Old Money Elegance Meets Modern Design in this Stunning Santorini Destination Wedding

Ellen + Jeff – based in St. Petersburg, FL – wanted a wedding day that balanced elegance with adventure. And what better way to blend those two things than hopping on a plane to Greece for a breathtaking black tie destination celebration?

The couple and their guests traveled to the iconic Greek island of Santorini and gathered at Islet for a cliffside ceremony and an exquisitely chic outdoor reception under the glittery glow of floating chandeliers. Rich colors. An Old Money aesthetic. Stunning views of the sunset over Aegean Sea. A day of nonstop beauty + romance.

“I had a dream in my mind and a color palette that I liked as inspiration,” says bride Ellen of how her vision for the day took shape. “I wanted to do something more modern, but it was our wonderful wedding planner Lifetime Affair and talented vendors that brought my dream to reality.”

What would it look like if every character in Mamma Mia! traded in their breezy blue and white beach vacay attire for evening gowns + tuxes? Good news: Klassen Weddings took tons of stunning pics so we can see.

“This wedding wasn’t just an event,” says planner Konstantinos from Lifetime Affair of Ellen + Jeff’s Santorini nuptials. “It was a symphony.”

We are totally transfixed by that gorgeous square + pear cut toi et moi engagement ring.

“My wedding dress was designed by Kim Kassas Couture,” Ellen says of this beaded bodice stunner of a wedding gown. “I tried on 37 dresses before I found THE ONE, I knew as soon as I tried it on, that dress was made for me.”

All of these elegant, muted jewel tone bridesmaids rocked different bridesmaid hairstyles by Christine Panagopoulou.

A Ceremony Overlooking the Santorini Sea

The sunny ceremony featured a podium and wavy white aisle setup created by Weddings + Whimsy.

Ambitious, modern floral arrangements by Manfler filled the day with deep reds and vivid greens.

Obsessed with this guest’s pleated metallic gold Acler gown!

Have a black tie affair like Ellen + Jeff’s on your calendar and need some help prepping your look? There’s tons of inspo waiting for you in our black tie wedding style guide.

As guests arrived, violinist Anna Edelweiss filled the air with the sweet sound of strings.

“Jeff got his tuxedo from a local St. Petersburg, Florida family business,” Ellen says of her groom’s look. “They sourced the fabric from Italy. We found a small silver brooch to match my dress to pin on his collar to give a final touch.”

There’s just something about Santorini. Check out this “minimal but extra” wedding, this dreamy blue baby’s breath wedding, and this opulent floral wedding to see some of our other favorite destination “I do’s” that have taken place on the Greek island.

“My wedding choker was actually from Etsy,” Ellen says. “I added it to my look one week before.”

In a major way, this one is for all the short hair brides out there. We are so obsessed with Ellen’s short hair bridal style.

We love a dip kiss photo!!

Ellen’s sparkly wedding heels from Badgley Mischka were a chic nod to the embellishments on her bodice.

Can we get a standing ovation for Maria Galaiou and Renia Bledaki? Maria styled Ellen’s chic, flippy bob and Renia created this softly smoky bridal makeup look.

The Rich Red Reception

Petition to put a giant bow on every reception seating chart?

We love this staggered semi-circular reception table layout! SO creative!

Dangling chandeliers from Multimedia Events added opulence + glow to the gorgeous sunset scenery.

The dreamy sage green guest seating? The curvy tables? The metallic table cloths? Those all came courtesy of Maison Trilogie.

Our Favorite Memory
The most memorable part of the wedding took place after the rush of the ceremony had subsided and we spent an hour riding around Santorini in a vintage car. Jeff and I got to be alone in the most magical beautiful place, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

If Ellen + Jeff’s big day has you saving up your airline miles for a destination wedding of your own, take a look through our tips on how to plan a destination wedding to start dreaming big!

This color palette is perfection. Rich red is one of our fave trending wedding colors.

Metallic silver really is having its wedding decor moment. There’s something so boldly futuristic + festive about it. This modern-medieval wedding in Spain is a great example.

And so is this desert mirage wedding in California!

After the sun went down, Ellen + Jeff’s guests feasted on food from Spicy Bites by the glow of candles + chandeliers.

Our Advice
Our advice for those planning a wedding is to do what makes you happy and don’t sweat the small stuff. Choose vendors that align with your style but allow room for creative freedom. A wedding is a day to celebrate the love, partnership, and union between two people, not to meet society's expectations of what a wedding is supposed to be. Jeff and I celebrated our love in the exact way we wanted to, our closest people in a beautiful place, the rest was magic created by our wedding team.

Don’t you just want to devour this entire croque-en-bouche from Kantouni Sweetery?

Push play on the wedding video below to see all of the amazing moments that Candied Flair captured!

Congrats, Ellen + Jeff, on your gorgeous Greek destination wedding! Συγχαρητήρια from all of us at GWS!