Weddings in Greece

Posted on: Thursday, November 18th, 2010

I had a great two weeks in Sept hanging out on three Greek Islands and had about 30 hours in Athens.

I have been to Greece before, did Athens thing for a few days and on that same trip took  a ferry boat journey in one day that gave me the chance to get off and enjoy three different islands for a few hours.  All I really remember was the small fishing village feel and no beaches,  rocky ledges were the sunbathing venues available.  And on a Med cruise two years ago stopped at Santorini which is just gorgeous, and the epitomy of what you believe a Greek Island should be.

This trip had me in Crete (largest Greek Island) for 4 days, then Rhodes for 2 days and then Mykonos for  2 days.  I love looking at everything I am seeing/experiencing with a future destination wedding for a lovely couple/group in mind.   On this trip  I found some gems, so if you are considering a Greek Island wedding, let me know and I can work with you to have that dream become a reality.

Here’s what I saw/experienced:

Crete – Stayed at the Panorama Hotel just outside of the town of Chania, about 10 mins by cab and 20 mins by local bus.  It sits up high on a hill thus the name and the views of the Cretan Sea were just awesome.  The property is all about the pool areas and the view.  It’s not 5 star, but certainly not a low 3 star either, and you can pay for executive or executive with your own entry to a pool infront of those rooms etc so if you want more than their basic it is available, plus I find that  when you are in other countries and not staying at name brand hotels where you know the hotel room/amenities are consistent world wide, you really need to be open and enjoy what you have and where you are.  Our room was aok/had everything we needed in it and was very unique as it was in a different section than the big hotel block/tower, it was under the Executive Suite section of which they are floors 2-4 I believe of this curved/hugs the cliff section, and we were on floor 1, our balcony opened to a lawn area where I could pull the chaise out onto the grass and have a different experience sunbathing on the lawn than a balcony or by the pool, quite enjoyable.  They have a great american breakfast buffetwhere you sit under trees and umbrellas with that same beautiful ocean and island in the background,  a beautiful way to start the day.  Nice bar/lounge and outdoor seating areas, and we had no probs getting loungers around the pool and the temperature was good,  Sept is the  start of their off season and after hearing the temps they get in Greece in July/Aug, then May/June or Sept would be the months I would look at.

Chania Harbor:

An alley in the harbor area:

How would I use this hotel and destination for a wedding.  Well, everyone could stay here, especially in Sept when the rates were excellent, think Motel 6 pricing.  For the first night everyone in house reception/dinner  I would book an area/or book it out in a restaurant in the village a 5 min walk down the road (or you could rent a few taxis/or shuttle but the walk was easy)where the ocean is coming right up to the restaurant, very casual, gets everyone in the mood.  Then if the next day is rehearsal day, do the rehearsal where the cere would be, which in my mind would be in the lower side pool area where the ocean and island looking towards Chania are the backdrop, then have buses pick everyone up and take you into Chania town, do the walk down the cobblestone street to the harbor, have dinner booked at one of the harbor cafes where it’s all about the people watching, then give everyone the chance to do what they want after, shop, sit and drink more, go home and sleep etc.

Wedding day: ceremony in the location I mentioned above, cocktails around the pool area, and then dinner/dance under the stars on the big pool  deck.  At midnight you move inside to a room where it’s set up with loungy furniture for those that want to keep partying (yes there are noise time limitations even in Greece and especially at hotels, but midnight outside to me is great).  We actually saw a wedding reception for 200 in the area I mention and watched them from 11pm-midnight and boy were they having a great time, no plate smashing tho!!  Note: the ocean was warmer than the pools, they don’t seem to have an heating equipment for the pools and I am guessing that is due to how hot it gets in their summer and the pools probably heat up with the sun and outside of those times people just aren’t swimming.

The view below would be the backdrop I would use for the ceremony, and then the dining/dancing are on the main pool deck has an incredible panorama ocean view:

Wedding party c

Now onto Rhodes – loved it, a very european feeling locale with all the europeans vacationing along with you.  We stayed about 10 mins by cab/bus out of the main town in a great hotel that was very W feeling, they have a tower block again, and also bungalows that are at the back of the property where there is a separate pool area, if you had a big enough group you could probably take this area over.  The bungalows are fantastic, and again think 4 star but Motel 6 pricing, it can’t be beat.  American buffet breakfast included again and several pool areas and a nice path that goes from this hotel around infront of several other hotels along the bay, one of them quite large and obviously the party/keep the guests entertained night and day place.  Lots of local restaurant options within 5 mins walking from the hotel. 

The town is made up of the newer (old to us) part and then the wall enclosed old town, this is the place to be and enjoy.  You are just walking around on cobblestone streets/paths that are surrounded by buildings of history, then areas of souvenir/shopping  stores and of course, tons of cafes where you stop for a beer and face the walkers and people watch.  A couple of roof gardens where you are looking down on them too and they have no idea.  This seemed to me to be the kind of place that probably gets going at night after 11pm.   We got  a car and it took us about 45 mins to drive along the coast to a beach/cove area called Lindos where their acropolis/pathenon is there for you to walk around.  The beach/cove areas are lovely in that area and there are restaurants right on the beach you can just shower and walk up to and eat and drink and then go back to your umbrella and chaise lounger.

