Destination Weddings

The Costa Navarino Experience: Three days in a Mediterranean paradise

· Destination Weddings, Greek Summer, Luxury Weddings, RPS Team, Wedding Inspiration, Weddings · , , , ,
A good surprise is always welcome but even more so during unprecedented times and in the midst of a challenging summer. That’s why when Katerina Karipides, Senior Groups & Events Sales Manager at Costa Navarino, invited us to spend three days away from everything in a prime Mediterranean destination for a Wedding Experience Trip, well, our eyes filled with stars!
 
This initiative from the Costa Navarino team was a truly fantastic move on their part. Despite everything going on, they threw a spectacular 3-day getaway for us wedding planning professionals and gave us the rare opportunity to personally experience the premises and premium services of one of the most unspoiled and breathtaking seaside Mediterranean landscapes, an area that has been shaped by 4,500 years of history.
 
It was late noon when we arrived at the oasis that is the Westin Resort Costa Navarino, where later that evening we enjoyed a lovely welcome dinner at The Dunes Golf Club: Classic and signature cuts, complemented by the freshest ingredients from carefully selected small-scale producers in the surrounding area.
 
For the next two days, we treated ourselves to lushious breakfasts at Morias Restaurant, quality leisure time in between the glorious beach and the verdant olive groves that surround the luxury villas, a great lunch at Barbouni restaurant by the Navarino Dunes Beach and a glorious dinner at Da Luigi Restaurant in the Agora, where the chef mastered all the creativity and diversity of Italian cuisine, from the Alps to Sicily. Hey, it’s not a vacation without plenty of excellent food!
 
During our stay there, we got to know Costa Navarino for what it is, as far as our work is concerned: A place like no other, with unparalleled venues for wedding ceremonies and receptions, that provide the precious gift of Greek hospitality for every kind of guest: from the company of friends, to the couples and the families. An Award Winning Luxury Holiday Destination in an enchanting seaside location, that features an exceptional range of deluxe rooms, as well as a wide array of leisure and entertainment choices for children and adults alike.
 
Most importantly, we had the chance to take part in heartfelt and fruitful conversations with our fellow planners, discussing our thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams for our field and making plans for the future -planning and designing is what we do best, after all!
 
It was three days spent in a piece of Mediterranean heaven, one you can find only in Greece, and we couldn’t be more thankful to our hostess and our colleagues for turning it into a one of a kind summer experience.
 
Let’s hope that this time next year, it will be us who’ ll be setting everything up in a magical place like this one, making sure that everything runs smoothly and your wedding is turning out exactly as you’d dreamed of. The wedding planner’s work never stops, only pauses to fill up with inspiration and positive energy. And if you are lucky enough, it will happen in Costa Navarino.

A bride’s story #7: The most important thing is that wedding happens at a time when family and friends can come together

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , , ,

For this lovely couple the decision of postponing their wedding for the same date but one year later came up after a lot of consideration regarding their families. Adam’s family lives in the UK and even the slightest possibility of not being able to attend the wedding due to the pandemic flight restrictions was enough to make them change the date. Although this global pandemic has affected everyone, the impact differs depending the country in which each couple lives, the countries where their guests are coming from, the number of guests they want to invite and most of all the size of the compromise they are willing to accept. And everyone would agree that when this compromise concerns the family, then postponement is the only option.

Afroditi & Adam’s Story

Tell us your names

Adam & Afroditi

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

We live together in Greece for the last 4 years. We chose Greece because we wanted to create memories with our families and friends in the place that we are currently building our common life.

What was the original date of your wedding?

July 24 2020

How many guests? And where are they coming from?

250. Mainly UK and Greece, we also have friends coming from few other EU countries.

What’s the new date, if you decide to reschedule?

July 24 2021

What helped you more into taking the decision of holding another date?

During the first two weeks of quarantine we were both determined to keep our original date. However, we are worried that our British family and friends who live abroad, would not be able to make it. In addition, for us the wedding is not only the day, but the period around it and we felt like missing the “build up” for our special day.

Which are the new steps you are going to follow?

We took the decision to postpone by 1 year, otherwise keeping the same date. Right now we are making all the necessary rearrangements and informing our friends and family.

