“Beauty is about finding the right fit, the most natural fit.
To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself -— avoid trying to be something you’re not. “
– Aphrodite (Greek Goddess of Beauty, Love, Desire, Marriage & Procreation)
We chose Cyprus to have our civil wedding not just because of its very convenient process, but also because of its beautiful beaches! We can combine getting married (legally) and having a relaxing holiday in a country with fusion of Greek and Turkish culture. We heard a lot of good feedback for Paphos, to be very quaint, and when I saw how the town hall looked like in the internet, I knew this is where we’re getting married.
Cyprus is very popular for getting married especially for expats here in the Middle East (esp in Dubai) if you want a quick and simple process. I researched about getting married here in Dubai and it’s just too complicated for us because Laurie and I are of different nationalities and different religion too. It was my ex-boss who suggested Cyprus and it was the best decision we made to skip all the ridiculous bureaucracy of getting married legally in Dubai!
I will try not to bore you too much so I will write the step-by-step simple process on how to get married in Cyprus on a separate entry soon, it’s for those who are asking me how. There is no blog or forum that I found online that is similar to our situation so I did a lot of research on my own, and it was so easy that I didn’t need to hire a wedding coordinator there! Saved us around 300 quid!
Anyway, we chose Paphos but we flew via Larnaca for best flight option, it’s cheaper and we don’t need to stopover somewhere in Europe! Lol!. We rented a car and just drove down to Paphos for 4hours only. We arrived first at our villa (Marabea Villas) then picked up Mum Hilly and Names (my in-laws) at Paphos airport that same night. They will be our witnesses on our wedding, just the four of us hehe.
Paphos is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, love, procreation, desire, and marriage, so it sounds like a perfect place to tie the knot right? Haha! The entire town of Paphos is a UNESCO world heritage and chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2017. Paphos is famous for its rich history with a lot of historical and archaeological sites dating back to Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Unfortunately, I was poorly during our visit, I had a lump at my jaw with fever. It could be the over excitement (not stress!) for our upcoming wedding, I don’t know. So our main agenda only is to submit and register our wedding requirements, get married, and REST.
Of course, we did a couple of sightseeing too apart from eating and resting by the beach. We went to see Agios Georgios in Pegeia to see the sea caves, then Latsi Village, then the Baths of Aphrodite (where it is believed she met Adonis). We also visited Paphos Harbour at night for dinner, and it’s a great stroll along the harbour with array of shops and restaurants packed with locals and tourists.
On the day of our wedding, we were surprised that it will be a proper wedding ceremony! It was Sunday so the Paphos Town Hall was usually close but it was opened exclusively for us (of course we have to pay for that lol), we arrived earlier than the Marriage Officer so we had to wait for her to set up.When it was ready she asked us who will give me away, we didn’t know that there is still such thing haha! So I chose Mum Hilly, and I was even prancing “down the aisle” when the officer played the “Here Comes the Bride” music that was echoing to the whole empty town hall lol! It was quick but emotional, when I saw Laurie’s red eyes I actually got scared haha! I was paranoid that I thought he was already regretting marrying me hahaha! But when I saw Mum Hilly and Names emotional too, I got carried away and started crying as well >.< It was very special…
Whenever I look back on our wedding day, I always laugh at myself for feeling paranoid that Laurie will change his mind last minute, that’s why I was terrified when I saw him emotional. I’ve waited long enough for this moment that I thought may never happen anymore. I have thought that I’ll be spending my life alone and have come used to that idea. I almost believe that I will never be perfect for anyone.
But now, I am married! I found the right fit for me, the most natural fit that I just have to be myself and not pretend to be someone I am not. I do not fear anymore that I will be losing someone just because I wasn’t enough or I wasn’t perfect. To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself, because how can you make someone see you perfect for them if you can’t even make yourself believe that you are? After all, it’s still the best feeling if you know that someone loves you for who you are and what you are!
