Weddings in Greece take place on islands and on the mainland coast, in town halls and in Orthodox churches. For other routes, see our tours in Greece page.
This page covers what weddings in Greece are, the papers in general, civil and church ceremonies, the islands and settings that suit a ceremony, the seasons, Greek customs and what couples add around the day.
What are weddings in Greece?
Weddings in Greece are marriage ceremonies held in Greece, either civil or religious. Wikipedia says Greece allows marriage for both residents and non-residents, so couples from other countries can marry there as well.
Wikipedia describes a wedding as a ceremony that unites two people in marriage. It names an exchange of vows as a part of the ceremony. It also names a public proclamation of the marriage by an authority figure or celebrant. A reception sometimes follows. Greek law and Greek customs then shape the details of weddings in Greece.
According to Wikipedia, a mayor or another civil official performs a civil marriage here. In the common case, it adds, an Orthodox priest leads the religious ceremony. At an Orthodox wedding a sponsor called the koumbaro stands with the couple, Wikipedia says.
Wikipedia’s page on officiants says the officiant leads the service. A religious officiant is ordained by a denomination. A secular officiant can be a civil celebrant, a humanist celebrant or another person the law empowers. So weddings in Greece centre on the couple and the officiant.
The size is open. One wedding company’s page lists religious weddings, civil weddings and intimate elopement weddings on Corfu. It calls a venue on Zakynthos suitable for larger weddings and for more intimate elopements. Wikipedia notes that the word elopement now also covers a small wedding. That fits small weddings in Greece too.
Three ceremony types come up again and again in weddings in Greece: civil, church and symbolic. Wikipedia says Greek law recognises two forms, civil and religious, each binding in law. One wedding magazine says a blessing or humanist ceremony needs an official civil ceremony to be legally binding. Later sections cover each type.
Couples who want an island setting can browse our Greek island destinations to see where this site’s trip pages go. The place you pick also shapes the rest of the holiday. The ceremony is one day inside a longer trip.
Why do couples pick weddings in Greece?
Couples pick weddings in Greece for the coast, the islands and the sunny summers. Wikipedia gives Greece up to 227 inhabited islands and ranks its coastline longest of the whole Mediterranean basin. The sea is part of nearly every plan.
On climate, Wikipedia lists the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese and part of the Cyclades as Mediterranean areas. Their summers are frequently sunny and dry, it says, and their winters are wet. Dry summers matter for weddings in Greece that take place outdoors.
The wedding companies’ pages name a wide range of settings. They list a private beach, a hilltop church, a terrace over the sea, a vineyard and a villa. They also list a pine forest, an olive grove and a historic seaside town. One wedding magazine names a Cretan farm and a mainland winery. Each setting suits weddings in Greece.
The mainland offers a different scene from the islands. Wikipedia calls the Greek mainland extremely mountainous. It also counts eleven climates in Greece under the Köppen system. A mountain village and an island beach bring different weather. Couples pick the setting that suits the day they picture.
History is part of the draw. Wikipedia says Greece is home to the first advanced civilisations in Europe. A couple who marry in Greece marry in a country with a long past. The guests see that on the trip.
Guests have a route in too. One wedding magazine says guests can arrive by air or rail. It adds that they can also island hop for a short spell in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The practical side of the trip sits in our Greece travel information.
The same magazine calls a Greek wedding a tale of two events. One is a very formal ceremony and the other is a long, boisterous reception. These plain facts explain why weddings in Greece draw couples from other countries. Later sections sort the choices by island and region.
What papers do weddings in Greece need?
Weddings in Greece need official papers that show who the couple are and that they are free to marry. Wikipedia says foreign couples can marry in Greece, as residents and non-residents alike are allowed to.
Foreign couples at weddings in Greece bring those papers from home. The Wikipedia page on Greek marriage names apostilled papers and official translations of key documents into Greek. A wedding company’s page also notes that foreign nationals face no residency requirement. A non-citizen who lives in Greece needs a residence permit.
An apostille is a certification issued under the Apostille Convention. Wikipedia calls it international and compares it with a notarisation. Where the convention applies between two states, an apostille from the state of origin is enough. The destination state then needs no further stamp, though it can still ask for a translation of the document.
Each state names the offices that issue apostilles. Wikipedia lists ministries, courts, notaries and registries as examples. Every office keeps a register, so anyone can ask it to check an apostille. Couples planning weddings in Greece from abroad therefore start with the office in the country that issued the paper.
Wikipedia defines a marriage licence as a document issued by a church body or by the state. It allows a couple to marry. The article adds that the procedure differs between jurisdictions. Places without a licence give a marriage certificate after the ceremony. For weddings in Greece, the page on Greek marriage says the mayor performs the civil marriage.
