With summer just round the corner and 40 ceremonies in my diary due to take place over the next 6 months, it is interesting to note that intimate elopement style weddings are trending in Greece.
There are a number of reasons why any couple will decide to travel to Greece to celebrate their love without a plane load of family and friends to join them.
The top 2 reasons for choosing an intimate elopement style wedding in Greece are.
- Family issues. Fed up with trying to please everyone most couples who choose to elope do it because they believe that their wedding day is their day. They want to celebrate this special moment without any outside influences. And in most cases they will celebrate with a party with their family and friends once they return home.
- Budget. Less people, less money, obvious right! This is not to say that an intimate elopement is cheap. But it is the way the money is spent that is important. Many couples who choose to elope will then spend the following days Island hopping in Greece. And they will not by any means be slumming it! A couple of nights here and couple of nights there, and often couples who have travelled from far and wide will then continue their travels in to Europe and beyond.
These are the main reasons that intimate style elopement weddings are trending in Greece for summer 2024.
Image credited to Klara Stein Tim and Molli’s adventurous intimate elopement on the Island of Kalymnos
So let’s talk about where to hold your intimate elopement wedding in Greece.
- The most popular venue for an intimate elopement wedding in Greece is a holiday villa. Yes, somewhere to stay and celebrate your intimate elopement wedding too! Avoiding additional venue costs, this choice provides privacy, and can offer amazing views. Just imagine booking your own Airbnb and holding your ceremony on the veranda overlooking the magnificent Santorini Caldera!
- For more adventurous couples who want to celebrate their intimate elopement wedding off the beaten track then it may be necessary to get the hiking boots on. Top tip, a local photographer may be able to suggest the perfect olive grove, remote beach or cliff top venue for your adventurous intimate elopement in Greece.
Watch this space for a couple who have done just that! An adventurous intimate elopement in Crete in less than a couple of weeks’ time!
Image credited to Klara Stein Tim and Molli’s special day on the Island of Kalymnos
What type of ceremony should you choose for your intimate elopement ceremony in Greece?
In my opinion, the real question is why many couples are choosing a celebrant led symbolic ceremony and not the civil version on offer in Greece?
- More and more couples are realising that they don’t want to travel all the way to Greece and have a generic civil wedding. Informed couples know that this type of ceremony takes in the region of 5-10 minutes and is most often read out in Greek by the local registrar or their representative. And in 90% of cases the couple will still have to visit the local town hall for civil ceremony number 2. And they have to provide all the translated documents required by the authorities.
- A celebrant led symbolic ceremony can take place almost anywhere. And before you ask, will it feel like a real wedding? Of course it will feel like a real wedding. It is a wedding. And so much better than the generic civil version on offer in Greece. With a celebrant chosen to write a special ceremony just for you, it will take as long as you want. Let’s take a step back down memory lane and remember how you met, how you fell in love and what you love about each other and what you don’t! Your intimate elopement wedding ceremony will be filled with laughter and happy tears.
Now it is important to mention that in February, Greece legalised same sex civil marriage and became the first Orthodox country to do so. About time, I hear you say! And this is true.
However this still doesn’t mean that I advocate the civil ceremony in Greece. For any couple choosing Greece for their special day a celebrant led ceremony is definitely one to consider.
John and Lisa’s intimate elopement wedding on the Island of Santorini.
And finally there are celebrants in Greece and then there are those that call themselves celebrants!
There are more and more celebrants coming to the fore, but the question is what sort of celebrants are they?
There are a few genuine celebrants in Greece. These individuals are all professionals who have taken the time to train for their role. They are expert public speakers with heaps of creativity and will get to know every couple. They create every ceremony starting with a blank sheet and will be key to ensuring that your special day is absolutely perfect.
So if you are looking for a cheap option then don’t consider a celebrant for your special day. Creating a ceremony takes hours of work and then actually getting to your venue can be extremely costly. Greece is made up of the mainland and literally hundreds of Islands and there are definitely not enough genuine celebrants to go round.
If you are looking for a celebrant in Greece to create a special ceremony for your intimate elopement or micro wedding in Greece, then don’t leave it too late. If you want to learn more do check out what couples are saying about their special intimate celebrant led elopement ceremonies in Greece. https://www.grecianceremonies.gr/reviews
Reach out now by sending an email to info@grecianceremonies.gr and we can set up an online chat to talk further about your plans. If I am not available then I will send you information about other genuine celebrants to consider! A great place to look for celebrantsworldwide is https://www.thecelebrantdirectory.com/
Featured image credited to Raminta Photography Alex and Eva’s intimate elopement wedding on the Island of Rhodes
Sarah Hatjipavlis-Grecian Ceremonies-Celebrant in Greece
