Wedding in Greece

Wedding in Greece – Zante – Zakynthos.

We’ve been planning weddings in Zante for over 16 years and Zante was actually our first destination to plan weddings in, an amazingly it’s not really changed that much in all these years.

The wedding market is more sophisticated now, mainly due to demand, for example you can now get western style hard iced wedding cakes whereas once upon a time you had to have a local Greek wedding cake (I actually prefer these and think they taste divine). The Greek wedding industry appreciate that it’s mportant to cover all manner of tastes for weddings and they’ve gracefully adapted to it. The Greeks know how to make great coffee AND great dessert and Zante these day has a plethora of coffee and cake houses…and for someone who enjoys coffee even more than wine it’s a real delight.

Beachside weddings are still the most popular style of weddings in Zakynthos, not surprising really considering the beaches have been give the blue flag award, they’re calm, shallow and incredibly picturesque.

Zakynthos has recently seen a rise in luxury hotels and venues to suit a new, more discerning clientele. We recently added 2 luxury villas to our portfolio, and they’re proving incredibly popular as more couples desire private wedding venues with luxury ‘on tap’ and want the ease of getting married and staying in the same location.

There are hotels to suit all budgets from a few Euros per night for a basic studio to over 1000euros per night for those in search of luxury.

No matter where you stay and what your budget is you’ll still get to enjoy the beauty of Zakynthos and even though the wedding maybe the highlight of your stay, there’s so much to see and do, you can literally tour the whole island by car in a day, you simply must explore and enjoy the beauty Zante has to offer you.

Lisa’s thoughts

Zakynthos was the first place we ever planned weddings abroad. We loved the relaxed feel of the island and the coastline reminded me of some of the islands I’d visited whilst working in the Caribbean, with the soft sand and crystal clear water.

Weddings in Zante suit those couples looking for a waterside or beach wedding location with a very rustic and traditional Greek feel. Zante really suits families and is amazingly suited and capable of handling large weddings. Weddings in Zante are still some of our best value for money and offer an incredible service to suit. With a plethora of venues to choose, the style and feel of your wedding is really up to you, whether you want dancing waiters in tradition taverna attire or for a more luxurious feel waiters in formal suits.

A venue that really has a special place in my heart is the Balcony, I had one of my first meals here at sunset(Mousaka I think), there are no words to really explain the setting until you’ve visited and experienced it. You enjoy almost 360 degree views both inland and out to sea, the elevated position away from the main resorts means it’s peaceful and less busy and gives the place a magical ambience, and at sunset the whole venue comes alive with tones of oranges and reds. It’s just incredible.

Wedding in Santorini Greece.

Santorini really took off in popularity around 10 years ago, before then this was a very quiet island hosting just a few weddings each year, mainly small intimate weddings. Its undeniable unique beauty has made Santorini ‘THE’ place to get married….for those that can afford it. It is now one of the more expensive places to get married in Greece, but for those extra pennies you get a whole lot uniqueness that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Santorini is one of the most photographed islands in the world, it’s domed roofs, windmills and sunsets being recognised around the world.

Santorini isn’t the most family friendly place to holiday in Greece, the caldera side with charming cobbled streets and rickety paths are charming and yearn to be discovered but aren’t the best for little unstable legs or prams. Families tend to stay on the beach side of the island where it is flatter and more inline with what you’d expect to find on a Greek island with numerous bars, restaurants and pretty boutique shops.

The one difference here is that the beaches are black and pebbly and the dramatic red cliffs make for a wonderful backdrop, they’re like something out of a scene of Star Wars.

Weddings on the volcano side are still the most popular option in Santorini, with so many beautiful hotels, restaurants and wineries available to provide you with all you need on your wedding day.

The best time of day is when the sunsets, you absolutely MUST find a spot on the volcano side, pour yourself a glass of local wine(or your favourite tipple) and enjoy some olives whilst the sun performs its dance of colours as it disappears into the horizon before your eyes.

Lisa’s thoughts

I visited Santorini over 17 years ago when it was a small lesser known island and back then it had fewer venues available for weddings, but you could feel the magic even back then and I knew one day this would be one of the most in demand destinations for weddings in Greece, if not the world. Santorini is suited to those couples that enjoy experiencing the ‘finer things’ in life. So yes is it a more expensive destination for weddings, but you really do get what you pay for. The views of course are the obvious draw, after all they’re unlike anywhere else in the world. Alongside this the venues are usually 5 star or MORE and with this comes the highest quality experience with amazing food/wine yet none of the stuffiness you may expect with such a ‘high end’ experience.  Santorini still offers the warm Greek hospitality we’ve come to love and expect.

This island is less suited to families and very large weddings than some other Greek islands, but with the beach resorts of Kamari and Perissa offering a more beach style holiday experience and huge range of hotels you can be sure guests are taken care of. AND don’t be fooled, Santorini may be small but for those adventurous types there’s still plenty to do with wineries, ancient villages, historic ruins, and a wonderful coastline to explore by ship, not to mention the incredible food ready to be experienced, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

One of my favourite venues is Dana Villas, I was lucky enough to stay here on my first visit to Santorini and experience Firastefani before I really got to know the rest of the island so it has a special place in my heart. I love the peaceful ambience of Firastefani and it’s well located to explore the amazing range of restaurants and shops on your doorstep, but being so central means you can get around easily too with a bus stop never too far away.

Wedding in Crete, Greece

One of the largest islands in Greece, Crete is open 365days a year and has one of the longest sunny seasons .

Crete is the islands of many faces, with modern cosmopolitan resorts like Rethymno to the more rustic charming fishing towns like Chania.

The beaches in Crete should get a special mention, they are some of the largest and whitest in the whole of Greece. No wonder this is one of the most popular places in Greece for beach weddings, here it’s easy to find a tucked away secluded location to say your ido’s. Whether you want rustic and rocky, or soft and sandy, Crete is your island.

It’s often surprising how green Crete is with vast botanical gardens and mountainous hillsides commanding impressive views, here you can find any type or style of venue from vineyards, working farms, private luxury sea view villas or rustic tavernas. There really is a style for every type of bride.

Crete is also great value for money, whether you want intimate and rustic, or to pull out all the stop for a luxury affair.

Lisa’s Thoughts

Crete although a larger island still has that feel of a small island, but it being bigger means there more diversity and more to experience and explore.

You can see this in the vast range of venues we offer here, from a Treehouse built around an ancient Oak tree to an organic farm and a cliff top panoramic sea view venue.

The Beaches here are vast and come in all shapes and sizes from rocky landscapes to soft sand that expands for miles, so not surprising really that beaches are very popular here for weddings. Although not private they are big enough to find your own special intimate spot to say your I’do’s

One of my favourite venues here is the Majestic Olive Grove. I’m a bit of a nature lover and I could completely lose myself for a day in a forest if it’s thick enough and be in my element. Olive Trees in themselves are beautiful but a thick grove of ancient trees to me just seems like the epitome of a perfect Greek wedding setting. The fact that this venue is private and exclusive and you can have private caterers attend to your every need seems like the perfect venue for a dream wedding.