AnnaBanana1

My fiance and I want to marry in Greece. It would either be us two or 8 people total (family only) as we don't like the attention. Neither of us has ever been to Greece before and we're having trouble finding a venue. Everyone is in their early 30's (except for parents) and not really into clubbing. Most would like a town/pubs to visit, along w/ great restaurant options.

For the reception, we want to host it on a 5 star resort and get a beautiful room w/ a great view and private pool for us. (E.g. the Aman, Belvedere, Canaves, Perivolas, etc.) We're both foodies and want to splurge a bit on our wedding. Yet, the big problem is that some of these resorts won't do anything for such a small wedding. (Most like the Aman want a property buyout). Also, private villas won't work since most req. a 5 night minimum and most of our guests want to island hop either before or after the wedding.

We're also having trouble w/ the ceremony as the groom is Jewish, so a church wedding is out. We'd like the setting to be green (e.g. olive groves) since the beach can be a bit "flat". Also, if we wanted a beach wedding we could do something in the US.

Any ideas of great islands that fit all of this??? Thanks in advance!

HappyTrvlr

I can't help with location but have some advice for you. We were poolside at our Santorini hotel when we saw that a wedding was about to take place. The hotel did nothing to stop the loud noise of the bar's music or the bartender's constant chatter, whirring blenders, etc.
Hotel guests were angry at the management and felt sorry for the bride and groom who had traveled so far for their dream wedding. So, make sure there is a clause in your contact for a quiet, non distracting setting for your wedding.

mariha2912

I think your ideas are a bit blured. You mentioned 5* hotels and private pools, but those are located only on very few areas in Greece and limit your choice. Then you mention hotels mostly in Santorini and one on Porto Heli and island hopping and beaches and olive groves. Santorini is ok to island hop from there but it is a barren dry island without olive groves or much greenery-or for that matter decent beaches-, Porto Heli is on the mainland so no easy island hopping and not too much to do around the area outside high season. You mention olive groves and those are a rarity on the Cyclades islands so maybe you could check other locations, but Cyclades is the easiest islands to island hop around.

I am not familiar with the island my self, but I think you should check Crete. There are many posh hotels there, the island is huge and there are olive groves and beaches and towns of every size and mentalitty, and there are ferries on summer from Heraklion to Santorini, so one could start island hopping from there....

sparkchaser

Having the "civil" ceremony in Greece may be problematic. Have you checked to make sure that they will let you do one?

nukesafe

Ten seconds on the web came up with this, Anna. It doesn't sound so simple, sorry to say.

http://greece.angloinfo.com/family/m...-requirements/

bilboburgler

We did a study of European wedding destinations and the country that leapt up was Italy as the easiest place to get anything you want organised.

The Weddings are civil
There are loads of small hotels with good cooking at a range of sizes
No one throws a party like an Italian
In terms of Island hopping you could easily move onto the Dalmation coast or Greece
We got married in Puglia with a mere 20 guests including us.
Loads of Olive trees in Puglia
There are a few bits of Puglia where they still speak Greek

If you follow my name back you can find an article of our wedding a few years back

clausar

Getting married in Santorini, is easy and there are many couples from allover the world that visit the island for that reason.
There are hotels and agencies that can take care of everything and organize your wedding.

In order to get an idea, pls have a look at : http://www.weddings-in-santorini.com

I am sure this will answer most of your questions.

Odin

Cyprus is a great wedding destination, with many 5* star hotels to choose from. It's easy for US citizens to get married there. None are going to have the spectacular caldera views of Santorini but you are asking for olive groves and greenery which Santorini is not famous for. Hotels tend to be bigger than those in Santorini.

http://www.anassa.com.cy/ close to Polis and Latchi for restaurants etc, in a quiet corner of the island with many villages close by with olive groves etc.

http://www.annabelle.com.cy/ on the seafront at Paphos, so close to restaurants etc, livelier area than the Anassa

http://www.aphroditehills.com/Aphrodite-hills/ gorgeous venue for a wedding and very popular. Mid way between Paphos and Limassol, not too close to any towns really.

But there are loads more to choose from.

