Ionian Weddings

Ionian Weddings: destination wedding planning across the Mediterranean

Ionian Weddings is a specialist consultancy for weddings abroad, founded by Jane Stuart-Palikira and Andreas Palikiras. The company presents itself as a multi-award-winning destination wedding planner and states that it has been established since 2007, with 19 years in business and more than 5,000 destination weddings organised to date. Its work covers the Greek Islands, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal and Croatia.

The service model combines a UK office with local coordinators. According to the company, a wedding planning team at the UK office looks after couples through to the wedding day and beyond, while experienced local wedding co-ordinators in every destination provide on-the-ground support. The team states that it has visited every destination and every venue it offers, and that it knows the local photographers, florists and other specialists involved, which allows it to make personal recommendations.

Destinations and venues offered

The destination list is organised by country and, in some cases, by region or island:

• Italy: Tuscany, Puglia, and the Amalfi Coast & Sorrento
• Greek Islands: Corfu, Crete, Kefalonia, Rhodes, Santorini and Skiathos
• Cyprus
• Croatia
• Portugal
• Malta

Venues are grouped by style rather than by location alone. The categories shown are rustic weddings, chapel weddings, beach weddings, weddings with a view, villa weddings and luxury weddings. The site also publishes destination-specific ideas and prices for Croatia, Cyprus, the Greek islands, Italy, Malta and Portugal.

Packages, pricing information and consultation

Ionian Weddings states that its all-inclusive wedding packages include all the essentials for a wedding abroad and are intended to give couples an idea of the wedding cost from the moment they enquire. The company offers a free consultation and a dedicated section of ideas and prices per destination. No specific prices are published in the material reviewed.

Team, languages and local knowledge

The company highlights fluency in Greek and Italian and an understanding of local culture as part of its approach, with attention to detail aimed at avoiding costly misunderstandings. Couples are assigned a UK-based wedding planner and, separately, a planner in the destination country. Testimonials describe this two-part structure in practice: a UK planner handling questions and coordination with local suppliers, and a local planner taking over closer to the wedding to manage timings, the pre-wedding meeting and the day itself.

Awards, bonding and ratings

The company reports several credentials in its own presentation:

• Multi-award-winning status, including the British Travel Award for Best Small Wedding & Honeymoons Company
• A 5-star rating on Trustpilot from more than 390 reviews
• Fully bonded membership of ABTA, membership number Y4786

These claims are as stated by the company. The site also publishes testimonials dated by year from 2013 through 2026, covering weddings in locations such as Sorrento and Santorini.

How the planning process is described

Testimonials on the site describe a step-by-step process: an initial phone call to assess what is possible, guidance through the practicalities of marrying abroad, selection of ceremony and reception venues, and coordination with local vendors recommended by the company. Couples mention venues including the Cloisters in Sorrento, Villa Antiche Mura, Le Ciel in Santorini and Paradise Terrace. These accounts are individual customer experiences rather than verified facts about every booking.