Fate seemed to draw Marite and Artis to each other. “One week before we met, Marite recorded a video of someone singing at an open mic, which later turned out to be a video of me,” says Artis. “So, in a way, our story began before we officially met. We actually met at Marite’s friend’s birthday party, where I ended up by sheer coincidence as some people who I met during the day at a Couchsurfing meetup invited me to come along. At the party, I met a lot of friendly people, and we all started meeting up more frequently, going on trips and hikes together. Initially, neither of us were romantically interested in the other. But as we spent time together, we had the chance to get to know each other better, slowly and naturally, without the pressure of dating. I started to get interested in Marite and asked her out on a date, but she was not interested in a relationship at that point. Things started to change when we went on a trip to Greece with a small group of friends. That’s when we got into deeper conversations and discovered each other’s core values and personalities. We realised how similar our views on life were and couldn’t stop talking the whole trip. Not long after returning from Greece, while making burritos at home together, we decided to give our relationship a chance.” Artis proposed on the couple’s fifth anniversary in Greece, where they first had those meaningful conversations. “We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant, after which we went up a nearby hill to a small viewpoint overlooking a village in Meteora under the open night sky,” shares the groom. “It was a very beautiful and meaningful place for us. Marite suspected the proposal because it was an unusual amount of planning by me. She later told me that she was also keeping her expectations low in case it didn’t happen. When I proposed, I was very nervous. Nobody else was around, but exactly when I asked the question, a motorcycle honked as it passed by. She replied, ‘of course, yes!’ We stayed up on the hill, reflecting on our life journey together and looking forward to a new chapter in our future.” SETTING THE SCENE “We were looking for an unusual wedding venue,” explains Artis. “When we first saw photos of The Lost Village of Dode, it looked like a very unique setting, and we loved the rustic atmosphere of the torches and hay floor. We checked two other venues before, but when we arrived at The Lost Village of Dode, we were instantly captured by its serenity and character and we knew that it was the perfect place. “We didn’t have a table plan as it was a small venue with only two long tables, so we used table cards instead,” adds Artis. “For the décor, we chose navy tablecloths supplied by The Lost Village of Dode and we put a golden tablerunner on top to tie in with our colour scheme. We mixed bronze candelabra, rustic flower jars, flickering electric candles and vines with fairylights to enhance the atmosphere. We also had a corner flower arrangement for the entrance arch. We had a limited budget for the flowers, but our florist, Moody Blooms, was very creative in making a gorgeous arrangement. Not much more decoration was needed as the venue was very beautiful by itself.” For their favours, the couple wanted something usable and good for nature. “We prepared phials of tea and flower seeds to support bees,” recalls the groom. “We liked the message on the seed pack, ‘let love grow.’ To finish the look, we added orange tissues to hold the favours on the plates.” To transport their guests, Marite and Artis hired a minivan from Spot Travel Services. “The van did two rounds between three accommodations and the venue to get all our guests there on time,” reveals Artis. “That worked out very well, as guests didn’t have to worry about how to get to the venue and back.” For their cake, the couple were inspired by the design of their wedding invitations. “Vegan Antics replicated the navy background and golden flakes from our stationery,” remembers Artis. “It also featured burnt orange flowers. “Our food was fully plant-based, which was very important for us,” continues Artis. “We were very happy when we discovered Wild Seed 41 REAL WEDDINGS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=