So how exactly did I discover one of the best wedding villas in Europe – Villa Delenia? In true chaotic yet fabulous ADHD fashion I decided to plan a destination wedding abroad in less than 6 weeks. My fiancé and I couldn’t wait to get married after a magical proposal in Tulum and being one who works best under pressure, decided it could be done.
After months searching for our dream venue, we were up to our eyeballs in stress and ready to throw in the towel. Well meaning friends would pose questions with concerned looks on their faces such as “are you sure you don’t just want to wait until next year,” and warnings such as “you need at least a year to plan a destination wedding” were met with dead ears of determination.
We continued in our almost impossible quest until we came across a the breathtakingly beautiful Villa Delenia in a Brides Magazine top wedding villas article. It was top of the list and in photos looked absolutely spectacular in its fairytale-esque Greek Mama Mia wedding glory.
Surely there was no way this glorious wedding haven would be available on the last weekend of summer (decided by me to be September 24th). After a quick enquiry we were thrilled to learn that due to a cancelation our date was available and we booked it at the speed of light.
Our loved ones were amazed at how lucky we were to find such a glorious place and even more amazed when they arrived at the venue – perched majestically at the top of a scenic cliff on the enigmatic Greek Island of Evia, conveniently situated just off the coast of Athens.
Upon arriving at Villa Delenia, we were amazed at just how breathtakingly beautiful the location was. More like a mini greek village than a villa, the venue is made up of various rustic buildings set around neatly kept green grounds complete with fresh water swimming pool (refilled for every new group of guests), tennis courts, jacuzzi, hammam, and private rocky beach with crystal clear turquoise waters for the most blissful swim of your life.
All idyllic amenities aside, it’s the absolutely mesmerising view of the ocean from the cliff edge that really provided the wow factor for us and the many who flock to marry here, weekend after weekend.
The ancient stone window monument set against this stunning ocean backdrop is where we and many others before us recited vows and posed for picturesque wedding photos surrounded by favourite people.
Our guests stayed in rustic yet elegant rooms, many with unique features such as antique wooden beds and quaint bookcases. My bridal suite was delightfully Greek and full of character – dark wooden decor with ornate windowed doors opening out to a balcony area with sweeping views of the freshwater pool and shimmering ocean.
The highlight of my room however, had to be the absolutely ginormous sunken bath alongside a large window boasting the same gorgeous sea view – perfect for calming pre wedding day nerves as I got ready.
Our wedding truly was the happiest day of our lives. We had celebrated our love surrounded by our loving friends and family in one of the most beautiful places we had ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
We had the option of using external caterers for our wedding breakfast but opted for the culinary expertise of Villa Delenia’s private chefs Maria and Koula after reading so many positive reviews of their traditional greek cooking.
Being such fussy foodies, a big part of our decision to hold our wedding at this iconic wedding villa was hearing about how incredible the food was and we certainly weren’t disappointed on the night when we were served the Greek wedding feast of our dreams.
We had a pre dinner buffet table adorned with Greek meze to whet everyones appetites before they were seated under the stars and served tasty Greek starters of pan fried calamari, meatballs and stuffed peppers.
Our main was whole roasted Greek lamb infused with oregano and garlic served with oven roasted potatoes and a glorious Greek salad. The meat had been expertly slow cooked outdoors by the villa’s talented chefs and it tasted divine – especially eaten with full hearts under the moonlight to the echoing sounds of the ocean.
After the heart-warming speeches and hours spent dancing the night away under the stars we made our way to our comfy beds and woke the next day to discover the beauty of Delenia all over again.
It was truly joyful to spend time in this otherworldly place on a day we could relax after all the wedding excitement. After a hearty champagne breakfast buffet served to us on the terrace, we swam in the crystal clear waters of the villa’s private beach, relaxed by the pool and ended our day being lavishly plied with homemade moussaka, again cooked to perfection by our private chefs – aka our temporary Greek food making mummies – Maria and Koula.
Villa Delenia is one of those enchanting places you discover in life that seems to leave a forever footprint in your heart. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate true love.