What do your guests think about all this?

They are all very supportive.

What is your advice to other future 2020 couples struggling to make a decision?

The difficult part is making the decision and being ok with it.

The most important thing is that wedding happens at a time when family and friends can come together and enjoy the day as it should be. Understanding this has helped us a lot.
***

 

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well. We will be answering some quick questions that reached our inbox on our IG stories very soon. If you miss them, look for them on our highlights!

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

A bride’s story #6: Focus on each other and trust that everything will work out for the best

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , ,

Peter and Candice live and work in Washington DC and are planning to have their wedding this September in Athens. Together we keep on planning and taking care of all the details of their upcoming wedding. They are optimistic yet conscious of the compromise that this decision might involve -like having a smaller number of guests. Safety by all means is our first priority but we can still have a simple yet elegant celebration which represent the personalities and taste of these two magnificent people.

Candice & Peter’s Story

Tell us your names

Candice & Peter

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

We live in Washington, D.C. Greece holds a special place in our hearts! Peter proposed on the beach in Milos, and we wanted to share the amazing food, culture, and scenery of Greece with our families and closest friends. We loved everything about our time spent in Athens and the islands, and we can’t wait to go back (whenever that may be).

What is/was the original date of your wedding?

September 9 2020

How many guests? And where are they coming from?

65

What made you decide to hold your original date as is at the moment?

We decided to keep this date for now, stay positive, and adjust if necessary. The world is changing so quickly, so we just take it one day at time. Also, 09/09 is an auspicious date in Taiwanese culture meaning “forever.”

What do your guests think about all this?

We are so fortunate because our guests, specifically our parents and closest friends, support our decision no matter what we decide, and we try to keep them updated when we make any final decisions.

What was your wedding planner’s role in all of this?

Paraskevi has been very patient and helps keep us on track! She keeps us updated on any news in Greece and helps us focus on staying positive. We want our wedding filled with beautiful details no matter when it happens!

What is your advice to other future 2020 couples struggling to make a decision?

Take it day by day, and try not to worry about what you cannot control. Focus on each other and trust that everything will work out for the best. (Wise words from Candice’s mom!)

 

***

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well. We will be answering some quick questions that reached our inbox on our IG stories very soon. If you miss them, look for them on our highlights!

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

A bride’s story #5: Even if this crisis is controlling your wedding date, don’t let it control your emotions!

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , ,

Our next story is this from Alex and Taya. This amazing couple lives and works in Washington DC, so many of their guests will travel from US to Greece this August in order to celebrate with them their special day. Being positive and cautiously optimistic, they are already prepared for a plan b if it comes down to that, but this doesn’t prevent them for continuing the preparations for this summer.

I will never forget the time Alex send me a message, declaring: “Paraskevi, I’m getting married this August no matter what, even if this take place into RockPaperScissors office”. Of course this shows the great sense of humor Alex has and his positive attitude towards all difficulties, but at the same time their profound belief that happiness lies in good will.

I couldn’t find anything more corresponding to the time we are going through than their advice to other couples: “Even if this crisis is controlling your wedding date, don’t let it control your emotions!”

Taya & Alex’s Story

Tell us your names

Taya Rizk & Alex Willson

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

We live and work in Washington DC, but we chose Greece because Alex’s mother’s family is from Greece, and Taya’s family is from Egypt, so it just seemed like the perfect place for all our guests from the US, Europe, and Egypt to meet to celebrate our wedding.

What is/was the original date of your wedding?

August 31 2020

How many guests?

250

What’s the new date, if you decide to reschedule?

Spring 2021

What made you decide to hold your original date as is at the moment?

So far there is still hope that the current crisis will have ended by late August, and we would love to continue to plan our dream wedding instead of delaying, so for now we are holding on to that hope.

What do your guests think about all this?

For the most part, our guests are worried about the traveling, but they are also continuing to hope that we can do the wedding as planned.

What was your wedding planner’s role in all of this?

Our wedding planner from RockPaperScissors has done a wonderful job providing us with updates about the situation in Greece, while also giving us reassurances that if we need to reschedule, it won’t be a problem.

What is your advice to other future 2020 couples struggling to make a decision?