Now weddings in Rhodes, at our hotel I could definately see areas to do the cere with an oean backdrop or they have a wee amphitheatre area, and then cocktails with an ocean backdrop  and then the dinner dancing inside or outside.  And for the pre event dinners etc the places I talked about above would all work and be fabulous.

This is the fabulous bay/cove in Lindos:

Mykonos – well as you fly in or go in by boat, you immediately realise that the architecture is what you think Greek is going to be.  The white washed buildings with blue trim, light or dark or greeny.  The owner of our boutique hotel picked us up at the airport and drove us by town so we could see how close it will be to walk there.  As we turned a curve I saw white buildings on a beach and thought, wow what a great location, well it turned out, that was were we were spending the next 2 nights.  Fabulous doesn’t even describe this hotel.  31 rooms, so if you are a destination wedding with 40 guests or so you can probably have the whole place to yourselves.  There is a central courtyard great for a cocktail party or just hanging with everyone, a great breakfast included daily, a cool pool/restaurant area and a lawn looking right to the beach/Aegean Sea.  The Mykonos  Bay Hotel is my pick of picks if you come to me  and say where should we go in Greece for our destination wedding.  It is a very greek accommodation style, if you have someone who wants the plush/spa accommodation then right across the street up on a hill is the accommodation for those guests and they can wander up and down and not feel out of anything and be paying more for the experience they are more comfortable with.

Ok,  I would do the arrival night cocktails and food in the courtyard:

Rehearsal dinner would be in the town at one of the cool cafes (and probably do this two nights before)  and then after the guests can hang and party in town if they want or walk back.  This town is known for the all night partying and you can see that nothing starts there until around midnight and people from  all around the world are there to party!!  Thus, two nights before the big day.

Cere would be held through this arch on the lawn with the coean/sand backdrop.  So the guests and the bride would all enter to the lawn through this arch from the main courtyard, lovely eh:

And this is the lawn with the backdrop behind the couple and the view of the guests:

Now I pick the lawn for the cere,  most of the beaches in Greece are pebbly, and this is no exception,  but you can do it on the beach if you want, but you would need to provide flip flops for the guests as a fun but useful gift/favor.

Cocktails would be held around the pool area:

Then cocktails

Then the dinner/dance would be held in the restaurant area at the end of the pool area, looking back to the buildings of the hotel:

The food served here is not Greek which to be honest was a nice change, fabulous mushroom risotto, caesar salad, great sandwiches etc, so I know they will have no problem doing a full on gourmet meal for the guests to enjoy and eat all of it!!!  Use the town for the traditional greek food experience.  I love this area as you keep the view, but in  case of wind or the elements are enclosed. 

Obviously in all areas you see, the right chairs/tables/linens will be brought in to create whatever feel/atmosphere you want.

I just fell in love with this hotel and hope the pictures give you the feel I want you to have.  Now it can be windy in Mykonos, it’s known as the island of the winds, the owner  tells me April/May/June are going to be before the heat and less wind.  Sept is excellent pricing tho, but can be windy, and the town and most hotels close from Oct-April, so not a huge windown to choose from and of course nature will do what it will do, but I would not do July/Aug when all the tourists are there and the island is fulll and prices for everything are premium.

As far as Athens is concerned, I would use this more as a arrival hub if you wanted to, have the next day planned with using the Happy Train to see all the key sights and get on and off at the nooks and crannies it can go to (that buses cannot), people can do the acropolis and any historical places of interest to them, then do dinner that night with everyone in the Plaka, lots of cool restaurants to choose from/and areas, then the next day bus everyone to the airport for the flight to the island of choice for the wedding or catch the ferry to the island.

If this all sounds like fun and you are interested, let me know and we can get started planning your destination wedding to Greece.

Oh this was funny, we came back from our walk into town to find these two Japanese couples posing around the hotel grounds, the guys had been dressed and then got casual but the girls stayed in their ‘American’ gowns for more pics.  They were on their honeymoon and had brought these gowns with them just for these shots!!

Till next time

While I was waiting at the base of the Acropolis in Athens for my husband (been there done that before and decided people watching was more my style that day), about 20 cars came honking up the road and a whole bridal party/couple/family got out and climbed a rock close by with their photographer behind, I went over and followed and they got the couple positioned on this rock with the acropolis//pathenon behind, what an awesome picture that is going to make for their album or wall.  Fabulous.

Till next time

Lisa

www.lisasimpsonweddings.com

Tags: Destination weddings in Greece, Destination weddings to Greece, Getting married in Greece, Getting married on Greek Islands, Greek destination weddings, Greek Island weddings, Greek weddings, Want to get married in Greece, Want to get married on a Greek island, Weddings in Greece, WEddings on Crete Greece, Weddings on Mykonos Greece, Weddings on Rhodes Greece