Getting married in Greece: The ultimate guide to a Greek destination wedding

So, you want to get married in Greece? Congratulations! Greece is made up of both the mainland and literally hundreds of Islands, first of all you must choose for yourselves which place is the perfect spot for you.

Greece has it all!  History, amazing weather, crystal clear blue waters, fabulous flavours, stunning views and not to forget, the warmth and love of the local Greek people themselves.

As with planning any wedding abroad, there are some things that you might need to do differently. In this blog The Celebrant Directory member Sarah Hatjipavlis shares with us her top tips to getting married in Greece and her top tips in this Ultimate Destination Guide!

Getting married in Greece – what do I need?

Where would you like to get married in Greece? If this will be your first visit, then give yourselves a budget and check out flight availability from your chosen airport.   There are many Islands with direct flights from the UK and Europe during the summer months. For those travelling from further afield you could consider the mainland?  Athens Airport and Thessaloniki Airport have direct connections used by many international travellers.

Top Tips

1. Find a Wedding Planner to help you. Choose someone who resonates with you, and who is a great communicator.
2. Decide on the type of ceremony that suits you as a couple, so civil ceremony, religious ceremony, or symbolic ceremony? Your wedding planner will be able to advise you on the legal documents required for a civil or religious wedding in Greece.
3. Once you know what type of ceremony, you can then go ahead and choose your venue.

Planning a destination wedding in Greece

There are many different types of venues in Greece to choose from and literally thousands of wedding planners. With a legal civil ceremony, you must be guided by your wedding planner as to which venues will be an option. Most civil ceremonies take place at the local town hall or at a few authorised venues. All couples will have to visit the town hall approximately 2 working days after their wedding, to sign the legal papers.  In some areas they must have a 2^nd civil ceremony too.

If you choose a Celebrant-led symbolic ceremony, with no legal documentation presented in Greece, then you will be able to have your Greek destination wedding almost anywhere. At your hotel, poolside at your holiday villa, at a local winery, on the beach, even on board a yacht. TOP TIP Do the legal marriage paperwork at your local registry office before or after travel.

Getting married in Greece

A legal civil ceremony in Greece is a short 10 min ceremony read in Greek by the local registrar/representative. Your wedding planner can have someone there to translate.

At this point it may be wise to mention that you will not be allowed to have a civil ceremony as a LGBTQ couple. Do not let this lack of legislation hold you back! Just, choose a Celebrant and go for the symbolic ceremony. I may be just a little biased, but a Celebrant-led ceremony is just so much more fun than the civil version!

Getting married in Greece after Brexit

Brexit has brought about one significant change. When travelling from the UK for your destination wedding in Greece, any suppliers that you were hoping to fly out with you must have a visa/permit allowing them to work in Greece. My recommendation would be to choose local suppliers to avoid any issues with them flying in for your wedding.

Documents required for getting married in Greece

For a civil wedding in Greece, documents and procedures can vary a little from place to place.  Do take a look at the UK government guidelines.

For a religious Greek Orthodox wedding in Greece, at least one of you must be Greek Orthodox and the other a baptised Christian. Your wedding planner will advise you of the documents required.

For a celebrant led symbolic wedding in Greece, there are no documents required at all! This could be the perfect type of ceremony to choose during these uncertain times.

The impact of COVID on weddings in Greece

The main impact of COVID on destination weddings in Greece has been travel restrictions. As summer 2021 approaches, all measures are being put in place for our international visitors. Nearly all wedding venues in Greece are outdoors which is a major plus for safety of both locals and tourists alike. 

Intimate elopements and vow renewal ceremonies are trending in Greece.

Where to get married in Greece

Combine a visit to the amazing city of Athens with a wedding on the Athenian Riviera. In this way you will have the best of both worlds. Fabulous coastal venues, within a taxi ride of the Acropolis of Athens and the one-of-a kind Acropolis museum.

Greek Island weddings are trending and there are hundreds to choose from. All Greek Islands have their own personality!  Some couples are looking for more traditional, simple ‘rocks’ where life seems to stand still. Others choose more famous, popular Islands such as Mykonos or Santorini. These 2 feature amongst the most ‘instagrammable’ places in the world!

Greece

Greece is famous for its history, its food, its fabulous weather and has something to offer everyone. The country is made up of the mainland and literally thousands of beautiful islands of which about 200 are inhabited. 

Athens

Have your ceremony on the coast but do allow time to visit this amazing city. Take a trip to Delphi if you love history!

Crete

The largest of the Greek Islands offering stunning countryside, amazing ruins, fabulous beaches and the highest temperatures in Greece.

Rhodes-Dodecanese

The perfect choice for families with an eclectic choice of accommodation from luxury all-inclusive resorts to one-of-a kind villas and traditional houses.  It is home to the Mediaeval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the famous village of Lindos.

What are you waiting for? Time to start planning, as you can see you will be spoilt for choice if you do indeed choose to get married in Greece!

The Celebrant Directory is home to Celebrants all across the world. Find your ideal Greek Celebrant here, or UK Celebrant who is able to travel, to deliver a Celebrant-Led ceremony of dreams!

Photo credits: Nektarios Maniatis, Nikos Kokkinakis Akzot, George Pagonakis