Brides

Mediterranean Wedding

With a mixed Greek and Lebanese heritage, journalist Alexandra Salaman, 31, and Karim Mattar, 27, an investment banker, knew they wanted a Mediterranean setting for their wedding. 'I've been going to my family's house on the island of Alonissos since I was four, and it is where Karim proposed,' says Alexandra. 'But it's a tiny island, and takes about a day to get to, so Mykonos was the obvious alternative - it's beautiful, fun and Easyjet flies straight there!'

The couple and their guests took over the stunning Santa Marina Resort&Villas, on a secluded peninsula of the island overlooking the Aegean sea, for the weekend of the wedding. 'We held the ceremony outside in the early evening - the views were amazing,' adds Alexandra. 'My father was officiating as we'd already had a civil ceremony back in London the week before, so it made it more personal.' Their 100 guests then moved to the reception area set up by the pool for dinner, speeches and the first dance. 'At 1am, we took the party down to the hotel's private beach,' says Alexandra. 'It was one of my favourite parts of the night. Karim bribed the DJ to keep playing, people were dancing in the sea and some of the boys even went skinny-dipping. I didn't go to bed until the sun came up. People say that your wedding goes past so quickly, but I felt I got to enjoy every last minute of it - it was the best night of my life.'