Sky-blue details, an Aperol Spritz tower, and three days with family and friends overlooking Mirabello Bay.

Alyssa and Chase have a glass of champaign with friends at Art Villas

A place to bring everyone together

Alyssa and Chase live in Canada, where both have demanding professional lives. Alyssa is a lawyer, and finding time away from work isn't always easy. Greece, however, had long been a special place for them. They had travelled here together many times, and it was also where Chase proposed.

So when Alyssa came across Art Villas in Elounda, the idea of getting married in Crete began to take shape. By the time Alyssa contacted Crete Within Weddings, she and Chase had already booked the venue. What attracted them wasn't simply the architecture or the view over Mirabello Bay. They wanted to spend proper time with the people they loved, rather than bring everyone together for just one evening.

Art Villas offered exactly that possibility. The complex consists of several villas, accommodating around 30–40 people, with different outdoor spaces for gatherings, dinners and celebrations. For Alyssa and Chase, their wedding would become a week of holiday with family and friends.

Sea view and infinity pool at Art Villas in Elounda

Knowing your venue makes a difference

Art Villas is one of the more established private villa wedding venues in eastern Crete. We have known the property for years, and that familiarity matters. The villas offer several advantages, including something quite unusual: an underground club where the celebration can continue after the outdoor music restrictions begin.

But the property has its challenges too. Built across different levels, the complex has numerous staircases connecting the terraces. When the ceremony takes place on a lower level and dinner is served higher up, guests need to move between them. This is worth considering, particularly for elderly guests or anyone with limited mobility.

There is also the practical question of getting furniture, flowers, lighting and equipment to the different levels. Everything has to be carried, installed and eventually removed, often under the intense Cretan summer sun. We knew what to expect and planned accordingly.

Wedding photographs rarely show the people carrying furniture up staircases in the heat. Yet without these people, none of the beautiful things we see in the photographs would exist. If you’d like an expert assessment of a wedding venue you’ve chosen, take a look at our Wedding Venue Consultation service.

Something blue, something playful

Alyssa knew what she wanted from the beginning: sky blue and white. For the design, we invited Anastasia Voutsa of Caactus Care, a decorator based in Heraklion. Working with Yucca Flowers, she developed a fresh interpretation of the classical palette.

Pearls, airy meringues and delicate dessert-inspired details introduced a playful element to the otherwise traditional blue-and-white design. The idea wasn't to transform the venue beyond recognition. The architecture, the sea and the Mediterranean light were already doing much of the work. We wanted the decoration to complement the surroundings while reflecting Alyssa's personality.

One visit, many decisions

Around 10 months before the wedding, Alyssa and Chase travelled to Crete to meet suppliers and make some important decisions, including catering and bar service. Elounda is in eastern Crete, and geography plays a significant role when selecting vendors.

A catering company travelling from Chania, for example, must transport not only food but also staff, kitchen equipment and everything required to operate a temporary kitchen. The additional distance inevitably affects the cost. We worked with Siganos Catering, an experienced Heraklion-based company familiar with Art Villas and accustomed to large events.

This is something we often explain to our couples: choosing suppliers isn't only about comparing menus and prices. Understanding how a team works, how far it needs to travel and whether it knows the venue can make a considerable difference.

Mirabello bay a place of luxury attractions

Three days, not just one

The celebration began on the water, with yachts and catamarans taking the guests around Mirabello Bay. The following day, Alyssa and Chase hosted a pre-wedding dinner at the villas, prepared by a team of chefs.

By the time the wedding day arrived, everyone had already shared two days of experiences, conversations and meals. This is one of the things we particularly appreciate about multi-day destination weddings. The wedding day itself doesn't have to carry the entire responsibility of bringing people together. There is already a sense of familiarity.

A first look, a ceremony and plenty of photographs

The wedding morning began early, with hair and makeup artists arriving first, followed by photographer Nataliia, who documented the preparations and atmosphere of the day.

Alyssa wanted plenty of portraits with Chase, so we scheduled their first look before the ceremony. It gave them time together and allowed them to enjoy more of the cocktail hour with their guests. Some couples worry that a first look might make the ceremony less emotional. In our experience, it doesn't necessarily work that way. Seeing each other privately is one thing. Standing together in front of everyone you love, exchanging vows and making that commitment publicly, is something quite different.

The ceremony was led by a close friend of the couple, who also acted as MC. Music was carefully arranged, with individual pieces selected for the entrances of the groom, best man, bridesmaids and bride. These small decisions made the ceremony personal, rather than simply following a standard format.

An Aperol tower and a long night

Alyssa and Chase love Aperol Spritz. So instead of the increasingly familiar prosecco tower, they chose an Aperol Spritz tower. A small change, perhaps, but one that felt much more like them.

Music was another priority. Alyssa had her heart set on DJ Stelios Saxoman, whose calendar fills up well in advance. Fortunately, we managed to secure him. After cocktails, dinner and speeches, the celebration moved into the party.

And when the outdoor music hours came to an end, the underground club allowed everyone to keep dancing. This is one of the real advantages of Art Villas: the party doesn't have to finish just when everyone is getting into the mood.

Aperol Spritz cocktail tower at Alyssa and Chase's wedding

When the guests are dancing, we're still working

There is a moment at almost every wedding when the atmosphere changes. The ceremony is over, dinner has been served, and everyone begins to relax. The formal part of the day gives way to the party. For the planning team, however, the working day isn't over. We are still coordinating suppliers, checking transport arrangements, answering last-minute questions and making sure everything continues to run as it should.

At the end of the night, there are taxis to arrange, guests to see off and final details to take care of. Our job finishes when we know that everyone is where they should be and the celebration has come to a proper close. Only then can we relax too.

Before saying goodbye, Alyssa and I exchanged gifts — a lovely personal ending to many months of planning together. Looking back, what stays with us about this wedding isn't only the blue-and-white design, the setting or the dancing. It is the way Alyssa and Chase brought their people together for three days in a place they already loved. And perhaps that is one of the best reasons to have a destination wedding in the first place.