In which year did you start your wedding planning business and which reasons made you
start working in this job?
After a long career in organizing events within MultiNationals such as Unilever and moving from the Netherlands to Cyprus, I decided to continue using my skills in the wedding planning/coordinating field. First for a tour operator but soon found they could not give the ultimate service and personal attention to those looking at their biggest day (and most likely their most expensive day as well). 2010 was my fourth season as an independent wedding planner.

Do you work alone or in a team?
Working alone but, in the event extra staff is needed I have assistants on call.

In which languages can you take care of your customers?
English, Dutch, German, French, Greek, Russian, Romanian and Moldavian

What are the main regions where you are planning weddings?
The Limassol and Paphos Districts, Larnaka town, Troodos region for post wedding festivities

What are your personal favourites regarding:
a) a location for a destination wedding in your home region?
Civil wedding town hall: Germasoyia
Civil wedding hotel: GrandResort, Limassol
Church wedding: St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Limassol
Symbolic Wedding: Aphrodite’s Rock/ Venetian Bridges Troodos foothills/
b) a location for a destination wedding in the rest of the world?
Norway
c) a location for a wedding reception in your home region?
Cyprus Wine Museum
d) a location for a wedding reception in in the rest of the world?
The Palm, Dubai-UAE
e) a country / region / hotel for a honeymoon?
UAE-Dubai-The Atlantis Palm

Have you organised weddings for prominent people (if yes: could you tell us
names or maybe even send us photos)?
yes, I have done- the Shaffu Family in Dubai. Unfortunately no consent for sharing photographs

Have you organised weddings for couples from outside your country?
Scotland, England, Ireland, Lebanon, Syria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Columbia, Canada, U.S.A., Italy, Israel, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, China, Ukraine

Which strengths of your company would you like to mention?
Personal approach, innovative, dedicated, eye for detail, keeping within the budget, quality service, going the extra mile, trying to keep bride & groom and their guests together if the time between the ceremony and dinner is many hours. In my opinion it should be a Wedding Day, not just the ceremony.

Could you tell us a little story about something special that you have experienced during your work as a wedding planner?
pfff, many stories but this one that left an unforgettable memory: After their midday ceremony, I took a Dutch wedding couple and their guests up to the mountains. On our way up there we stopped for a ‘small’ lunch and then proceeded to the final destination. This particular village was celebrating the annual Name Day of Their Church and thousands pay a visit. It must have been the first time a bridal party visited the village. All started applauding, men got their violins, many photos were taken. The icing on the cake was the priest coming out of his church to give the bride & groom his Blessing. After many tears of emotion and joy we headed back to the coast but stopping first at a local tavern for a drink. Here they had their first dance. Upon arrival in Limassol a sumptuous meze under vines, accompanied by two violists, was the end of the day. A True Wedding Day.

You might have heard about the upcoming new yearly event "Weddingparadises.com Wedding Planning World Championship" and the website www.youweddingplanner.com, where all multiple choice questions for the competition
will be published soon. - If you could choose one question for this about something special in your home region: how would this question look like?

What is a Symbolic Wedding?
a) a non legal binding ceremony
b ceremony strictly for married couples
c) a ceremony conducted by an official marriage registrar

+++

Contact:

Dinah Martens
Cyprus Wedding Celebrations
Your Independent Wedding Planner
25 Alexandrou Ipsilanti – 4651 Trachoni – Cyprus
Reg.nr. EE35532a
Handy: + 357 99 758 345
Phone: +357 2510 3114
Fax: + 357 2510 3114
E-mail: dinah@cypruscelebrations.com
Website: www.cyprusweddingcelebrations.com
Skype: Cyprus Celebrations

wedding planners Cyprus