Even if this crisis is controlling your wedding date, don’t let it control your emotions! We have to remain positive throughout this crisis no matter what.

 

***

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well. We will be answering some quick questions that reached our inbox on our IG stories very soon. If you miss them, look for them on our highlights!

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

How to communicate your wedding’s postponement

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , , ,

Since many of our May and June brides had to postpone their weddings due to COVID 19, we’d like to share with you the necessary steps to communicate this change of plans to your guests, after you’ve worked with all your vendors to nail down the new date.

 

Now that you’ve done all of the above we’d like to share with you two of the designs we worked with Atelier Invitations for two of our early 2020 brides that recently chose to postpone for September.

 

And don’t forget: When that big day comes, make sure to thank your families and guests for their support as well as all those people that moved mountains to make this happen!

Credits: Designs created by Αtelier Invitations

The current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic by The World Health Organization. As the situation remains fluid, we’ll be sharing tips and stories from our couples and we will also keep you up to date with the latest best practices for your weddings in Greece.

A bride’s story #4: At the end of the day, we’re lucky to have each other

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Weddings · , , , ,

As these stories have been going on for some weeks now, we’re so happy to hear that our idea started to work out for our brides and others organizing their wedding in 2020, as we helped them navigate through the Covid – 19 noise.

There were brides that decided to postpone, like Heather and Kim and others that are true to their vision and cautious optimists in heart like Jessica.

Becky is one more bride that chose to postpone, since she only found out from her airline that it would not fly to Greece on her wedding day. We acted really fast so we moved their date as with previous couples to September.

 

Becky & Sherif’s Story

Tell us your names

Becky & Sherif

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

I’m American and Sherif is from Egypt, but we both live in Dubai, which is where we met in 2017 and plan to call home for a while. We didn’t always know that Greece would be the perfect place for our wedding; we just knew initially that we didn’t want it to be in either of our home countries or in Dubai. As we are both avid travelers, a destination wedding was definitely more fitting for us.

We dreamed of a summer Mediterranean wedding: somewhere with great weather, lots of sunshine and beautiful landscapes for an outdoor event, that could also offer the right mix of European charm and vibrant nightlife for our guests. When we started narrowing down our options, Greece suddenly clicked for us and it was like “Yes, that’s it! Let’s do this.” We knew it would be the perfect vibe, easy for our Egyptian friends and family to access, and an ideal travel destination for guests hailing from other parts of the world. We couldn’t have picked a better place and venue—it’s turning out to be everything we hoped for.

What is/was the original date of your wedding?

June 25 2020

How many guests?

200

What helped you more into taking the decision of holding another date too?

The idea of rescheduling was so hard to come to terms with, as we had waited SO long and were coming up on the 90-day mark. It felt like we were finally almost there! But we didn’t really have a choice in the end. With COVID-19-related travel restrictions, flights from Dubai and the U.S. had already gotten cancelled, and we knew there would only be more to come. The most important thing to us is having the people we love by our sides to celebrate, so we couldn’t risk them not being able to get there. More importantly, we couldn’t risk the health and safety of our friends and family. So despite being a tough decision to accept, it was really a no-brainer.

Which are the new steps you are going to follow?

For the time being we’re just letting everyone know about the new date as quickly as possible. We won’t wait to send a formal save-the-date because most people need to cancel or move their flights and accommodations. We’re also planning a week-long sailing trip around the Greek Islands with 35 of our close friends immediately after the wedding, so we’re working on re-booking all of the boats.

Aside from that, we’re both doing our best to stay positive and avoid being discouraged by the things that we can’t control. At the end of the day, we’re lucky to have each other and grateful for all the amazing support from our loved ones. If we have to wait an extra 3 months for the best day of our lives, no problem— that’s certainly not the part we’re going to remember when we look back on our wedding many years from now.

What do your guests think about all this?

Our friends and family have been nothing short of incredible. A few days before we made the decision to postpone, one of our friends said to me “just know that whatever you’re going through, you have an army who loves you and supports you.” And that’s exactly how everyone made us feel when we shared the news. Every time someone tells us “you can count on us being there no matter what” or “we wouldn’t miss it,” it’s a reminder of how lucky we are to have these people who love us. We have an amazing support system—our “army”—and that makes us even more excited to share our special day with them.