The full list of papers sits on our page about wedding documents. Rules change, so couples check the present rules with the office that grants the permit. A wedding company’s page says couples who want less paperwork in Greece can hold a civil ceremony at home first.
How do civil and church weddings in Greece differ?
Civil and church weddings in Greece differ in who performs them and where they take place. Wikipedia says the mayor performs civil marriages and a Greek Orthodox priest performs religious ones. Both forms are legally binding.
Wikipedia says a civil marriage is recognised, recorded and performed by a government official. A wedding company’s page says civil ceremonies take place at the town hall, the mayor’s office or another community office. It adds that a hotel or resort can be an approved venue, but not an archaeological site.
The Church of Greece belongs to the Eastern Orthodox communion, so church weddings in Greece follow the rite Wikipedia describes. Marriage there is a holy mystery performed by a priest. It has two main steps, the betrothal and the crowning. At the betrothal, the couple exchange rings on the right hand, and the priest blesses each of them three times.
In the crowning, the priest places crowns on both heads, and the couple exchange the crowns three times. The Greek marriage article calls these crowns the stefana. A sponsor, known as the koumbaro, stands with the couple. The couple drink from a common cup, which holds wine in the traditional practice. The priest leads them around the table three times.
One wedding company’s page lists Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish ceremonies as possible. It says Greek law does not allow a religious marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian. For a Catholic ceremony, it adds that neither partner is divorced. Couples planning weddings in Greece with a church ceremony check these limits first.
The same page describes a blessing or humanist ceremony as private and non-denominational. It has no set structure and needs no licensed building. It says couples who choose a blessing at weddings in Greece also need an official civil ceremony. That ceremony makes the marriage legal in Greece. This site also keeps an older page on wedding packages.
Which Cyclades islands suit weddings in Greece?
Weddings in Greece suit the Cyclades, an island group with roughly 220 members. Wikipedia lists Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Milos among the major ones. Each offers a couple a different place for the ceremony.
The southeast of the mainland holds the Cyclades, a cluster set out across the Aegean. Wikipedia explains that sacred Delos sits at the centre and the other islands circle it. It describes a dry, mild climate and picks out Milos and Santorini as the only two volcanic islands. The Cyclades islands have a page of their own.
Santorini is the biggest piece of a small ring of islands that surrounds a flooded caldera. Wikipedia traces that basin to an eruption roughly 3,600 years ago. Couples planning weddings in Greece on this island face the drop into the crater. A separate page covers Santorini weddings.
Oia crowns the northwest corner of Santorini. Wikipedia places the village on the northern lip of the caldera, 70 to 100 metres over the water. It lists churches with white walls and blue domes. It adds that the sunset falls over the caldera in full view. The wider island has a page of Santorini tours.
Mykonos sits among Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. Wikipedia nicknames it “The Island of the Winds”. On a hill by the main town, the Kato Mili windmills line up above the sea. Wikipedia adds that Venetian builders put them up to mill flour, in the sixteenth century. A couple who picture weddings in Greece beside old windmills read about Mykonos.
The largest island in the whole group is Naxos, and Wikipedia names Mikri Vigla and Plaka among its beaches. Paros sits 8 kilometres west of Naxos, and Wikipedia ties its history to fine white marble. Milos is a volcanic island whose Sarakiniko coast shows pale rock carved by wind and water.
Which Crete and Ionian settings suit weddings in Greece?
Crete, the Ionian Islands and Rhodes give weddings in Greece three different settings. Crete is the biggest island of the country. The Ionian chain lies off the western coast, and Rhodes leads the Dodecanese group.
Weddings in Greece reach their widest landscape on Crete. Wikipedia gives the island a coastline longer than a thousand kilometres. It calls Crete predominantly mountainous, with a chain of peaks from west to east. The Minoans lived here, and Wikipedia places their palace at Knossos in Heraklion. Wikipedia calls the Minoans the first advanced civilization of Europe.
Chania sits on the northwest coast, about 145 kilometres west of Heraklion. Wikipedia says its old town lies beside the old harbour. Venetian walls still stand in parts. Rethymno has an old town that Venice built almost entirely, and a Venetian castle called the Fortezza still stands there. Both offer weddings in Greece a harbour setting.
Westward from the mainland, the Ionian Islands fill the Ionian Sea. Wikipedia counts seven main islands, the Heptanese. Venice ruled the islands and kept the Ottomans out, so they grew a culture of their own. Corfu lies furthest north. UNESCO has added the old town of Corfu city to its World Heritage List.
Paxos lies just south of Corfu and is the smallest of the seven, with olive groves covering its hills. Zakynthos is the third largest, and Wikipedia describes Navagio beach as a cove under high cliffs that only boats reach. Weddings in Greece that move on between islands connect to Greek islands cruises.
