next was my dress. I went to a couple of vendors in Texas and finally found the brand Essense of Australia and I knew this was the perfect way to incorporate an Australian touch into my wedding. Little did I know, that Jeromie and I took the leap and moved to Australia a month later. From Australia, I planned the rest of my wedding. I found Fabio Zardi and he was perfect for bringing my vision into plan. I wanted to go for a earthy, bohemian feel but still super romantic. He nailed this perfectly and I loved the greenery that overflowed in the bouquets and and at the ceremony. We also added some personal touches like my Grandfather officiated the wedding as he is a minister in the US, my Dad, who is a jeweler in Texas made Jeromie’s ring and cufflinks, and my grandmother handed me down her pearls that she wore in her own wedding. These personal touches are what made our wedding so special to us.
I was nervous about organizing and bringing things from two different continents to Greece, but everything was perfect. The groomsmen looked so handsome, the bridesmaids so gorgeous and of course my groom looked like he came out of a magazine. I thought it would be more complicated joining families from two different continents, but I think we created the perfect week where everyone took memories that will last a lifetime.
The most special moment of my wedding day was seeing my groom for the first time for our “first look.” His look made me feel like the most beautiful person ever. He looked so handsome too. I knew at that moment that our wedding day was going to be perfect and nothing could stop it from being the most magical day ever for us.
Photography by Anna RoussosÂ