As a Greek I grew up with the enchanting mystery of our rich Greek mythology and history. All the myths and legends that always come back to life in our thoughts when we visit the archeological sites and their nearby natural beauty locations. This is my country, it is who I am, it is what I represent. My love for Greece is deep and I can not help but see the good in it and share it with you. You ask me "Why should I choose Greece for our wedding?" Do not mind me being passionate about it but here is why.
1.Romantic Escapes Greece is the land of love and romance. We have all heard and read about our Greek mythology love stories at least once in our life. Best of them all: The beautiful Elen and Paris of Troi to Odysseus and Penelope of Ithaca. Love is something that Greeks talk about love without taboos. Its part of our culture. We cherish the moment and help our visitors feel the love and magic when visiting. If you are thinking of a romantic get away or a honeymoon Greece is the place to be. From the capital of romance Santorini with its stunning views, breathtaking sunsets with a cocktail in hand on one of the terraces to a romantic fire on a beach with a couple of beers and the stars as your roof it would be like a dream come true. Anything you believe that will make your other half melt and dare to take the ring out... Greece is definitely the land of emotions and you will not be able to hold back a romantic tear of love.
2. Breathtaking Locations Greek geography and landscape is as varied as you might imagine and even more. You can find the white coloured buildings against the wonderful clear blue sky and sea as you have seen in Greece's advertisement, yet it's beauty doesn't end there. Sweet sunsets on the beaches of the Ionian islands or the breathtaking heights of Meteora and mount Olympus to the valley of ancient Olympia with the hidden nearby waterfall Gems. There are caves and hiking trails but also winter resorts in the north that remind us of the alpine scenery. Whatever your minds vision of your wedding day background you desire, it's all here in Greece.
3. Affordable Prices A wedding in Greece is in no way expensive. Unlike the average wedding cost for the UK and America is arround and over £25,000. The average cost for a wedding in Greece is £15,000. Food and beverage prices are affordable and you are always guaranteed to get value for your money. Either you choose to go for a once in a lifetime luxurious holiday/wedding experience or whether you go for travelling on a budget, you will always find a cost effective destination. Entertainment and car rentals are also on the good deal side, you will be able to find the choice that meets your needs.
4. Greek Hospitality It is a warm welcoming smile waiting for you at the airport, hotel, restaurant everywhere. A complementary dessert, a shot of a local alcoholic drink or a platter of fruits and yogurt kindly offered after a meal. Greek hospitality is known for its generosity. We pride ourselves with our heart felt hospitality and honest friendship. If you are kind to them in return, they give you even more just to please you more and make you happier. That is also in the wedding industry. All professionals (I work with) work first with their heart and soul.
5.Perfect Relaxation The Greek way of doing things is relax mode, no rush everything will happen in time. Why worry about problems when you can not do anything about them? Enjoy life "Life is too short" everyone I know says. Therefore you will find great beautiful luxurious hotels and wedding packages offering spa treatments. Resorts by the sea where you can spend the entire day relaxing and sunbathing and getting as much vitamin D from the sun as possible (always with protection). Greece can be a quiet holiday destination for your wedding where your guests can also relax and unwind.
6.Great Food Greece is a Mediterranean country and is famously known for its cuisine. As a base for our cousine is our country's pure, fresh and healthy products. The soil, the sun, the water are the reasons why the fresh products are sooo tasty. Each region, each city and island have their own specialities in dishes. When visiting Kefalonia island for example the first dish you must try is the Keflonian meat pie and second the Beef (or originally rabbit) Stifado. Santorini is known for its amazing wine and amazing fried white aubergine meze (not only that!). These are only two out of hundreds breathtaking locations with their luscious tastes. Greece is also heaven on earth for our vegan and vegetarian visitors with it's wide choices of home made vegetable dishes as a casserole or grilled. Also it's known for all food allergy awareness. Whether you are gluten intolerant, celiac or lacto intolerant and any nut allergy, all you need to do is inform your hotel and restaurant about it and they will gladly and happily accommodate your needs and make sure you are satisfied. One thing you will always remember is the lovely outstanding taste.
7.Greek Culture Everywhere you go you will find hidden secrets of the past. Starting from Athens Acropolis to the smallest island and village. You will find that every region has their treasures. There are museums everywhere you visit and you will find the locals eager to share that proud past of our contries civilisation with you. Our ancient traditions have continued on through the centuries and have become a base of our everyday routine. If you go up to the mountain villages you will see old traditions being passed down to the new generation. We are proud of our culture of our history and we always like to share it and teach other people about it. The old traditions from cooking, baking to our religious beliefs and traditions, are all part of our culture of who we are. These are our roots and we are here to share them with our visitors and pass them on to our next generation.
8.Entertainment is great! If you are planning to have fun with your families and friends you are surely in the correct place. Partying comes hand in hand with Greek holidays/ weddings. Depending on the location you choose you get the equivalent entertainment package. For instance Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Halkidiki, Crete, Corfu and many more locations (can not name them all) have an amazing night life where you can dance and drink till the early hours. For day time entertainment you have a great choice of water sports on the beaches, scuba diving lessons to mountain hiking, there's plenty of it for all tastes. Also, some of our Greek destinations are paradise for gay couples. Nobody is there to judge you. Freedom, being kind and supportive runs in our veins.
9.Felling at Home It's always nice to go back home and visit my family. As I previously mentioned in a paragraph above it is not only how I feel when visiting Greece but it is also how we make our visitors feel when they come over too. The Greek way of saying welcome is "Welcome Home" which we emidiatly say "make yourselves at home" is part of our hospitality. Visitors can not help but feel at home and that is because their own countries set root of the Greek history. Countries all over the world have inherited democracy, philosophy, science, mathematics, ethics, theatre and many more from the Greeks. A great part of the English spoken words today are Greek ( sorry I did not mean to sound like Mr. Portokalis there like in "My Big Fat Wedding"). All those reasons make you feel excited, happy and at home when visiting Greece as if it is your home.
10. Great place for families Greeks and families are one. We are a very family orientated country. We love and take care of our children to an extreme level (sometimes). Greece is a child friendly country where we accommodate fun activities for our young visitors throughout their stay at the hotels. The beaches are safe with shallow, clear waters, calm and warm where children can play safely and let their parents relax. Also the children will love the Greek food. The freshly fried chips to the tasty fresh fruit and veg. Not to mention the creamy thick tasty yoghurt with greek honey (yummy).
So, to recap. If you are planning or thinking of having your wedding in Greece, you do not have to worry about a thing! It has it all. The best combinations for all your guests to stay happy, relaxed, entertained and enjoy your special day.