Rhodes is the biggest of the 15 larger Dodecanese islands, which lie off the Turkish coast. Wikipedia says the medieval Old Town of Rhodes city has World Heritage status. The Knights of Saint John ruled the island until the sixteenth century. Lindos on the east coast has an acropolis with the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia. See also Rhodes.
Which mainland and Athens settings suit weddings in Greece?
Mainland settings for weddings in Greece run from the Athens coast to Peloponnese towns and the sacred site of Delphi. Wikipedia places the Athens Riviera along the southern edge of the capital. It stretches from the port of Piraeus down to Sounio and Lavrio.
Wikipedia names Athens the capital of Greece, sitting further south than any other capital on mainland Europe. UNESCO lists two sites there, the Acropolis and Daphni Monastery. Couples who want a city backdrop for weddings in Greece can start in Athens, close to those ancient monuments.
Vouliagmeni, Wikipedia says, is a seaside suburb 18 km from central Athens. Its shore forms two pine-covered peninsulas named Megalo and Mikro Kavouri. Sand, pebbles and rock line the water. The article also reports that its beaches carry blue flags for environmental quality.
Wikipedia calls Cape Sounion the promontory at the southern end of Attica, part of the Athens Riviera. Its ancient Temple of Poseidon stands exposed to open water on three sides. For weddings in Greece near the Attica shore, the cape is a landmark on that coast.
According to Wikipedia, Poros is two small islands in the Saronic Gulf, 58 km south of Piraeus port. A bridge ties the two halves together. A channel 200 m across divides the island from the Peloponnese. That makes it a setting at the edge of the mainland.
The Peloponnese hangs from the central mainland of southern Greece, linked by the Isthmus of Corinth. Nafplio, a coastal city there, is guarded by Palamidi castle, which stands north of the old town, Wikipedia says. The Bourtzi fortress sits out in the harbour. The Mani ends at Cape Matapan, the point furthest south on the Greek continent.
In central Greece, Delphi was the seat of the oracle Pythia, and UNESCO recognises the site as World Heritage. Pelion is a thickly forested mountain in Thessaly with a hooked peninsula on the Aegean coast. Meteora, also in Thessaly, is known for Orthodox monasteries on rock pillars. Each gives weddings in Greece a setting away from island beaches.
When are weddings in Greece held?
Weddings in Greece take place across the whole year. One wedding company’s page calls Greece ideal in all four seasons. Wikipedia describes the Mediterranean summer as dry and sunny, with a wet winter.
Wikipedia calls the Greek climate mainly Mediterranean, with local differences caused by the mountains and the coasts. Summers there bring dry, sunny weather, winters bring rain, and snow melts quickly on slopes facing south. Those seasons set the frame for weddings in Greece across the country.
On the coast near Athens the air is drier. Wikipedia lists a semi-arid climate for much of the Athens Riviera. It notes that Cape Sounion has hot, dry summers with milder, wetter winters. Cooler water and a sea breeze soften the coastal heat, the article adds.
The meltemi, a northerly wind of the Aegean, is the summer weather to know. Wikipedia says the winds start in late spring and fade by mid-September, with the strongest gusts in the afternoon. On certain occasions it blows for days without pause. Anyone planning outdoor weddings in Greece on Aegean shores checks the wind forecast first.
Wikipedia warns that the wind rises in clear skies without notice. It can hit Beaufort force 7 to 8. Ferries between the islands, and certain yachts, stay tied up in such wind. The same article adds that leisure sailors enjoy the steady breeze and that it tempers the summer heat.
Place changes the weather too. Wikipedia says rainfall is heavier west of the Pindus mountains. Summers are drier and windier to the east. On the Peloponnese the west coast is wetter than the east. A date for weddings in Greece is therefore judged for the exact place, not for the whole country.
What Greek customs shape weddings in Greece?
Greek customs shape weddings in Greece. They include a sponsor called the koumbaro, crowns, sugar-coated almonds, plate smashing, line dances and live music. Wikipedia and travel pages describe each custom, and couples choose the ones that suit their own day.
Wikipedia says an Orthodox wedding has a sponsor present, known as the koumbaro. The stefana, the wedding crowns, belong to the same rite. These customs shape weddings in Greece for guests as well as for the couple.
Wikipedia calls the crowning the more official part of the Orthodox service. The stefana are set on both heads and swapped between the pair three times. One travel company’s page says the crowns at weddings in Greece are made of flowers or precious metal. Next the pair share a common cup of wine, sipping three times.
Koufeta are a wedding favor. Wikipedia lists koufeta as another name for Jordan almonds, which are almonds coated in sugar in pastel colors. They are offered in small gift boxes called bonbonnieres, packed in groups of five. The five stand for happiness, health, longevity, wealth and fertility.
