10 Steps To A Dream Santorini Wedding
Santorini is one of the most popular wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world, and you don't have to spend many minutes on this stunning Greek island to understand why this is the case. If there ever was an island made for romance, this is it!
Take it from us, we got married on Santorini in July 2008 and it was everything we could dream of, and then some. Now, it would be our privilege to be your Santorini wedding guide and assist you in realizing your dream wedding.
Come with us on a 10 step journey, from dream to honeymoon!
1. Is a Santorini wedding for you?
Of course, the very first question you need to ask yourself is whether you want a destination wedding in the first place, and if so, whether Santorini is the place for you. If you feel 100% sure about this already, then great, you made it through this step and can safely move to the next.
Once mainly reserved for the rich and famous, destination weddings are now becoming increasingly popular with people from all walks of life. After all, there is nothing unusual about wanting to add some flair to your big day. One great way of doing that is having your wedding at an exotic destination of your choice.
Many also find it convenient, and perhaps economical, to combine the wedding with the honeymoon. Others may want to get married in a special place that they fell in love with during some vacation trip.
This is what it was like for us. After having visited Santorini for the first time, we knew in our hearts that this was the place where we would get married.
To many couples, the great attraction of a Santorini wedding lies in the stunning natural setting and the undeniable romantic feel of the colorful stone houses and churches.
Getting married on the edge of a sunset-drenched volcano, with one of the most gorgeous backdrops you can imagine, is an experience sure to become a memory of a lifetime.
Santorini is also a great place for a wedding, because it offers an abundance of high quality hotels and restaurants, many of which are very experienced in catering to the high demands of wedding couples.
2. Can you get married on Santorini?
Here is another important question you need to ask yourself. Do you meet the formal requirements for getting married on Santorini?
Don't worry, most likely you do. Anyone with a passport and a visa (check your visa requirements for Greece) for Greece that is valid for the duration of the wedding can get married on Santorini. Take this seriously to avoid last minute surprises. If you do not have valid travel documents, you will not be able to get married.
Another thing that will determine if you are eligible for a Santorini wedding is whether you are planning a civil wedding or a church wedding. If you are not a Greek citizen, then you cannot have an orthodox church wedding on Santorini, or anywhere else in Greece. This is the result of a new law that passed as late as in 2008.
3. Find a wedding planner... or not!
What is the best advice we can give any couple preparing for their Santorini wedding? Get a wedding planner, and a good one!
It is plenty of work arranging a wedding on your home turf. In another country it can be a real challenge. Make things easier for you and have somebody take care of all the local practicalities. Just make sure you work with a certified company.
Now and then weddings on Santorini get cancelled because couples have hired wedding planners that simply took their money and ran. To avoid this happening to you, it is a good idea to make sure that you're dealing with a trusted name.
Fortunately, there are several trusted Santorini wedding organizers with long experience for you to choose from. Take your time and shop around for the one that feels right for you.
A good starting point is to do some online research and compare various wedding packages that are available. Look for what is included in the basic price and what you need to pay extra for. Add-on features can very quickly add up to something much higher than the basic listing price. You may also want to have a look at the venues they offer for both ceremony and dinner. Then narrow it down to a few that gets you excited and send them an e-mail.
It is a good idea to have a few weeks set aside for exchanging e-mail with your short-listed wedding planners. This way you can find out who you feel most comfortable working with before you commit.
If you really feel that you can do without a wedding planner and want to take care of the arrangements on your own, that is possible too. Of course in doing so you may add an extra element of stress, and take on a lot more work, so think twice before you decide on this.
If you do go on your own then it is a good idea to start by finding a hotel or restaurant that caters to wedding functions. Fortunately, there are many of these on this wedding island.
4. Pick a location for your ceremony!
Santorini may be a tiny island, but there is no shortage of amazing wedding locations to choose from. A few of the Santorini wineries are very popular in this respect. They provide a romantic setting, often with great views of the volcano, and can accommodate large or small groups alike.
Other popular locations are by a small chapel or on a restaurant or hotel terrace. Each wedding planner has a number of specific locations and venues that they offer, but do not be shy about asking them to give you more options, or to find you a venue in an area that you like. If they can't help you with this, you may want to move on to another wedding planner.
One factor to consider when choosing venue is accessibility. Will you have elderly or disabled guests? Some popular wedding locations can be a bit of a challenge to access if you have difficulty moving. Check with your wedding planner.
Our wedding was held outside the small chapel of Agia Irini, just a few kilometres south of the capital Fira. Perfect romantic spot for a wedding with a small group of guests, and with a view to die for.
5. Set your wedding date!
Still with us after the first four steps? Great! You are on your way to realizing your dream of getting married on Santorini. Exciting, isn't it? So far, you have made sure that you meet the formal requirements, you have decided on a wedding planner (if any at all) and you have picked a venue. Good job!
Now, isn't it about time that we set a wedding date? Santorini is a busy, busy wedding location with literally thousands of couples exchanging their vows here each year. It is typically completely booked a very long time in advance. We got lucky and managed to reserve our wedding date only five months ahead of time, but if you have your eyes set on a special date you may have to book much longer in advance.
Another good reason for booking your Santorini wedding early is that if you are planning to have guests they are likely to be coming a long way and you should give them plenty of time to prepare for their trip.