What is your advice to other future 2020 couples struggling to make a decision?

First and foremost, don’t lose sight of what’s important: your marriage and your loved ones. Even if you have to wait a few more months for your big day, your marriage is the part that will go on for a lifetime, and the health and safety of your loved ones should be paramount.

Secondly, accept the things you cannot control. Don’t waste your energy worrying about the what-ifs and telling yourself that the wedding is ruined. It’s not! It’s just happening on a different date. Instead, focus on being grateful that you have the means to throw a wedding in the first place (not everyone gets to get married in Greece!) and for the beautiful life ahead of you.

Lastly, don’t stress. Recognise that your wedding planner is there for you. This is why we hire people like Helena and the RPS team, and they’re behind you 100% to make sure all the pieces get put back together.

***

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well. We will be answering some quick questions that reached our inbox on our IG stories very soon. If you miss them, look for them on our highlights!

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

This is our fourth #helpabride story, this time also with a lovely video of our amazing couple that we thought we should share, too, since its truly inspiring song reminds us that “whatever comes, we will be just fine if I am yours and your are mine”!

Let’s keep on planning and take courage one from another. #keepworkingforlove

A bride’s story #3: Just make the decision and look forward to the future!

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , ,

Our couples are our protagonists and our absolute heroes. During these struggling times, having to face the dilemma of postponing your wedding or not can be, well, a lot. While being in constant touch with our brides and helping them navigate through the Covid-19 noise, we decided to bring them all together, even if miles apart.

This idea began after various calls and emails with all of you. We are all in this together and your voice and thoughts can be helpful to each other. So, we thought that by sharing them we could give everyone some hope, guidance and, of course, lift your spirits!

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well.

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

This is our third #helpabride story, this time through the lovely video our amazing couple sent us. Let’s keep on planning and take courage one from another. #keepworkingforlove

*Special thanks to Panagiotis Kastanidis for the ace video editing!

Kim & Vinnie’s Story

 

A bride’s story #2: It will be the biggest party of the year, hands down!

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Wedding Planning, Weddings · , , , ,

Our couples are our protagonists and our absolute heroes. During these struggling times, having to face the dilemma of postponing your wedding or not can be, well, a lot. While being in constant touch with our brides and helping them navigate through the Covid-19 noise, we decided to bring them all together, even if miles apart.

This idea began after various calls and emails with all of you. We are all in this together and your voice and thoughts can be helpful to each other. So, we thought that by sharing them we could give everyone some hope, guidance and, of course, lift your spirits!

Each one of you is unique to us and so is your wedding. Since you come from different countries, different parameters apply to your decision about holding or postponing your initial date, making it unique as well.

We are here to help you go all the way, and so are our other couples with their stories.

This is our second #helpabride story. Let’s keep on planning and take courage one from another. #keepworkingforlove

Jessica & Pierre-Loic’s Story

Tell us your names

Jessica Djeziri & Pierre-Loic Jacquemin

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

Originally in Paris, France, and during our engagement we decided that planning a wedding abroad wasn’t difficult enough and we moved further south to Lyon, France. We absolutely love Greece and its islands, the history, the landscapes, and of course the food!

What is/was the original date of your wedding?

May 23 2020

How many guests? And where are they coming from?

We have 70 guests, coming from France, Belgium, the UK, and Brazil.

What made you decide to hold your original date as is at the moment?

For now we’ve decided to stick to our initial plan, depending on the situation in France we might even be able to have our wedding on Pierre-Loic’s birthday as we planned!

What do your guests think about all this?

They are being very supportive, and they are anxious to be able to travel to Greece and celebrate to what will be the biggest party of the year, hands down!

What is your advice to other future 2020 couples struggling to make a decision?

Keep the faith, rely on your wedding planner to help you navigate these difficult times, and be grateful for having found the best life partner!

A bride’s story #1: Postponing your wedding it’s not the end of the world

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Wedding Planning · , , ,

Our brides are our protagonists and our absolute heroes. During these struggling times, having to face the dilemma of postponing your wedding or not can be, well, a lot. While being in constant touch with our brides and helping them navigate through the Covid-19 noise, we decided to bring them all together, even if miles apart. How? By giving them the chance to tell their stories, communicate their thoughts and share precious pieces of advice that might help the rest of them cope with and overcome this unexpected situation.

