1. Real Weddings

A Glamorous Greek Wedding at Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware

When your wedding reception is held in a hotel that has hosted the likes of Prince Rainier of Monaco, President John Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt, yo

When your wedding reception is held in a hotel that has hosted the likes of Prince Rainier of Monaco, President John Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt, you'd better throw a party fit for such storied guests. Krystin Kopen (31 and a lawyer) and Constantine Avgiris (30 and a corporate professional) did not take such a challenge lightly. Their opulent reception, held at Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware, used, the French Neoclassic design of the Gold Ballroom to support their European-meets-American theme. The couple included many Greek traditions like a Greek syrtaki dance, performed by Constantine and his best man, and the money dance, where guests showered the bride and groom with money. With ornate gold candelabras and royal touches of navy, the room served as an idyllic gilded celebration. β€œTo sum it up, our goal was to make our wedding classic, timeless, elegant, sophisticated, memorable and fun,” the couple says. β€”Allie Volpe

Krystin wore gold Jimmy Choo shoes. Her bouquet consisted of white roses, phalaenopsis orchids, mini calla lilies and ranunculus. The handle was wrapped in ivory satin ribbon and adorned with her grandmother's gold brooch.
Krystin wore an elegant plunging illusion-back dress adorned with French and guipure lace detailing and buttons. The sleeves of the dress were also sheer with lace cuffs. Krystin's veil was custom-made, incorporating lace details from her mother's wedding veil.
Staying in line with the traditional Greek theme, Krystin's bridesmaids wore Grecian-style gowns.
"[We] are both family oriented and believe that family is the most critical support structure in life," Krystin and Dean say. They each paid tribute to their parents' weddings by displaying photos from their big days.
Held in the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Krystin and Dean's traditional Greek wedding ceremony featured an altar decorated with large Greek urns, filled with white hydrangeas, roses and phalaenopsis orchids.
One of two centerpiece styles featured a golden candelabra holding a circular arrangement of blush and champagne roses and white orchids.
The second centerpiece style featured grand gold manzanita trees with white orchids and roses on the branches and at the trunks of the trees.
The traditional syrtaki dance, a Greek line dance, was performed by Constantine and his best man for Krystin. In typical Greek culture, dancers at the reception are showered in money, which is then given to the wedding band at the end of the evening.
Krystin and Dean's six-tier wedding cake alternated between navy and gold layers with ornate detailing.