Our Intimate Wedding in Milos, Greece
As a wedding photographer for 10+ years, saying I’ve dreamed about my own wedding for a lifetime is honestly an understatement.
But here’s the thing: a big, traditional wedding never really felt like me.
The idea of walking down an aisle with 100+ people staring at me, including people I barely knew, never felt exciting. It felt overwhelming. I didn’t want a wedding that looked good on paper or checked all the boxes. I wanted something that felt like us. Something intentional, meaningful, and rooted in experience.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHY WE CHOSE MILOS.
Milos felt like us from the start. It’s calm and quiet, but still adventurous as hell. You can swim in the Aegean forever, sit cliffside with hardly anyone around, and explore little dirt roads that pretty much require a Jeep or ATV. It has that perfect mix of serene and wild that we both love so much.
From the very beginning, I knew I didn’t want our wedding to be just one day where everyone showed up, dressed up, and went home.
I wanted it to feel like an experience. I wanted our favorite people to step into our world for a few days and experience the kind of adventure that has shaped so much of our life together. I wanted slow mornings, long dinners, cliff jumps, boat days, incredible food, and the kind of moments that make you look around and think, I cannot believe this is real. Not just a wedding, but a full weekend that felt immersive, connected, and unforgettable for everyone there.
So we brought 23 of our closest family and friends to Milos, Greece for a long wedding weekend that felt like the most us thing we could possibly do.
We spent the weekend sailing the Aegean, jumping in the sea, snorkeling, exploring beaches and tiny fisherman’s towns, dancing to our live saxophonist, eating some of the best food of our lives, and ending our wedding night by jumping in the pool fully clothed.
And now I get to bring you along for the entire wedding weekend. Let’s dive in 😉
our wedding film 💛
the day before our wedding
All of us stayed together at Milos Cove Resort for the entire wedding weekend. Each couple had their own private villa, which was something that felt really important to us when we were planning the wedding. Since everyone was traveling so far to celebrate with us, covering everyone’s accommodations felt like the least we could do as a thank you.
But honestly, there was another reason we loved this idea so much. We didn’t want everyone scattered across the island, heading back to different hotels every night after the celebrations. We wanted the entire weekend to feel like one big gathering. Late-night hangs, morning coffee runs, popping into each other’s villas, and constantly running into the people we love most. Having everyone in one place meant the celebration never really stopped, and it felt pretty surreal waking up each morning knowing all of our favorite people were together at our favorite place in the world.
Instead of planning a traditional rehearsal dinner or welcome dinner, we knew we wanted to kick off the weekend with an experience. If you know us, you know we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do the one truly iconic Milos activity: sailing the Aegean Sea.
So we chartered a catamaran for an afternoon-to-sunset sail to Kleftiko, one of the most incredible spots around Milos. Kleftiko sits along the southwestern side of the island and is known for its towering white rock formations and sea caves carved into the cliffs. It’s a place you can really only reach by boat, which made it feel even more special for the start of the weekend.
Like many of the Cycladic islands, Milos can get pretty windy, so our captain navigated along the calmer side of the island where the water was smooth and unbelievably blue. Once we anchored near the cliffs and caves, the afternoon turned into one of those moments where everything just felt unreal. Everyone was jumping off the boat, swimming and snorkeling in the clearest water imaginable, and exploring the caves around us. At one point we even spotted mountain goats somehow scaling the cliffs above us (you have to see it below!).
The crew had prepared a full Greek buffet on board, and between swimming, dancing on the boat, and soaking up the views, it quickly turned into the most fun afternoon with our family and friends.
Then our friends and family surprised us with something we’ll probably cherish forever. My best friend secretly organized handwritten notes and photo memories from everyone into a book and presented it to us while we were out on the water. Sitting there reading through those messages with the Aegean stretching out around us was one of those moments where you just wish you could pause time for a second.
It was the absolute best way we could have imagined kicking off our wedding weekend.
And somehow, the best was still ahead.
Our wedding morning
Mark and I stayed in Milos Cove’s premier villa for the wedding weekend, which would later transform into our after-dinner party spot that night. But that morning, it was quiet and calm in the best way possible. We spent the early part of the day poolside, soaking in the view and taking things slow. The wind that had whipped around the island the day before had completely settled. It felt like the island was giving us the calmest, most perfect morning we could have asked for.
We all had breakfast together at the resort before heading off to get ready for the day. It was one of those moments where you look around the table and realize all of your favorite people are sitting right there with you in this beautiful place on the other side of the world. After breakfast we split off for a few hours while everyone got ready.