This is our first #helpabride story, with more to come. Let us know your own similar experiences and remember: we’re all in this together. #keepworkingforlove

Heather & Nick’ s story

Tell us your names 

Heather Kobus & Nick Scures

Where do you live and why did you choose Greece for your wedding?

We live in Palm Beach, Florida. My fiancé and I wanted to do a destination wedding because we love to travel and Greece holds a very special place in our hearts since it was one of our first trips abroad together. On top of that, Nick’s family is originally from Greece! Plus, it’s an absolutely stunning country!

How many guests?

100

What’s the new date, after rescheduling?

September 18 2020

Which were the steps you followed initially?

Initially, I was really on edge and very anxious. There aren’t any clear answers to the question “should I postpone my wedding due to a pandemic?”. I reached out to fellow brides-to-be, my mom, and of course Helena to see where their heads were at during the first half of March. We initially decided we will not postpone unless we are forced to!

What helped you more into taking this decision?

As the Covid-19 pandemic spread and more travel bans were put in place, more quarantine rules were set once travelers crossed borders and flights were cancelled through the month of April, we had more and more wedding guests (that had already RSVP’d “yes” and bought flights for our wedding) reaching out asking if the wedding is still happening May 25th. Around the same time, we received an email from Rock Paper Scissors suggesting weddings through the month of May should consider postponing. At this point we felt the writing was on the wall- we must postpone our special day!

How long did it take you to change the date?

Thanks to Helena, her team, and our vendors (all suggested by Rock Paper Scissors), we had a new date within 24 hours of making the decision to postpone our wedding.

What was your wedding planner’s role in all of this?

The best way for me to describe Helena’s role is: we absolutely, without a doubt, could not have handled this without her! The reason the transition happened so quickly is because Helena was proactively reaching out to our vendors informing them, asking their availability and rescheduling everything we had originally planned! We made the decision on a Tuesday evening and by Friday we had everything rescheduled plus a “Change Our Date” postcard designed to send out to our guests informing them of our date change. It felt like a rock had been lifted- I was no longer anxious or worried! And all of our guests were very receptive and supportive of the date change.

What is your advice to other future brides struggling to make a decision?

This is a really emotional time. You have envisioned and dreamed of your wedding for days or months or most likely years! So when something comes up that is completely unforeseen, such as a global pandemic, it can feel like the end of the world. But it’s only the end of the world if you make it that way. In reality, you will marry your Prince Charming. It may not be the exact date you had originally planned but whether you take your vows on your original date or a future date, it will happen. And it will be just as amazing as you originally anticipated! Remember, you are not alone! My fiancé and I were very worried and obviously struggled at first to make this final decision to postpone, but after all is said and done I know that we made the right choice. We feel so very fortunate to have Rock Paper Scissors on our side at a time like this. Take their advice and let them take the wheel – they truly do have your best interest on top of mind!

  • Heather Kobus

Keep Working For Love

· Destination Weddings, RockPaperScissors, RPS Team, Weddings · , , , , ,

Wedding planning in the COVID-19 era

Dear friends, couples and colleagues,

As COVID-19 has clearly invaded our lives changing our life style and behaviour – hopefully for only the next few months – we wish to share with you a few thoughts.

In these challenging times, we, at Rock Paper Scissors Events, are leaning on our core values, Commitment, Professionalism, Teamwork and Respect, which have been our beacon since our inception almost ten years ago and have been the key ingredients in helping you building lifetime memories.

Undoubtedly, everyone’s utmost concern must be the personal health and safety of our families, employees, friends and ourselves. However, we are committed to continue guiding you to one of the best days of your life along with our esteemed partners and associates.

There is no single formula for doing this; however, we have already aligned our methodology to the new conditions.

Two things we know about crisis from our experience, they are all different, and they all end.

 We are firm believers that love prevails and we will do everything in our power to keep working for love. #keepworkingforlove #keepworkingforlife

And remember: We are all in this together.

Love and virtual hugs,
Helena, Paraskevi and the Rock Paper Scissors Team