Malini & Brian’s Unforgettable Day: A Wedding Celebration Amidst Extreme Weather
We love sharing our couples’ wedding stories with you, and every couple’s wedding journey is unique.
However, Malini & Brian’s story is one of those exceptional ones. It also highlights the behind-the-scenes decisions we make as wedding planners, ensuring that everything comes together—even in the most extreme weather conditions.
Crete has always been known for its sunny, hot climate with clear blue skies almost year-round, the occasional rainy season in winter, and Sahara dust in early spring. However, climate change is becoming increasingly evident, and the weather we once knew has been shifting. This year, for example, summer started later than usual, and the annual Sahara dust cloud arrived in May. On Malini and Brian’s wedding day, they woke up to a surprise: extremely strong winds had arrived. The gusts were so intense that they delayed the decor setup at the venue. What’s more, we had to move an entire outdoor setup indoors, which, as you can imagine, takes time. Typically, tables are set up early in the morning in the pre-planned areas of the celebration, but after hoping that the weather would resolve itself, the decision was made to relocate.
With this change, we had to adjust the seating plan on the spot. Not only did we have to re-document everything, but we also had to move quickly, choosing new locations for the bar, coffee stand, and DJ booth. But despite these challenges, one thing remained unchanged—the ceremony area, which, miraculously, stayed wind-free and protected!
Meanwhile, while we were managing the weather chaos at the venue, Malini and Brian were enjoying their first-look photo session in Chania, a very popular option this year among our wedding couples. Enjoying your perfect solo moments before ceremony and celebration just for themselves. Despite the sky filling with Sahara dust (a natural annual phenomenon), nothing could stop these lovebirds from enjoying their day. In fact, the unique “dust-filtered” atmosphere made for some incredibly stunning photos. They were able to relax, knowing their wedding planner (that’s us!) had their back and would handle all the decisions, guiding them through every twist and turn of this unpredictable day.
Back at the venue in the mountains, things weren’t much better. The wind had brought rain, which mixed with dust and created a thick, clay-like consistency. Dark clouds rolled in, and distant thunder rumbled in the background. After watching the skies closely, we decided to delay the ceremony by an hour, waiting for the best window in the weather. And, fortunately, our timing couldn’t have been better.
Despite the dramatic weather, Malini and Brian’s ceremony unfolded beautifully. Although we followed a Kerala wedding tradition, we kept our fingers crossed as the thunder grew louder and the lightning came closer. As we approached the final moments of the ceremony, we all held our breath, hoping the rain would hold off. And just like in the most romantic stories, magic happened—the moment the ceremony ended, the skies opened up and poured rain!
It was truly an exceptional wedding, keeping us all on our toes, adjusting schedules and locations on the fly. As the reception came to a close, the weather finally gave us the green light for the party, and from that moment on, we had clear skies for the champagne tower, cake cutting, and dancing the night away.
Honestly, this weather scenario would make the best wedding planner advertisement, showing just how much goes on behind the scenes. Constant decisions, careful adjustments, and quick thinking all make the difference in ensuring that your destination wedding runs as smoothly as possible. Don’t skimp on your wedding planner when planning a destination wedding—you’ll want someone who’s prepared to handle any curveball.
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Whether you’re focused on food, décor, music—or the full package—we’re here to help bring it all together in a way that reflects you. Let’s create something unforgettable.
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