Page 79 - Panama City Living July-August 2019

transformation: beautifully accentuated with large chandeliers, tall candles, and intricate arrangements of white flowers, the restaurant, with its traditional vintage maritime décor, looked much like a fairytale ballroom. The festivities started with live music from classical stringed instruments, followed by a Greek band that had everyone on the dancefloor for traditional Greek dances such as Sirto and Hasapiko. As the crowd cheered the young couple, they followed another Greek tradition, the smashing of plates. Christina explains that in the Greek culture, the smashing of plates at wedding receptions brings good luck and a happy, lasting marriage. It doesn’t hurt that it is fun to do and makes for great photos.
"We truly had the wedding of our dreams and felt so blessed and loved to be surrounded by the people who meant the world to us,” Dylan and Christina say.
Back in 2017, the couple met in a class at Gulf Coast State College. Little did Christina know that, when Dylan offered to help her during class, she was looking at her future husband. She soon realized how driven, passionate, and friendly he was, and Dylan was smitten with Christina’s compassionate and loving nature right from the start. It was truly a match made in heaven. The two grew closer as friends, started dating, and quickly fell in love.
They had been together for quite some time when Christina and her family went on a cruise vacation. Unable to speak as they were used to, the couple realized they couldn’t bear to be apart and they knew then that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Unknown to Christina, Dylan had already made plans to propose and with Christina away on holiday, it was the perfect time to purchase the engagement ring.
Now as a married couple, they are very thankful that they were good friends for a long time. The couple both say that