Sarah & Ben's Beautiful Boho Wedding at Liopetro, Paphos

The love story

Three days after their virtual meeting, they went on their first date — a rainy walk around a local beauty spot in Wakefield, where Sarah was living at the time. Sarah's waterproof coat and walking shoes weren't her usual style, but Ben loved her ability to adapt.

"He was everything I wanted and brought such a calm to my life."

They spent the next few months seeing each other mid-week and at weekends, and by Christmas — during a trip to Berlin — they were already planning their future together.

"We agreed we knew what we wanted and that age gave us the perspective not to hold back."

Sarah planned to move back to Hull with her son, Remy, to live as a family with Ben. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so Ben moved to Wakefield to live with them instead, which only brought them closer as they navigated the challenges together. Their bond only strengthened through the trials, including Sarah's redundancy on the day their house sale went through in August 2020.

The proposal

Ben proposed to Sarah at Christmas 2021 in Edinburgh, at a park fountain overlooked by the castle — a spot he fondly remembered visiting with his Granny as a boy. Despite the noisy funfair nearby, the proposal was perfect, complete with a placeholder ring that allowed Sarah to choose a piece later.

"Ben had bought me a placeholder ring for the proposal, knowing I would be quite particular about such an important piece. I had always wanted a vintage ring with an old stone. Something with a story. I even put a deposit on a ring ahead of our 'shopping day', much to Ben's disappointment! He was thrilled though when I didn't end up with that ring and I chose something we'd seen together. Not at all vintage, more circa 2001! It has a square central stone and 2 triangular stones either side."

Choosing the venue and suppliers

Sarah and Ben initially dreamed of an Ibiza boho wedding but quickly pivoted to a Cyprus wedding, finding their perfect venue in Liopetro, just outside Paphos. Its rustic charm and open-air backdrop made it ideal — eschewing shiny marble and crystal chandeliers for a more natural, boho aesthetic.

"I love Ibiza and I've been to a beautiful wedding there. Unfortunately we couldn't make that work, but within 48 hours of deciding to look at different options, we landed on Cyprus and our venue. It was meant to be!"

Beziique's photography captivated Sarah immediately, and after meeting Nick — a Paphos wedding photographer — in August 2022, they knew they had found their match. Nick and Aimie's positivity assured Sarah and Ben that their boho wedding day would be in good hands.

"If we didn't know by then, we certainly knew at that moment that Nick and Aimie were our kind of people, and this was going to be fun!"

The big boho wedding day

Sarah wore a breathtaking Riki Dalal dress — a tight-fitting, backless boho gown tailored to perfection by an amazing seamstress. Her look was completed with a cathedral veil borrowed from a friend, drop crystal earrings, and a simple diamond bracelet from her 21st birthday. Ben looked dashing in dark chinos, a neutral blazer, and a sage tie.

"My veil was borrowed from a friend, my dress was new, my maid of honour bought me a garter with a blue ribbon… and Ben volunteered to be my something old!"

The bridesmaids wore sage green, embellished dresses with a vintage, flapper-girl style, while the groomsmen matched Ben, differentiated only by their slim ties versus Ben's bow tie.

Ceremony and reception

"Liopetro offers the beautiful rustic boho wedding look, but done very, very well."

The Gold Package at Liopetro included welcome drinks, a garden reception and an evening reception. The dinner was a highlight, with everyone raving about the food. Gavin from Definitive Disco and Victor Sax provided the musical ambiance, seamlessly creating a vibe that kept the celebration lively.

"We also gave our guests a token for a drink during the dinner and speeches to make it as all-inclusive for them as we could. This was our way of giving back — we appreciated the cost of coming out to Cyprus so much."

Sarah and Ben's first dance was to James Bay's "One Life", a moment of pure romance under the Cyprus sky.

Boho décor and personal touches

"I'm not a typical boho wedding girl, so I was really led by what I felt would suit the venue. I didn't want to go crazy with the dressing as it's just so beautiful already."

The boho theme carried through the florals and décor, with pampas grass and roses for bouquets and simple table decorations featuring eucalyptus and glass hurricane vases with candles. Personalised love letters served as unique favours, replacing a traditional guest book with heartfelt messages between the couple and their guests.

"We wrote Love Letters to our guests. Each one personalised with a message from us to them, on why we love them and why they are special to us. They then had to write back on the reverse as an alternative to a guest book. They didn't want to part with them so I had to promise to do a reprint for them to keep! We also had acrylic name tags, like a luggage tag, which I think most guests took with them."

Memorable moments

One of the most touching moments was Sarah's son, Remy, coming to the bridal suite for the first look, ready to walk her down the aisle. An audio message Sarah recorded for Ben played as she walked down the aisle, leaving a lasting impact on everyone present.

"We missed our sunset photographs! Speeches tend to be drab and if ours had been I might have been upset, but honestly we were all laughing so hard and enjoying ourselves that we didn't mind. It actually worked out for us as Nick and Aimie had a slot later in the week, so we agreed to get togged up and go back over."

A later photoshoot provided a unique, intimate experience, ending with a meal in the village — a beautiful addition to their wedding memories.

"It was all amazing, and we're so lucky that we get to say that. Nick was the conductor of the day, making sure we were where we needed to be."

Advice for future couples

Sarah's tip for future couples is to trust the process — especially when working with your venue and your Liopetro wedding photographer. Patience is key, as the end result will be worth every moment of anticipation.