Enchanting Destination Wedding in Santorini

Vanessa and Oluwole’s love story began when fate brought them together as undergraduate students.

“Seeing my now-husband at the altar, just thinking about how we made it to this moment and feeling overwhelmed with love and joy,” Vanessa fondly recalls, looking back on their pathway leading up to being pronounced husband and wife. A path that began with a romantic Christmas time proposal surrounded by their family. Vanessa and Oluwole were married in an enchanting destination wedding in Santorini, Greece. Continue reading all about their wedding experiences below.

Bride & Groom: Vanessa & Oluwole
Occupations: Veterinary Technician & Engineering Support Technician
Wedding date: 03/05/2019
Wedding location: Santorini, Greece

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. We met during our years of undergraduate schooling. For the proposal, Wole wrapped a huge box as “present” for me at Christmas time, had me open the gift in front of my entire family and when I noticed the box was empty, Wole was on one knee behind me proposing. I cried.

Wedding Style: The wedding gown was full of lace. I knew I did not want a white gown, therefore I opted for a nude tone with an ivory lace overlay. Wole’s suit was essentially black-tie affair, he wanted something elegant that would make him stand out and it sure did.

What was the wedding shopping experience like for you? Finding a dress was difficult at first as I went with all my bridesmaids the first round, with so many opinions I was confused on what it is I actually wanted. I went by myself one day and ended up finding my dress. Wole had it easy as he simply went to a Nordstrom store and told them what he wanted.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? Yes, we both come from different ethnic backgrounds as I identify as Latina and Wole identifies as African, so we blended our cultures together by having latin and AfroBeats music during our reception. Even the father/daughter dance was paired with a merengue song which is not traditional as this type of music is fast-paced. Additionally, we wore traditional Nigerian wedding attire which was a beautiful surprise for our guests.

Quick Facts:
Wedding Party Gifts: I made baskets that were personalized to the bridesmaid’s interest.
Gifts for Each Other: Before leaving for Greece, I had gifted Wole a watch to wear on the wedding day and he did the same by gifting me a watch on our actual wedding day.
Ceremony Entrance Song: Saturn/Sleeping At Last
First Dance Song: “Why I Love You” by Major.

What is your best memory from your wedding? Seeing my now-husband at the altar,
just thinking about how we made it to this moment and feeling overwhelmed with love and joy.

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Not everything is going to go as planned, you have to realize early what is an absolute necessity and what is not. You also cannot make everyone happy, especially family. Remember, this is your partner and your day, do not let others have such an effect on what you both truly want.