Cyprus Wedding Venue Review – Ayia Napa (Agia Napa)
Nissi Beach Resort
Nissi Beach Resort seems to be where I am predominantly shooting my Cyprus weddings. Which is lucky as it happens to be one of my favourite hotels on the island for photography. For me It is very easy to take a nice shot at his hotel as it is in an absolutely stunning location with outstandingly beautiful gardens. On your wedding day, if you are staying in the hotel (not the beach bungalows), with the groom and the guests in position, the bride is led down the walk way from the hotel. The walk way is essentially a tunnel of beautiful plants and brightly coloured Bougainvillea. With the sunlight sparkling through the gaps which dapples the pathway, it makes for a gorgeous photograph….especially with the bride’s smile beaming away!! The bride is then brought through lovely, well kept Palm Trees with the Wedding Gazebo just behind.
The Wedding Gazebo looks out over Nissi Bay…which I might add is a breathtaking setting. The water is so blue, it doesn’t look real… What better way to get married. The hotel section the area off so there are no passersby stopping for a look. Even though the Wedding Gazebo is situated on one of the busiest beaches in the area, with a few strategically placed hedges, you get a sense that it is a private affair, but without anything spoiling the stunning views.
The Nissi Beach Resort employ a chap called Chris who is the Master of Ceremonies and helps organise the wedding on the day. He helps lighten the mood and take away any tensions with his hilarious jokes. A very funny man… I don’t know of anyone who has had a bad time here.
After the ceremony, the guests are taken up to the Bacchus Bar for drinks and perhaps some canapes. I find this is an excellent place for people to unwind after the ceremony and socialise. Being next to a bar seems to help aswell! The way this area is setup makes it easy for me to photograph the Bride, Groom and their guests enjoying themselves with their guard down. About an hour or so before sunset, the sun gets into a position which is at just the right angle to stream through the sides and creates some absolutely gorgeous lighting. Golden evening sun adds such a lovely warm radiance to my photographs. I loving photographing in these conditions!
From what I hear, the Rondavel Bar, is THE sought after venue for the wedding couples evening reception. From my perspective, I can see what the fuss is about…definitely! It is on the edge of Nissi Bay looking out and when the light is right, the water is such an amazing colour. With it being detached from everything, this is a very private area for your evening party. It is just you and the view! Well worth the fight to secure this for your wedding. However, the Thalassa restaurant area is fantastic aswell. You haven’t got the view of the sea, but you are very much segregated from the rest of the hotel. With modern styling and everyone sat in a horse shoe configuration, this makes for a great location for photography as your guest can all see each other and this promotes conversation. Once everyone is talking and maybe one or two drinks have been had, people’s guard and inhibitions disappear and I get the chance for some lovely photography.
I have yet to photograph a wedding reception at the Pelican Bar, so unfortunately, I am unable to comment.
I have included some photographs from a few recent weddings at the Nissi Beach Resort so you can get a flavour of what you might expect if you decide to have your Cyprus wedding in this beautiful location.
The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..
