Nicola & Joel's Romantic Rustic Cyprus Wedding at Liopetro, Kouklia

A proposal in Portugal

"We were having a short break in Portugal. My parents were set to join us the next day and Joel's parents were on a cruise that would be docking nearby too. The night before they arrived, we had a beautiful meal and were walking along the harbour when Joel got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect. We spent the night celebrating, then had the excitement of telling our parents when they arrived later in the week."

Destination dreams

"After a short time researching, we chose a destination wedding in Cyprus. It was a popular wedding destination and looked pretty easy to organise, so the decision was made: Paphos it was."

Unlike many couples, Nicola and Joel did not want to hold their wedding in the same place they would stay all week. "It just did not feel too special to get married where I would be staying for 10 days. That is when I came across Liopetro and fell in love. The venue looked like somewhere you would see in magazines and I was over the moon when they were available on our chosen date, which was the date we first met."

"The first time I spoke to Liopetro Venue, they recommended Nick and Aimie for our Liopetro Cyprus wedding photographer and I am so glad they did. A quick scan of their website was all it took for us to get them booked."

Aisle attire

Taking long-standing advice for a destination wedding in Cyprus, this bride began her dress hunt focussing on lighter-weight styles. "I was looking for a summery dress perfect for the 30-degree heat. Oh, how wrong I was. After trying on numerous dresses, only one style stood out and I used that to find the right dress, eventually."

Nicola looked stunning in a modern and understated Ronald Joyce A-line design with a pleated, pocketed skirt and low back. "It was much heavier than I had ever planned, but I loved it."

Joel opted for a two-piece, slim-fit blue suit and teamed it with a short-sleeved shirt and brown brogues.

The big moment

Nicola and her wedding party had a stunning walk from where they had prepared in the morning to their ceremony location. Passing golden stone walls and dappled sunshine, it was ideal for capturing naturally stunning bridal party pictures.

"The intimacy of our ceremony was perfect. It felt like we were the only couple to ever have got married there. Seeing our guests waiting for me to arrive was surreal and then I saw Joel for the first time. He cried — a lot. It was such a special moment for us."

The couple chose an alfresco ceremony for their destination wedding in Cyprus, saying "I do" beneath a canopy of airy drapes and wow-factor floral installations.

Romantically rustic

Selecting a neutral palette with a touch of romance, the couple decorated in tones of cream, white and dusky pink. "I wanted the venue to be decorated primarily with flowers, especially roses. We had floral centrepieces for each table, which were named after places we had visited. The florist was fantastic — I had not seen flower decorations quite like what she created for us."

Informal feasting

Channelling the laid-back local culture, Nicola and Joel created a mouth-watering menu for a live buffet at Liopetro. "I wanted a relaxed atmosphere and not a set meal and that is exactly what our venue created. The food tasted beautiful and featured a great variety of dishes. As food lovers, we were not disappointed."

Party time

"My brother-in-law is the singer behind Jordan Brown Acoustic, so we were lucky to have him sing our first dance and a set of our favourite songs. It was beautiful and meant so much to us. The photos Nick and Aimie captured of us dancing and our guests all looking on in the same picture is one of our favourites."

Following the romance of the live music was a party that filled the dance floor, featuring a disco and Cypriot dancers before the grand finale of a fireworks display.

Sundown style

"We have so many favourite photos but the ones taken at sunset have to be my favourite. I cannot believe Nick and Aimie managed to make us look so glamorous."

Words of wisdom

"Spend time with guests before the big day if you can and only invite the most important people to you. We had spent the week before with our guests so when our wedding day arrived, I did not need to greet everyone — we just jumped straight into celebrating. It was so much fun and we laughed all night. Relax, and remember you are only going to do this once."

Suppliers

• Photographer: Beziique
• Venue: Liopetro, Kouklia
• Dress: Ronald Joyce
• Entertainment: Jordan Brown Acoustic