Greta & Mani’s Dream Tropical Wedding Celebration at YL Residence

Yl Residence – The perfect secluded location for a Tropical Wedding

A tropical wedding always seems to carry a unique feeling of charm and magnificence that makes them ultimately special. So, when Greta and Mani reached out to us to help them eternalise their lovely union, we knew that their tropical wedding would vividly represent a dream come true. In reality, it was much more than that- a beautiful portrayal of how your love can flawlessly combine with your life passion, resulting in an exquisite affair that leaves everyone delighted!

We knew from the moment we met them they were a special couple and we have loved getting to know them and their families whilst journeying with them on their Thailand wedding adventure. Such beautiful people and it is the reason we love doing what we do for our amazing couples.

Thank you Greta and Mani for having us photograph your special piece of family history.

The planning of a tropical wedding extravaganza

After postponing their destination wedding twice due to the active COVID restrictions, Greta and Mani were finally given a chance to say their long-awaited ‘I do’s’ in the beautiful setting of Koh Samui in Thailand. Since they were already engaged for nearly three years, they felt they were unwilling to wait anymore, so they decided to celebrate their love in June 2022.

After the initial change of destinations- from Bali to Thailand- the couple began their extensive planning with the help of their planner, Aey, in January 2022. Since Greta is Ethiopian-Italian, and her husband Mani is Venezuelan-German, their guest list was widely international. This required them to indulge in extensive planning to be able to organise a safe travelling experience for their loved ones. And although they were still obliged to follow certain pandemic travel rules, their journey went smoothly, with a promise of having a magical time at their tropical wedding.

The destination timetable

As destination wedding photographers, we have been honoured to witness many iconic celebrations, all of them unique and beautiful to themselves. But this was truly a kind of event that left a permanent imprint on our personal and professional experience.

For one, it was a three-day long celebration that focused on providing the ultimate fun experience to all the guests who attended it. It began with a boat cruise along the sea, which all guests seemed to enjoy. It was a casual event that focused on the couple, and the guests having a good time and felt like an ice-breaker activity that prepared them for the following two days of celebrating. They all laughed and danced, enjoying the warm sun and the smell of the sea, allowing them to spend their first day on the island casually.

On the second day, Greta and Mani had a traditional church celebration attended by all of their closest friends and relatives. They both wore custom outfits, which were predominately white with yellow/gold details. This day was intimate and incredibly elegant. We particularly enjoyed the ceremony and taking some editorial style bridal photos of Greta’s exotic wedding gown.

The actual celebration was on the third day, and this is when their tropical wedding really kicked into overdrive.

Ceremony and the tropical wedding reception

Greta and Mani had their dream celebration in YL Residence, which features a stunning tropical landscape in front of Natien beach. As destination wedding photographers, we took full advantage of the picturesque scenery, and were blessed with a mesmerising sunset just as we were taking Greta and Mani for a stroll around the venue for their couples photos.

As Greta told us, she immediately fell in love with the venue’s ambience. She felt like they would be able to devise a variety of different sections to their celebration, which would turn her goal of providing ultimate entertainment to their guests into a reality. The huge lawn for the ceremony, the beach side cocktail hour and the reception on the deck overlooking The Gulf of Thailand were all perfect. It also provided an excellent place to party and dance, a huge theme as both the Ethiopian and Venezuelan guests absolutely loved to get up on that dance floor and jive.

Greta and Mani were really considerate of the fact that their guests had waited more than two whole years to attend their big day, and sought to design a celebration that will be forever engraved into their memories.

From the welcome drinks and touching ceremony to the enchanting coconut garden, exquisite dinner and late-night dancing- everything was tailored to flawlessly represent the tropical wedding vision they had dreamt of for so long. Elegant and sophisticated but relaxed at the same time.

In terms of the outfit, Greta opted for a flowy, floral gown that beautifully combined the traditional and feminine feel. Designed as a miniskirt dress under the three additional layers of tulle, it allowed her not to overhead under the tropical temperatures while still looking fabulous.

Mani decided on an all-white combination of a suit and shirt, decorated with a delicate white orchid boutonniere. Their outfits perfectly complemented one another, creating a clean, white-based aesthetic that looked exquisite in all the photos we took for them that day.

A magical, sustainable celebration in tropical Thailand

Desiring to incorporate their lifelong passion for decreasing the ecological impact and sharing environmental awareness, the couple decided to host a sustainable wedding without depriving themselves and the guests of the ultimate wedding experience. From the ecological welcome favours that contained internationally-sourced products to the sustainable paper which can be used to grow a tree. Each detail of this eco-friendly event aligned with Greta’s field of work, as she is an expert in human-wildlife conservation.

As the bride, Greta, says, their destination wedding was “Eco-Lux”, which focused on enhancing the natural beauty of the island while, at the same time, giving it a touch of elegance. They used all that the surroundings already provided- natural foliage, palm trees, and golden-sanded beach- and further added natural Monstera leaves and tropical white flowers to bring their vision to life. The predominant theme included earthy tones embellished with golden accents that symbolised love and harmony.

Their goal was to focus on being environmentally aware, ensuring their suppliers used minimum amounts of plastic and general waste. With the help of their dedicated planner Khun Aey, Greta and Mani successfully designed a sustainable tropical celebration that supported local businesses – from the bridal flowers to the cake and the rest of the food- in order to leave a positive impact.

In the words of Greta, Mother Earth thanked them for their dedication, blessing them with a stunning sunset, which we, as their wedding photographers, thoroughly enjoyed.

We had such a lovely time attending the sustainable tropical wedding of Greta and Mani. They are a truly lovely couple who not only carry a deep love for each other, but also for the things surrounding them, which is so inspiring. We wish them a life full of blessings from the bottom of our hearts, as that is the least they deserve!

If you would like to learn more about how we help our couples capture the wedding memories they want on their big day. Without it taking over their celebration, grab a copy of our wedding planning guide HERE

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