Clair & Fred

A dot in the southern Aegean Sea, Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese that set the scene for this Dallas couple’s destination wedding. The picturesque paradise united traditions (old and new), friends, family and love under a full moon. It all started because the bride’s mother is a total Grecophile. She speaks Greek and raised Clair on Greek food. They are not even a little bit Greek but they love all things Greek.” Having summered on the island of Leros for several years growing up, Clair knew this was her dream location when it came time to exchange vows.

The couple kicked off the wedding weekend with a traditional Greek dinner at O Dimitris O Karaflas (which translates to Dimitris the Bald), a fish taverna built onto a cliff and overlooking the sea where the full moon sparkled onto the water. The next morning, all boarded a boat to Aspronisi, an uninhabited island made of white polished rocks. Some jumped off the boat to swim, while others napped and sated appetites on cucumber and feta salad, tomatoes and olives.

After a day of leisure, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at Taverna Paradisos on Vromolithos Beach. After heartfelt speeches and dining on Greek cuisine including fried calamari and octopus salad, there was a performance from a group of Lerian dancers, who encouraged the crowd to try the traditional dances.

The church of Agios Isidoros is on an ethereal rock formation in the water reached by a narrow pathway. It was built in the 1700s, and the site was actually used as a temple for Artemis for thousands of years. After vows were exchanged, guests were taken to the reception held in the garden of the house that the family rented for the week, Archontiko Angelou, perched in the middle of a vineyard, olive grove and citrus grove. The decoration was magnificent and the guests enjoyed a live performance by a group followed by an aria from the “giagia” (grandmother). It was very touching moment!

After this experience I totally fell in love with the island! Ever since I understand why people refer to Leros as a hidden gem.