It’s Paradise… It’s Santorini
Destination Wedding in Santorini- What I’ve learned from my experience.
I manifested it, and it came true! I had the opportunity to plan a beautiful wedding in Santorini. My clients are from Montreal, Canada, and decided to have the experience of a lifetime in Greece for their wedding. And what a wedding did they get!
The three day event was one of the best work experiences thus far, and one that I hope to repeat very soon. On day one the bride and groom hosted a beautiful rehearsal dinner at a restaurant with unobstructed views of Santorini’s sunset. Day two was the wedding, and finally day three was a day at sea on a private catamaran sailing around the island. Everything went off without a hitch, but I did learn a few things that will definitely impact my next experience. You’ll find some pictures here, so you can see the all the magic for yourself.
Santorini is gorgeous. It is so beautiful that it actually makes designing a challenge. Every element of design must have a purpose. You need to know how to embrace what Santorini has to offer and compliment it with your design. There is no place for over the top decor; in my opinion, it does not work. You are surrounded by the most beautiful scenery in the world, why add unnecessary decor that doesn’t belong? It’s important to exercise restraint, you need to place everything exactly where it should be. This is a skill that not many people have, so find yourself a wedding planner that can achieve this for you. See also my post about minimal weddings.
Because Santorini is one of the most touristic places in the world, with good reason of course, there are hotels everywhere. Therefore most parties have to end by 1am. Some locations have indoor spaces where the party can continue, but in most cases the volume has to be lowered by midnight and everything has to end shortly after. If you like to party until the wee hours of the morning this might not be the best wedding destination for you.
The island is a world class spot for weddings, with people flying from all over the world to say their I do’s. Along with that comes some of the best wedding vendors you can find. Thus, once you have found the right wedding planner, executing your event in Santorini is actually quite easy. On the other hand, you may want to rent some tableware from Athens or obtain rentals that you cannot find in Santorini, which poses a challenge. Rentals get delivered by ship from Athens to your destination. Normally, you can easily pick them up at the port but because the port of Santorini is so busy, this becomes a real challenge. It would have been easier to pick them up myself in Athens and taken a ferry to Santorini with my car. If you are not willing to do that or cannot because of your vehicle’s limitations, delivery costs will be pricey.
When communicating with the other vendors, be explicit with everything! Do not assume that weddings are conducted the same way anywhere in the world. In each city and country, wedding industry experts do things a little differently, so please give as many details as possible, especially when communicating with the caterer. For example, the full set of beautiful plates that I ordered was removed because the staff assumed they were meant only for pictures. The misunderstanding was resolved quickly of course, but this incident underlines how important it is to be detailed when communicating your plan with the vendors.
Finally, the weather is an important factor to consider. Everyone believes that the summer months are too hot. That is true, however Greek weddings take place in the evening. Imagine having your ceremonial kiss as the sun sets behind you for that iconic wedding photo. Most people prefer September or October dates which are fine, but keep in mind that for an outdoor wedding it might get unpleasantly cold and windy at night. While in the summer, the temperature is perfect to spend the entire evening outside. I would have to say this is one of the biggest misconceptions I have faced with clients wanting to plan their wedding in Greece.
When you choose to have a destination wedding, it’s not just a ceremony and a celebration, it’s an experience you share with your family and friends that bonds you even closer. It’s a trip of a lifetime that no one will ever forget.
I hope all of these tips will help you plan your wedding in Santorini. Wedding planning is not rocket science but it does require time and attention. An expert who has done several weddings will know what to look for, so please hire the right person for you. Do not cut cost and skip the planner, they are more useful than you could imagine and they can save you time and lots of stress and tears.
Happy planning
Jenn
