Behind the scenes: Maria Papadakis' glamorous Greek wedding

Your wedding day is one of the most exciting moments of your life.  You are madly in love and dreaming of spending the rest of your days with your soul mate. It can also be one of the most stressful moments in a person's life. For anybody who has planned a wedding, you know that before you can ride off into the sunset there are millions of things you have to think about.

I am one of the many brides in the tri-state area who has sifted through the confusing maze of wedding preparation. I consider myself lucky because my family is no stranger to putting together big events. My father was the President of Drexel University until his passing in 2008 and during his tenure my mother entertained over 1400 people in our home every year! My mother and I are also the chairs for numerous galas and nonprofit events throughout the city.

I thought my big Greek wedding would be a piece of cake! Wrong. No matter how seasoned you are when it comes to planning an event, it's easy to get lost in the details. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you there is hope. I'm here to help all the brides to be and their grooms through my trials, triumphs, and lessons I've learned during my adventures in wedding wonderland (and I mean it when I say adventures!).

My journey has included not one, but three venue changes and a Halloween bachelorette party during hurricane Sandy in Atlantic City. I've even had to get 20 crates of wedding favors past customs. I spent hours sitting in warehouses listening to the region's best wedding bands.

I've hunted across 4 states for the best wedding and bridesmaids dresses, noting which boutiques excel in particular wedding categories. I can even tell you how to fix a wedding gown four-sizes too large (yes ladies, when that happens you have to rebuild the gown).

My big day finally came to fruition last weekend when we transformed the stage of the Academy of Music, America's oldest opera house for 520 guests. I first fell in love with the Academy of Music when I was 12 performing in Falstaff, a production by the Opera Company of Philadelphia. It was on that stage where my passion for the arts began, and I'd even say the start of my career. When choosing locations, I wanted a venue that had a lot of meaning to me but was also reminiscent of my father. He was an ardent opera devotee who served on the Board of the Opera Company of Philadelphia for over a decade. Many of my favorite memories were in that theater with him. Although creating this wedding was going to be a huge undertaking as it was the first of its kind, it was worth it to me to have those happy memories from my past surrounding me on my special day.

View this slideshow to see how things came together with behind the scenes views of the wedding, insider tidbits and tips that made that day special.

For example my giant 5-tier cake was actually a fake cake (you'll have to see the photo to read why we did that). Another favorite part of the evening was Philadelphia Opera Company singers serenading my guests! You'll see the famous 150 year old chandelier lowered for the guests, wild Greek dancing, and a time-lapse video of how the stage floor was built over the seats of the Academy of Music for that ballroom effect.

Be sure to check back next week when I'll show you how to make the most out of your bridal shower, share creative ideas for bachelorette parties, and expose the latest in wedding dress trends. I'll also let you in on hair and makeup trials from salons all over Philadelphia, show you great Philly-centric gift bags, and find unique venue ideas guaranteed to dazzle your guests. There's nothing better than love and weddings!

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Maria Papadakis is an Emmy Award winning Philadelphia personality, media contributor, and spokeswoman. Work includes; Host of RAW TV, The DC Place, NBC-10 Philadelphia, DUTV, and over 70 national and international speaking engagements/spokesperson campaigns.