If you’re in the mood for some island escapism, you’re in luck, because today’s wonderful wedding is a destination affair on the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos. There’s clear blue skies and glittering seas aplenty here, and a celebration filled with joy, family and friends.
Meet Alissa, who works in finance and Jerry, who works in digital advertising. They were married on the 2 July 2018 right on the beach at Hippie Fish, Mykonos, in a relaxed and informal day.
“We were very close to booking a traditional wedding in New York City… At the last-minute, Jerry pitched the idea of a destination wedding as a way to have a more memorable and intimate affair with only our closest friends and family.”
Photography by Ash Powell
Two weeks later, we booked last-minute flights to Mykonos for 3 nights to look at villa complexes that could fit all of our guests as well as wedding venues that were on-style and on-budget. On the flight home we knew this had to be the way we were going to do it and that all of our friends who would be invited would be ecstatic about making this trip.”
Hair and make-up artist Frantzeska Koukoula created a radiant, island-perfect look for Alissa, and she also wore a lovely sheer single tier veil from Twigs and Honey.
From New York boutique Lovely, Alissa chose the bohemian ‘Luca’ gown by Rue de Seine. I love the intricate embroidery, beading and fringing in contrast with the delicate tulle train.
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“I was looking for something different, not a traditional wedding dress.I also knew that I definitely wanted long sleeves. I loved the boho style, long sleeves, low back, and intricate embroidery. It was also a ‘two-in-one’ dress.”
“I was able to take off the long sleeve sheer overlay later in the night and the slip acted as party dress.I originally thought I wanted an A-line silhouette, but this more fitted dress turned out to be much more flattering for my figure. It goes to show that you can never really know exactly what you want in a wedding dress until you start trying them on.”
Alissa added some sparkle with glittery sandals from Michael Kors.
“I went over my planned budget for the wedding dress, so I wanted to keep the cost low on shoes (these were under $100!). Plus I wanted something that would be comfortable to dance in all night.”
I love Jerry’s choice of outfit, just right for a laid back beach wedding – a lightweight jacket with a white shirt and trousers, put together for him by Ryan Paige at Suit Supply in New York.
Before the ceremony Alissa and Jerry took some time together for a first look and stroll, and the images captured by photographer Ash Powell are magical.
“Ash’s style immediately interested us from her portfolio and Instagram, which prompted us to set up a call with her. Her commitment to her clients became very evident to us immediately, and our understanding of this only grew as time went on. We felt Ash was as excited about being able to capture this day as we were to have it. Ash even arrived to the island early, scouting out the perfect places to shoot our photos, filtering through all of the stunning landscapes of Mykonos to find the most beautiful scenery.”
“On our big day, our friends and family also took note of how professional, caring and committed Ash was to capturing the best shots of all of our favourite people. She immediately assumed a role as part of the family, placed herself as the maestro, and caringly coached everyone into place in order to put together the best shots possible.”
“During the ceremony and wedding party, Ash was unobtrusive, yet thorough in capturing all of the special moments that we experienced. Ash was absolutely everything we could have asked for in a photographer for our special day.”
“Her style was the perfect combination of actively directing us to get the best shots and always making sure we were on time for every step of the wedding day timeline, and at the same time blending in to the day, naturally capturing the most amazing moments.”
“And the beauty of the final product –the pictures –speak for themselves!”
Alissa and Jerry first met a few months after moving into the same building together in New York – in fact, right next door to one another! Whilst out on their respective balconies they began to talk, and made a date for drinks the following week.
“We were together for about 5 years before Jerry proposed on a beach in Montauk, Long Island. Immediately afterward, we went back to the vacation house we were staying in for the week, where both families were waiting to congratulate and welcome us.”
Both Alissa and Jerry walked down the aisle separately, but with their parents, each choosing a piece of music by Vitamin String Quartet. Alissa’s choice was Unsteady (originally by X Ambassadors) and Jerry chose Hey Mama (originally by Kanye West).
The ceremony was conducted by Rabbi Ben Joseph Harrosh, who flew in from Tel Aviv for the occasion.