Plate smashing, Wikipedia says, was at its height in the nineteen-sixties and seventies. The custom is rarer today, yet it shows up at weddings, where plaster plates replace real ones. Wikipedia notes that Greek dancing has a social function. It marks key points in family life, such as weddings. Dancing at weddings in Greece follows set steps.
The syrtos is a chain dance. Wikipedia says the dancers link hands behind a leader who breaks away to improvise steps. It adds that the syrtos is very popular at weddings. The sirtaki is newer: Wikipedia says the dance was made for the movie Zorba the Greek.
Music and food finish the picture at weddings in Greece. Wikipedia describes the bouzouki as a long-necked lute with steel strings, played with a plectrum. It says refugees from Anatolia brought it to Greece. Greek cooking, Wikipedia says, draws on three base foods: wheat, olive oil and wine. Sweets use nuts, honey and sesame.
What do couples add around weddings in Greece?
Couples add extras around weddings in Greece. These are a honeymoon, a photo session, a sunset cruise, a wine tasting, island hopping and a stay. Wikipedia and travel pages describe each extra, and the links below lead to related pages of this site.
Wikipedia defines a honeymoon as a vacation that newlyweds take after the wedding to celebrate the marriage. It says the custom began in early nineteenth-century Britain. Couples who plan weddings in Greece can read about wedding extras that sit around the ceremony.
A photo session is a second extra. Wikipedia adds that wedding photography covers portraits taken ahead of the big day. One photographer’s page lists a Santorini flying dress photoshoot of thirty minutes or one hour. It also lists transport to the shooting location.
A sunset cruise fits the evening around weddings in Greece. One sailing company’s page offers sunset sails that leave Oia village from the harbor at Ammoudi. It adds snorkeling equipment on shared cruises. A tour such as the Santorini Thirasia and Oia sunset cruise follows the same idea.
Wine tasting is a third extra. Wikipedia says Greek winemaking goes back 6,500 years, and that Mavrotragano grows on the volcanic soil of Santorini. Couples who add a tasting on the island need a base, and Santorini hotels are one choice.
Island hopping fits couples with guests on the move. For stays on other islands and the mainland, read about Greece hotels in plain words.
A villa is a fourth choice for a stay. One travel page suggests a villa with a private pool as the honeymoon suite. To move between the villa, the venue and the beach on their own timing, couples can use car hire.
What else do couples ask about weddings in Greece?
Couples who plan weddings in Greece ask about the law, the language, the officiant, the dress and the cake. Each answer below rests on Wikipedia or on one wedding company’s page. None repeats a fact from the sections above.
Are weddings in Greece open to same-sex couples?
Wikipedia confirms that same-sex couples can marry in Greece. Parliament passed the bill by 176 votes to 76, and the law took effect on 16 February. Wikipedia counts Greece as the sixteenth European Union country to open marriage to them.
Which language do guests meet at weddings in Greece?
One wedding company’s page gives the language of Greece as Greek. It adds that English or Italian speakers will be fine too. A longer holiday around the date needs its own plan: ask us about a trip to Greece.
The same page lists two public holidays in the calendar. Greek Independence Day falls on 25 March, and Ochi Day falls on 28 October. Couples check those dates against the day they pick.
Who can lead the ceremony at weddings in Greece?
Wikipedia’s page on officiants lists justices of the peace, marriage commissioners and notaries among secular officiants. That list is general, so it does not describe Greek law. One wedding company’s page says a celebrant helps couples choose the style, readings, music and vows for a humanist ceremony.
What do brides wear at weddings in Greece?
The Wikipedia article on bridal gowns describes Western custom and names no Greek rule. The article calls white the leading colour in the West. It counts eggshell, ecru and ivory as white too. It adds that red is worn in Chinese and Indian cultures.
The same article says a bride before the Victorian era wore her finest dress, in any colour. It adds that Queen Victoria wore a white gown trimmed with Honiton lace. Illustrations of her wedding were widely published, and elite brides then copied the white dress.
Did the wedding cake start in Greece?
Ancient Greece is where the earliest wedding cakes were baked, according to Wikipedia, though it words the claim with caution. Roman weddings seem to have included a cake eaten by the bride and groom. Traditionally, the page adds, a cake carried good fortune for the couple and every guest.
The same page says the cake is now more of a centerpiece than a treat for the guests. A cake at weddings in Greece today therefore follows a custom with a very long history.
A last question comes years later. Wikipedia says a wedding anniversary falls on the date the wedding took place. It names twenty-five years as silver and fifty years as gold.
At such milestones, the article says, couples can renew their marriage vows in a church service. That is a general custom, not a Greek one. Couples who married at weddings in Greece can mark the day in any way they like.