Heimdall

Thankfully the Cyclades have few "resorts" and large hotels. Santorini has many hotels describing themselves as five star, but most are small. The idea of a "five star resort" brings to mind Westin Costa Navarino in the Messenian region of southern Peloponnesus: http://www.westincostanavarino.com. There are many beautiful beaches, mountains, and more olive groves than you can count in that area.

I don't know if Westin does wedding packages, but another nearby resort does: http://www.romanoscostanavarino.com/weddings/. I only found it with a google search, so can't vouch for its suitability. I think it will be very difficult to find a venue with all your requirements.

nytraveler

Assume you are looking for a civil ceremony - not a jewish religious ceremony - which I would imagine would be VERY difficult to organize in Greece.

I would definitely check with the resources listed above - since it sounds very much like this is something you really can;t do without professional help on the ground.

Odin

Most of the weddings I have been to in Greece and Cyprus have had two ceremonies: a civil one and a separate religious one. I can't imagine a Jewish ceremony could not be organised, except perhaps on a small island & it is certainly possible in Cyprus.

socaltraveler

This is probably not what you want to hear, but since you are a small party, which apparently precludes both the buyout and the inability to commit to 5 nights, and since you do have the added complication of mixed faiths in a Greek Orthodix country, I would suggest you have a simple ceremony in your country and then have a fabulous honeymoon trip with your 8 nearest and dearest. You might also consider finding a Greek wedding planner who could guide you through the complicated details.

PetrosB3

The Romanos - Costa Navarino, is an excellent choice. it is located in beautiful Messenia and is considered one of the best Resorts in the World. I've been there myself and it truly is a spectacular Resort. It is really elegant, and very eco-friendly, with many things to do. It's like a small city on its own, they even give you a map to navigate. It has 12 restaurants with top chefs and different cusines and 2 bars. It also has its own beach, gardens with indigenous plants and trees, some of the biggest golfs in the World, swimming pools, water parks, spas, open air cinema, cafes, and many activities you can do like biking and many many more that I can't recall. It's unbelievable. Here is the site, see by yourself: http://www.romanoscostanavarino.com/ . Oh, and the rooms. Well the rooms are super lucurious and very elegant, with sea view, private swimming pool, very airy and beautiful. And everything in this Resort is based in the Messenian Culture, from the Architecture, to the local Ingredients, to the Gardens. It has won many awards and believe it really worths it.

Now, Messenia is a spectacular region. You can find amazing cultural and natural sites, and ofcourse, the food. From cultural sites you can visit the Methoni Castle, Ancient Messene, and the Temple of Apollo Epicurius (UNESCO). From towns, the city of Kalamata is a must, with a beautiful old town, the Archaeological Museum which houses some amazing ancient artifacts, great restaurants and tavernas serving Messenian specialities, and ofcourse the Kalamata olives, a treat every foodie must taste here. The towns of Koroni,Pylos and Kardamyli are the most beautiful in the region.The beach of Voidokoilia is one of the best in Greece. And in general Messenia is a paradise for a foodie, rich in olive trees it has one of the best olive oils in the World and many fresh local products and specialities. A nice Hollywood movie shot exclusively in Messenia is ''Before Midnight'', check it out if you like.

PetrosB3

*plus, the Movie is also partially shot in The Romanos - Costa Navarino..

maxima

If you are US citizens for information on what paperwork you need to get married in Greece to look at

http://athens.usembassy.gov/informat...travelers.html
click on living in Greece and then getting married in Greece

Greek law does not permit a Christian to marry a non-Christian in a religious ceremony. So it looks like you will have a civil ceremony.

There are lots of agencies that will help you with the paperwork and provide a variety of services, a google search will turned up a few.

travelGR

Hmmm from what you're saying Crete might fit the bill, with their experience with touritst etc. Quite a few foreigners get married there, but I'm not sure you'll be able to find a non-church ceremony. Otherwise Skopelos is a nice green island, or Skyros.

AnnaBanana1

Thank you to everyone who responded. At the end of the day, my fiance and I decided on a more long-haul elopement/honeymoon to South Africa.

It was just very difficult to organize a symbolic ceremony/reception in Greece.