“He led a high energy and musical ceremony, which engaged everyone in the audience…we wrote our own vows. Jerry referenced a Cassowary–an elusive prehistoric bird that lives in the Daintree Rainforest –that Jerry and Alissa were able to see on their trip to Australia, and how Alissa was almost as difficult to spot in front of his own eyes by living next door to her for 10 months before spotting her.”
When it came to Alissa’s turn, she also had some incredibly moving and beautiful words, and she has kindly shared an extract with us here.
“I may not always know what city or even country you’re in at any point in time, but I’ve never once had to wonder where your heart is, and I know I never will. Your support is unwavering and your love is unconditional.”
The couple also read from their Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) during the ceremony, which had been hand-lettered and painted for them by artist and calligrapher Stephanie Caplan.
“Our favourite part was exchanging our vows and being able to have meaningful interactions with all of our guests as it was such a small guest list. We didn’t feel rushed or pressured to make our way around within the entire crowd –we really got to be in the moment and enjoy it.”
Alissa carried a bouquet of pretty white blooms – peonies, zebla, lisianthus and roses, mixed with olive branches and eucalyptus – created by Maria Sophia of Cycladitiko Aroma.
A golden afternoon gave way to a stunning sunset, and everyone sat down to a meal from the team at Hippie Fish, and beautiful tables decorated with flowers and candles. Menus, place cards and table numbers were designed by Rachel Marvin Creative and Indigo Blue Design Co. Place cards were attached to glass evil eye charms from EvileyeCreations via Etsy.
“One of our friends at the wedding is a professional TV host, and he acted as our MC for the whole wedding night. He got all the other guests up and dancing, awaiting our arrival onto the dance floor.”
Before the first dance, there was an introductory song, Million Voices by Otto Knows, and for their romantic dance together Alissa and Jerry chose Burn by Ellie Goulding.
“We wanted to have an upbeat song to start the night off with energy and have our guests join us on the dance floor.This was also a special song because we had gone to an Ellie Goulding concert in Madison Square Garden on a date during our first year together.”
Words of Wedded Wisdom
“Be a team.This four day wedding trip in a foreign country couldn’t have been a success without us working together. We figured out what each of our strengths were, and delegated tasks accordingly. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of wedding planning (we did all the time) –just remember why you’re planning the wedding to begin with –to marry the person you love and celebrate those moments with your family and friends.”
“We were very determined to stay on budget throughout the entirety of the planning process. One of the biggest uncontrollable factors during our timeline was actually the currency fluctuations between the USD and the Euro. There were many points where we were at a crossroads as to whether we should pay just a little bit more for additional flowers and hanging lights, or for a more comprehensive dessert menu, or for live musicians in addition to a DJ.”
“All of these little endless extras would have added up to amount to a cost that went far beyond our budget, and at the end of the experience, we never thought for a moment that having any of those extras would have made the experience and memories at all better. In the end, we managed to stay on budget.”
“There is nothing we would have done differently! The whole experience was beyond our expectations.”
Thank you so much Alissa and Jerry for sharing your beautiful, sun drenched day with us. Thanks also to Ash Powell – these are such stunning images filled with emotion. If you’re in search of more destination wedding inspiration, do take a look at more weddings in Greece, here.
With love,
Laura
Credits & Thanks
- Photography - Ash Powell
- Venue + Food - Hippie Fish, Mykonos
- Alissa's Gown - 'Luca' by Rue de Seine via Lovely, New York City + Shoes - Michael Kors + Veil - Twigs and Honey
- Hair and Make Up - Frantzeska Make Up and Hair
- Flowers - Cycladitiko Aroma
- Jerry's Suit - Suit Supply
- Ketubah - Stephanie Caplan
- Stationery - Rachel Marvin + Indigo Blue Design Co.
Laura Callan View all Laura's articles
Laura is a freelance writer and content creator who loves telling stories. She has keen eye for photography and art, and lives with her husband, cats, and huge amounts of books.
