Ios Lovers
Emily Hill & Jonathan Bint
Photography by Bulb Creative
Sometimes fate leads you to the perfect place, at the perfect time. In 2013 Make-up artist Emily Hill burst through the doors of Jon Bint’s live music bar and took his breathe away. Jon was captivated by Emily from the first second he laid eyes on her. It was in that moment a whirlwind romance was ignited and an Ios love story began. Jon wined and dined Emily at Ios’ finest five-star restaurant, Grandmas Liostasi, and introduced her to his island home. By the end of the European summer, they were inseparable, together traveling around Europe and forging a new path.
Throughout the next six years Jon and Emily spent endless summers together, falling more in love with each other and the island they called home. In their sixth year together, Jon proposed to Emily at the exact spot he took her to on their first date.
The Isle’s inspiration for our ‘ROMANCE’ intimate engagement shoot was artfully curated around the picturesque locations of Ios. The Isle designed a preserved botanical installation inspired by Ios’ landscape which hung behind the bar at Ios Club. Emily and Jon enjoyed a glass of sparkling as they celebrated being in love and newly engaged. Emily wore two dresses from an Australian designer and chose to do her own hair and make-up, as she owns Emily Hill Artistry, a business based in both Ios and Perth. The shoot was perfectly executed by Australian photographers, Harley and Ainsley from Bulb Creative.
Tell us about your lifestyle together since you first met…
Our life since we met has been one big adventure. We spend the summers in Ios, which is our favourite place in the world and the rest of the year we travel. Jon has been living in Ios for over 10 years and it has become 'home' for both of us now.
Between Ios seasons we have lived in Austria and Japan, snowboarding every day and working in bars there. We also love to visit our family in New Zealand and Australia every year. Wherever we live we always have each other, home is where the heart is.
What is your secret to a successful relationship?
We always make time for each other no matter what. Life in Ios can get pretty hectic so we make sure we have a date at least once a week. We really trust each other and communicate openly. We also have fun together doing the simplest things.
What do you love most about each other?
Jon: I love that Em has my back always. She has made me a better person and has really supported me through our crazy life. I love having her by my side, she can put me in the best mood so easily.
Emily: Jon is so affectionate and makes me feel incredibly loved every day. He makes me laugh till I cry, he is kind and he will go out of his way to do anything for me. He makes me feel like the only person in the world when we are together.
Is there a place that holds a special memory for you and your love story?
Ios in general holds a special place in our hearts. We have had countless amazing dates: watching sunsets over the ocean, partying till sunrise together. It’s effortlessly romantic.
Tell us about your engagement at Liostasi…
It was just like any other day in Ios. We go out for dinner or cocktails most nights before work so when Jon suggested we head to Liostasi to watch the sunset I didn't think anything of it. We got there just as the sun was going down and had a beautiful table looking down to the port. We ordered cocktails and admired the view. When the waitress came to the table, she placed our cocktails down and put a little white box on the table. Jon had sneakily been there earlier in the day and dropped it off. It took me a good ten seconds to click that it was a ring box! The rest was a bit of a blur of me saying, OH MY GOD over and over and lots of tears. We then had a seven-course degustation at Grandmas restaurant which was incredible. It was the best night ever. We couldn't keep it a secret so after calling all our family back home we decided to visit our friends around the island, and it ended in a very late-night celebrating. We wouldn't have wanted it any other way!
Tell us about your engagement ring...
Jon: I knew that Em liked Melbourne jewellery designer Cushla Whiting so I approached them to get a ring custom made. I knew I wanted an emerald cut and decided on a three stone design in yellow gold. It's classic and I knew she would love it. It took five months from the design process through to it being made, but it was worth the wait. It was all done via email as we were living in Japan at the time and they were so helpful.
Em: I'm blown away with my ring, it's more than I could have ever hoped for. The quality is amazing, and I literally stare at it all day! It feels so special that Jon designed it for me and put so much thought into it.
Tell us about the engagement shoot with The Isle...
The Isle organised our engagement shoot capturing intimate moments at our most treasured locations on Ios. We were a little nervous at the start, but it ended up being heaps of fun. Harley and Ainsley from bulb creative made us feel so relaxed in front of the camera and it felt like hanging out with friends. Georgie had so many good ideas for locations, and unique shots around the island which we would have never thought of. We didn't have to think about anything, she was so organised, and we were blown away with how the photos turned out.
These images have been the perfect for us to use throughout our wedding stationery suite and on our wedding website. It was also great practice for us to be in front of the camera together before we get married, so we know what to expect on the big day.
Tell us about your wedding plans...
We are planning to get married in Ios in September 2022. We love Ios Club so have chosen that as our reception venue, the view is amazing, and we love the unique layout.
The Isle will be doing the styling and floristry and we have hired talented Greek photographers Fanis & Jenny from 'Days Made of Love'.
We will be having around ninety guests, a lot travelling from Australia and New Zealand so we will be making it a three-day event with welcome cocktails, wedding day and a recovery BBQ. We will be showing our nearest and dearest our beloved island home so we will be focusing on good food, wine and having fun!
“he placed his hands
on my mind
before reaching
for my waist
my hips
or my lips
he didn't call me
beautiful first
he called me
exquisite”
- how he touches me
― Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey
Creative Direction / The Isle
Styling & Flowers / The Isle
Photography / Bulb Creative
Videography / Lewis Martin
Hair and Makeup / Emily Hill Artistry