So, how do you book a wedding date and reserve a wedding minister? Easy, your wedding planner will do this for you. If you are not using a wedding planner then you can do it through the hotel or restaurant that you have chosen as the location for your ceremony. Make sure you get papers confirming the wedding date and venue. Either as a separate document or as part of your contract with the wedding planner.
When choosing your wedding date it is good to know that May until October is when all businesses are open on the island. July and August are definitely the busiest and hottest months.
The time for your ceremony is best scheduled for the evening as it can be scorching hot during the day. For weddings in July and August we recommend starting around 7-7.30, which will also coincide perfectly with the sunset after the ceremony.
6. Plan for your guests!
Planning your Santorini wedding and having it just the way you want it is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You are going for your dream. Now, it is time to be a little less 'selfish' and make sure that your guests are going to have a great time, too.
Of course, if you do not plan on having any guests then this step just got a whole lot easier. In fact, it's done. You can move on to step 7.
Most Santorini weddings do include a guest list, however, with everything from a few guests to more than a hundred. Even if you are thinking BIG there are venues that can accommodate both ceremony and dinner.
Arranging for all of your guests to stay at the same hotel obviously makes a lot of sense from a practical point of view, but it also allows guests to mingle and get to know each other before the wedding. On the other hand, you may also want to give your guests who came such a long way the freedom to enjoy the island on their own terms.
We found a great compromise and accommodated all of our guests in the same hotel the night before and after the wedding. Some of our guests opted to remain in that hotel after the wedding while others relocated to other parts of the island. Whatever preferences your guests may have, a good wedding organizer should assist each of your guests in finding satisfying accommodation for the entire length of their stay.
7. Get your documents in order!
So, you made it to step seven and, wow, you really got the ball rolling now. Wedding date, venue, guest accommodations. You are on top of it all!
In step seven we have to hit you with something you may not find quite as exciting: more paperwork. It is possible that you have heard a scary story or two about the paperwork drama you will suffer for deciding to have a destination wedding. Do you really want all that headache on top of all other wedding practicalities you must attend to?
Well, while we cannot deny the fact that there is some paperwork involved in arranging a destination wedding, it should not be something that stops you from going after your dream. We had a lot of help, and so do you. Just by reading this article you are well on your way.
First, get the facts on what documentation you need and start working on it early. How early is early? Well, that will be specific to your situation, but we would recommend getting started at least 4 months ahead of your wedding date. We had about five months, which gave us some extra time to deal with a few unexpected issues and delays.
Keep in mind that there is no point in getting started too early as some of the documents required, such as your marriage license, have a limited validity, usually three or six months.
So, what papers do you need? Well, that will depend on your nationality and individual circumstances. US citizens, for example, will need an affidavit of single status and no impediment to marriage, as well as a marriage license. Both documents must clearly state the validity period and be apostilled (legalized for foreign use) as well as translated into Greek. For your convenience, GreekIslandBug.com provides you with Santorini wedding paperwork details.
One final word of advice, do not try and cut any corners with your paperwork. The Greek authorities are completely inflexible when it comes to bending the rules for you. You must comply 100% with their requirements.
8. On Santorini!
Months, maybe years, of preparation is behind you. You have finally arrived on Santorini and you are ready to get married. There is not much we can help you with now, but to prepare you for some wedding formalities that are specific to Santorini.
First, in order for the wedding to be legal you must have two witnesses present at the ceremony. Anyone can act as a witness. The only requirement is that he/she brings a valid passport to Santorini. If you do not have any guests then your wedding planner can provide you with witnesses.
Second, on the day after the wedding, you will have to go to the registrar's office to collect your marriage certificate. The office is located in the Town Hall of Fira. Note that it is only open weekdays until noon. If it is not possible for you to visit during these hours you must go to the office of the Notary Public to sign an authorization form allowing your wedding planner to pick up the documents for you and have them sent by mail.
Finally, keep in mind that getting married on Santorini is not your typical formal affair. The Greek tend to keep things more simple and less stressful. Be prepared for delays and last minute changes to your carefully planned agenda. Relax and do not become too focused on the small details. You will have an amazing wedding.
9. Your Santorini honeymoon!
Congratulations, you had your dream Santorini wedding! Now, what good reason could you possibly have not to stay on this beautiful island a little longer? Why not combine your dream wedding with a dream honeymoon in one of the most romantic locations on Earth?
It is certainly not by coincidence that Santorini is known as the honeymoon island. For one thing, the island has some of the best and most romantic hotels in the world. Private verandas with jacuzzis and breathtaking views of the volcano is the perfect way to celebrate your first days as husband and wife, and it may make you wish you never had to leave.
Even outside your hotel a Santorini honeymoon has much to offer newly weds. The world-famous sunset in Oia, unique beaches, traditional picturesque villages, sailing trips to the volcanic islands as well as other nearby islands, world-class spa treatments, and, of course, many romantic restaurants with some of the best cuisine you will find anywhere in Greece.
10. Pay it forward!
We hope you had as much fun reading this article as we had writing it. And we sincerely hope that you found it useful in preparing for the wedding of your dreams.
Now, for the tenth and final step we would like to ask you to do something for us. Please pay your experience forward and share your story. You are sure to inspire many others to go after their dream and realize their own Santorini wedding.
