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Getting Married in Greece
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A Perfect Greek Wedding
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1) The most beautiful wedding I have ever seen took place in the village of Vathi on the island of Sifnos in the Greek Cyclades. We were not officially guests of the wedding though we knew the brother of the bride. We just happened to be staying in the village and when he saw us we were invited to a celebration I will always remember. |
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8) Even the priest danced. If Iwas ever to get married this was exactly how I would have done it. |
2) From our vantage
point, which was the room we had rented in a tiny
monastery on the second floor, we saw the wedding
party walking along the beach towards us. They
were not exactly walking, more like dancing and at
first we were unsure what this mass of people
signified. Had a traveling dance troupe just
gotten off the bus? 
3) As they got closer we
saw that they were being led by two musicians one
on the fiddle and the other playing an aoud. As
they played they also sang and the people in the
wedding party would laugh at the lyrics. The two
old musicians I have seen and heard at many
panagiris (religious festivals) and celebrations
on Sifnos and are for hire. 
4) As the happy group
passed beneath us there was not a bride or
groom in sight. The group disappeared into the
village and when they reappeared they had the
bride and groom with them. She was a famous
daytime television actress and he was from
Austria.
5) They all went into
the church where the ceremony was held, led by
a bearded Orthodox priest. Then the church
emptied and they filled the small courtyard
and the music continued until sunset when the
real fun began.
6) The group slowly
drifted apart and then reappeared at the
restaurant of Manolis, down the beach. There was a
lamb roasting and the two old musicians were still
going strong, their wine glasses kept full
throughout the night to keep them playing. 
7) It was a mixed crowd
of Greeks and foreigners and the dancing went on
through the evening. People who just happened to be in the taverna that night took part in the celebration too.
Getting Married in Greece: The Reality
If you want to do it on your own you will need to contact the president or mayor of the community for a civil wedding, or the head priest for a religious wedding. Your birth certificate will need to be translated and an ad put in the local papers so that anyone on the island who has a reason for you not to get married can protest in advance rather then come on like Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate. You can also use a US marriage license in Greece, as long as it has been authenticated by the Greek consulate in the USA and translated.
One of the best
reasons to get married in Greece is that you
don't have to travel very far for your
honeymoon. You are already there. Also how
many people have wished they could bring their
friends and family with them on their
honeymoon? If they made it to the wedding then
they will be there. |
Getting Married in Greece the Easy WayAssuming that you believe that a wedding is an exchange of vows before God, then there is an alternative to going through the red tape of the civil or Orthodox wedding, or spending the money to have it done professionally. This would be a simple exchange of vows, with or without witnesses after having been 'officially' married by a justice of the peace in America. You find the most beautiful, spiritual spot you can and before of eyes of God and either by yourselves or in the company of friends, exchange your wedding vows. No red tape, no permission needed, no money down. Just the two of you in your own special ceremony that you will always remember because it was 100% yours. You can spend the first few days of your trip looking for the perfect location and that will add purpose to the journey.
If you want it to
be 'official' have one of your friends send
away to became an ordained minister from one
of the many churches that do this. Once he
fills out the paperwork he can legally perform
marriages. I actually did this once and if I
had not let my 'membership' in the Church of
Mother Earth lapse, I would be in Santorini
right now performing marriages in exchange for
food and wine. I think it cost me $25 to
become a minister and I did perform one
wedding in North Carolina. (They are divorced
now.) |
Getting Married in Greece: Useful Information
They can give you a package and take care of all the details including the reception, transportation, paperwork and hotel reservations for your guests and handle any travel arrangements you will need either before or after the ceremony. They can also help you create your own unique wedding. If you can handle putting it together yourself, when you have finally taken your vows and sit back and reflect upon what you have pulled off, you will have a feeling of satisfaction, and you will be able to help others avoid the mistakes you made. Or if you are two romantic people who love each other very much and want to commit your lives together, under the stars, above the sea, in a tiny chapel, or even on the Acropolis, who is going to stop you? If you need wedding rings see www.athensguide.com/byzantino since if you are going to be married in Greece you will probably want something appropriate.
To read about the
Traditional Greek Service of the
Crowning
click here
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Getting
married in Greece requires some red tape and
in Greece, any red tape is too much. But it
can be done and there are people who
actually
So in
Greece there are many ways to do this and it
depends upon what type of person you are which
method you will use. If you are
interested in seeing some wedding packages in
Santorini offered by Fantasy Travel visit that
page on their website at
