Journal

Naomi & Dale — Nissi Beach Resort, Ayia Napa

Naomi and Dale had been together for 10 and a half years, having met at school through their friends — Dale aged 16 and Naomi 14.

Naomi and Dale embracing among pampas grass in golden light at Nissi Beach Resort, Ayia Napa

How they met

The proposal

Dale proposed on Christmas Day 2015 — a total surprise. After proposing, he let Naomi in on his actual plan. They were flying to Australia on Boxing Day to travel for six weeks, and Dale had planned to propose on a beach on Lady Elliot Island, a tiny island on the Great Barrier Reef. It was towards the end of the trip and he was nervous about carrying the ring around for five weeks before — worried he'd either lose it or that Naomi would find it and ruin the surprise. His Christmas Day proposal was still perfect.

He chose the ring on his own and Naomi couldn't have chosen it better herself — a white gold solitaire ring with two twisting bands inlaid with diamonds, leading to one prominent diamond and two smaller accompanying diamonds beside.

The dress and groom's suit

The dress was bought from a local wedding shop, Blush, and the designer was Diane Harbridge. It had a hand-beaded and lace bodice, a sheer sweetheart neckline and a flowing tulle skirt. The full back was sheer appliquéd lace with delicate ivory buttons.

The groom wore a light grey crosshatch three-piece suit from ASOS with a short-sleeved shirt and dusky pink tie, finished off with brown shoes and a brown belt.

The finishing touches

The couple opted for artificial flowers from Decoflora, mainly so they could get the dusky pink colour in them and keep them forever. Cream and pink roses with hydrangeas, greenery and pink berries. The groom and groomsmen had cream rose buttonholes to match. The bridesmaids were in dusky pink lace and tulle skirt dresses, similar in design to the flower girls' ivory lace and tulle skirts. They tried to get all the dresses, including Naomi's mum's, matching somehow — by material or colour. Running the dusky pink and lace throughout was the closest thing to a theme.

Why Cyprus and Nissi Beach

When they first got engaged they were torn between getting married in the Lake District or going abroad. After lots of research, a Cyprus wedding felt like the perfect fit — they wanted a laid-back, relaxed day, less of the formalities, getting married by the sea with beautiful surroundings. Nissi Beach was exactly what they had planned and hoped for: an intimate ceremony and celebration with close family and friends.

The night before and morning of

The night before, after a family meal in a beautiful restaurant on Nissi Avenue, they separated. Naomi stayed with her mum and bridesmaids in their suite; Dale stayed with one of his ushers, his brother-in-law and his niece (the flower girl).

White Nissi Beach Resort building under blue sky, framed by palm fronds, Ayia Napa

On the morning of the big day, Naomi, her mum, the bridesmaids and the flower girls headed to the Nissi salon for hair and makeup — a lovely relaxed morning getting ready with champagne in hand. The laid-back atmosphere kept all nerves at bay.

The ceremony

The walkway to the ceremony through a stunning flower tunnel, linked arm-in-arm with her mum, was amazing — Naomi had never seen a more beautiful aisle. She had planned to walk down to Christina Perri's A Thousand Years (Part 2), and as soon as she heard it she knew it was the right choice.

The ceremony was stunning, under the gazebo in the beautiful gardens overlooking the beach. The décor was simple: white wooden Tiffany chairs draped with lace bows, long white drapes and cream roses.

Cocktail reception and sunset shoot

After the ceremony and photographs, a relaxed cocktail reception with the amazing Aimie singing. Sipping Pimm's, enjoying good food and listening to great music in the beautiful sunshine. Guests couldn't stop talking about singer Aimie. The sunset shoot was much more enjoyable and relaxed than expected — so glad they opted for it.

Evening reception at the Rondavel

The evening reception was in the Rondavel down on Nissi Beach, surrounded by sea and sand. The inside was pretty stripped back — not too much décor, but keeping with the dusky pink and lace theme. Lace table runners and bows, dusky pink flowers in the centre, handmade favour bags with pink lace and flower decoration. White drapes and lanterns gently swayed in the wind all night.

The LOVE lights totally made it — they looked great in the lower tier of the venue. They opted for a Mediterranean buffet, which was the best wedding food Naomi had ever had. Ditching the speeches kept the formalities away and let everyone sit back, relax and enjoy every minute.

The first dance

Their first dance was an easy choice — Ed Sheeran's Perfect, with the lyric "we were just kids when we fell in love" fitting their relationship perfectly. After the first dance, everybody was up dancing, and they literally danced the night away.

The morning after

The next morning Nissi Beach treated them to a wonderful champagne breakfast in their room, which they enjoyed on their terrace overlooking the beach.

Nissi Spa sign reflected in a glossy reception desk

Favourite part of the day

Saying "I do" to her husband in the beautiful Nissi Beach gardens, overlooking the amazing beach, surrounded by family and friends.

Why they chose Nissi Beach

They wanted to get married on, or overlooking, the beach. As soon as they started talking to wedding coordinator Marios, they knew they were in good hands and that the team would do almost anything to make their day perfect.

Food and music

A huge Mediterranean spread — a perfect choice for the location, the venue and the relaxed style of the wedding. The hotel DJ asked beforehand what kind of music they wanted, played fantastic up-to-date music and was keen to take requests. The dance floor was never empty. The LOVE lights and uplights in the dance-floor tier really added to the atmosphere.

Advice for other couples

"Chill out and enjoy it. Do not stress about the little things — at the end of the day they really do not matter. Have the day exactly how you want it, not how you think it has to be. Also, get a fantastic photographer and videographer, because when it's all over this is what you will have to remember and re-live the day forever."

On working with Beziique

"Nick and Aimie were fantastic from the moment we booked them. Nick was always on the end of a message, replying to my questions and settling any worries I had. On the day, the guys were great — they made us feel so relaxed, as if we had known them for years. We weren't looking forward to having to pose a lot, but it wasn't like that at all. Much more natural and relaxed, which was perfect."