I got ready back at our villa surrounded by all of my girls, which was exactly how I had pictured the morning. There were mimosas flowing, music playing, and a whole lot of laughter while our photo, video, and content team documented everything. Honestly, some of the behind-the-scenes clips are still some of my favorite memories from the day. I cry laughing every time I watch the BTS footage of @henrysdiary doing his thing and hyping me up the entire morning.
My hair and makeup team (@sheridanmua_ & @jayneyounghair ) actually flew all the way in from Australia to help me get ready, which still feels a little wild to say out loud. Having them there made the morning feel even more special.
For my dress, I wore a gown by Made With Love that I found at Lovely Bride, and I had a second look planned for later in the day (keep reading for that one). Instead of a traditional veil, I wore a flowy overskirt with my ceremony look that gave the dress a completely different feel for the vows.
I also had so much fun planning out all of the little details for the day. Our custom invitation suite was designed by Wide Eyes Paper Co and included a hand-drawn map of the island along with the sailing route we planned to take during the weekend, which was such a fun personal touch. We photographed everything alongside a few of my favorite pieces from the day, including a custom ring dish engraved with “I love you,” which is actually a replica of the exact note Mark wrote me the first time he said those words (yes, he said it first!!). We also included my wedding gift, my beloved YSL bag, my Loeffler Randall shoes, and the Prada perfume I had found on a trip to Milan.
The whole morning unfolded slowly, which is exactly what I had hoped for. There was no rushing around or tight timeline, just time to be present and take it all in before the day began. Mark and I exchanged handwritten notes that morning, which only made me even more excited to see him and absolutely set the tone for the tears that would follow later in the day.
Our first look
Our first look felt very us. I knew pretty quickly that I didn’t want to do the whole tap-on-the-shoulder moment. Somewhere along the way first looks started to feel almost as traditional as the aisle walk itself, and that just didn’t feel like the vibe for us.
So naturally… I just winged it.
In true fashion, I walked up and did whatever felt right in the moment (LOL). It ended up being perfect and honestly one of my favorite memories from the day.
Afterward, we spent some time adventuring around the resort for portraits before the ceremony. The property at Milos Cove is unreal, with cliffs, views of the sea, and little hidden corners everywhere you turn, so it was the perfect place to wander around for a bit together.
This was also when I changed into my second look (just for a few portraits during the daylight), which I ended up wearing for the reception later in the evening. The dress is by Sarah Seven and I was absolutely obsessed with it. I actually went back to the bridal shop for this one because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
And if I’m being honest, there really weren’t many nerves that day at all. Which felt surprising because you always hear people talk about how nervous they were on their wedding day. But for me, it never really felt that way. I just felt incredibly happy and completely present in the moment, soaking in everything that was happening around us.
our intimate ceremony
We put a lot of thought and intention into our ceremony, and it ended up being one of the most meaningful parts of the entire day.
We worked with a Greek celebrant who wrote a completely custom script for us, and she truly captured our story in the most thoughtful way. She wove in so many personal details about our relationship, including our favorite place (at home, on our deck, of course), our fur babies, and the 10+ year journey that brought us to this moment. Hearing our story reflected back to us in front of the people who have been part of that journey was incredibly special.
Also… instead of a traditional aisle song, I walked down to a custom instrumental version of a Mac Miller track. We’re big Mac fans and it felt like the perfect slightly unexpected, very-us way to start the ceremony.
We also included a ring-warming ceremony. Before we exchanged our vows, our wedding bands were passed around to each of our 23 guests so they could hold them for a moment and quietly send their well wishes for our marriage. By the time the rings made their way back to us, they had quite literally been held by every person we love most in the world, which made the moment of exchanging them even more special.
We invited both of our moms to come up and share readings during the ceremony, which of course immediately brought the tears. It was such a beautiful way to include them and hear their words in that moment.
Mark and I also wrote and read personal vows to each other. Mark, being the organized one in the relationship, actually wrote his vows right after we got engaged… two years earlier. Meanwhile, I was finishing mine on the plane to Greece (LOL). Somehow that feels very on-brand for us.
Our saxophonist, who had traveled all the way from Australia to be there, absolutely lit up the entire ceremony space as guests arrived and took their seats. And when we walked back down the aisle together as newlyweds, he played “Jubel,” which had always been one of those bucket-list wedding moments for us.
And with that, we were married… which meant it was officially time to celebrate!
our wedding dinner
I don’t even know how to put this into words, but I’m going to try: that dinner was genuinely the best meal of my life.
We sat down to a five-course Greek feast right there on the cliffs, surrounded by our 23 closest people, and I just kept having these little moments where I’d look around the table and think… is this real? The whole day had already been so full, and somehow it just kept getting better.
Before the food started flowing, we wanted to take a moment to really soak in the people around us. Even though we didn’t have a formal wedding party, speeches still felt important – it’s one of those traditions that just means something. So our best friends kicked things off, and I’m not going to lie, the tears were absolutely still happening at this point in the day. Mark and I got up afterward to give our own thank yous, because we just couldn’t not. Flying literally to the other side of the world for someone is no small thing, and we don’t take a single second of that for granted.
We also surprised each guest with a handwritten thank you note placed at their seat. We wanted every single person there to feel how loved and appreciated they are – and honestly, writing those notes beforehand was one of my favorite parts of the whole planning process.
Then came the food. Lamb, beef filet, shrimp, feta, olives, fresh everything – five courses of the most incredible, authentic Greek food. We always say Greece is our favorite place in the world for food, and that dinner was exactly why.
our sunset adventure
As dinner wrapped up, Mark and I slipped away for sunset photos while everyone gathered with drinks overlooking the beach and cliffs.
We hopped in the jeep and headed to Sarakiniko beach, winding down the cutest dirt roads along the cliffside (we even had to stop for a goat crossing at one point – how cute is that). Sarakiniko at sunset is genuinely out of this world, and honestly, it’s one of the spots that sold us on Milos in the first place. The smooth white rock against the emerald blue water crashing up against the cliffs is something I don’t think I’ll ever get over.
We stayed out way past sunset, just getting creative with our photo and video team and soaking in every last second of golden light. It was the perfect quiet pause in the middle of the most chaotic, joy-filled day, and exactly the kind of moment we wanted to carve out just for the two of us.
the party
And then it was time to party. Literally.
We moved everyone over to the premier villa, where we danced poolside all night long under the stars. We had a live saxophonist DJ which was literally the life of the party (we’re still talking about him to this day!!). We kicked things off by entering to ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” – because come on, we got married in Greece, Mamma Mia practically demanded it.
From there we rolled straight into our first dance to a live instrumental version of Jack Johnson’s “Better Together,” which has been “our song” since basically the beginning of us. We actually took dance classes together in the weeks leading up to the wedding, which turned into one of our favorite date nights of the whole engagement, and it showed – we had so much fun out there instead of just nervously swaying. Halfway through the song we invited everyone onto the dance floor with us, and that moment is honestly one I’ll be replaying forever.
Then came my father-daughter dance to “Vienna,” and I surprised my dad by inviting my sisters to come share the dance with us. Truly not a dry eye in the place.
We cut the cake (and completely forgot to actually eat it, classic), and that’s when the real party began. Our saxophonist brought “Jubel” back for the dance floor, the Aperol spritzes were flowing nonstop, and we danced for hours straight.
And then, of course, in true us fashion… everyone ended up jumping in the pool. Clothes and all. It was chaotic and ridiculous and so surreal, and honestly the most perfect way the night could have possibly ended.
looking back
Even now, it’s hard to fully put into words what that weekend meant to us.
Out of every adventure Mark and I have ever been on together, and trust me, there have been a lot, this one will always be the one that stands above the rest. We’ve climbed mountains, sailed unfamiliar coastlines, gotten lost in cities we couldn’t pronounce, and somehow none of it compares to standing on a cliff in Milos, surrounded by our 23 favorite people in the world, and marrying my best friend.
There’s something so wild about getting to take the people you love most and drop them into your favorite kind of adventure for a few days. Watching everyone swim in the Aegean, dance barefoot poolside, jump into the pool fully clothed at midnight… it didn’t feel like a wedding we were hosting. It felt like a trip we got to share with the people who matter most, and that was always the whole point.
We are endlessly, deeply grateful. To everyone who flew around the world to be there, who showed up with open hearts and zero hesitation, who made this weekend feel like the most “us” thing we have ever done – thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it.
And of course, none of this would have come together without an incredible team of vendors who poured so much love and talent into every single detail. (see all of the vendor shout-outs below 💛)
Milos, you will forever hold a piece of our hearts. Thank you for the cliffs, the caves, the sunsets, and the most unforgettable few days of our lives. We’ll be back, we promise.
the vendors who made this possible
Photography: The one and only Henry Tieu (@henrysdiary)
Venue: Milos Cove Inception Resort
Videography: Water and Whimsy
DJ / Saxophonist: Sam Weiss
HMUA: Jayne Young Hair & Sheridan MUA
Planner: Think Happy Events
Content Creator: Allie Dearie Photography
Stationary: Wide Eyes Paper Co
Attire: Lovely Bride, Made with Love, Sarah Seven, Kat the Label
