Good news (FINALLY!)

Hello there, soon-to-be-married couple! We hope you are healthy, safe and sane, and that you're still planning your dream destination wedding in Greece, despite all the coronavirus drama. Even though it might seem impossible to travel to another country to tie the knot this summer, we have good news: our little Mediterranean country has its borders wide open since July 1st for most of Europe and a few other countries globally (check Greece's travel protocol HERE). So, there is no excuse for not making your dream come true and get married this wedding season, making sure you adjust to the new reality. We are full of positive energy and ideas for your elopement or big fat Greek wedding, so keep reading!

Majestic Santorini, a paradise for weddings and elopements in Greece.

It takes 2 to elope

We can imagine how long it took you and your wedding planner to find the perfect venue, the most dreamy decoration, the ideal dress, and so on. We know how frustrating it must be to see your plans get postponed, especially when you planned getting married abroad, but certainly that doesn't mean you have to cancel your wedding. Have you heard of elopement? Elopement means you, your loved one and a celebrant, so no covid-19 restrictions apply here! You can still have your dreamy location by the sea, the decoration of your choice and your princess wedding gown, but most importantly, you and your partner get to say "I do" this year. And trust us, 2021 is going to be hectic with all the weddings that got transferred for next year, so the choices there are limited regarding venues and wedding vendors, not just in Greece, but in all hot countries for weddings. If you do not wish to get fully settled with just an elopement and you are a fan of big celebrations, Greek law allows gatherings up to 50 people in an open space (updated on 10th August 2020), so it's up to your guests if they can make it to your big event.

No mask can hide the wide smiles and the joy! Real post-covid civil ceremony that took place this summer.

Tips and ideas

We've gathered a few articles from greek and international wedding blogs, so you can get inspired on how you can handle your 2020 summer wedding outdoors. Get all your questions answered around getting your wedding planned during the covid-19 season from the colorful Green Wedding Shoes blog, and learn everything about setting up an all-modern virtual wedding in BRIDES magazine. Get inspired by a real "covid" wedding that took place recently with just 10 guests, from the ultimate wedding blog Style Me Pretty, or see how you can plan the elopement of your dreams in beautiful Greece in our local Getting Married in Greece blog.

So many ideas, right? We are sure that your wedding this summer will be one for the records! Whether you choose to elope or celebrate with your loved ones, don't forget the following:

  • Big gatherings (strictly up to 50 people) are only allowed outdoors, and social distancing of 2m is required between seated or standing people. If you are taking your ceremony indoors, only 1 person per 5m2 is allowed in the church, with a maximum of 50 people attending in churches above 500m2. Everyone is obliged to wear a mask while indoors and where social distancing is difficult to apply outdoors.
  • Antiseptics are required by the law to be placed on every table of your wedding reception, and served food is best instead of buffets. Waiters are obliged to wear masks.
  • Traditional greek dances are to be avoided, because of holding hands while dancing in a circle, so traditional bands are not so much of an option. You can still have a DJ though, and stay on the dance floor all night remembering to keep all safety measures.
  • A lot of wedding planners are not that busy this summer season, and some of them have a special discount for "last-minute" weddings happening in the next months, so it will be quite easy and affordable to hire one to help you.
  • Consider hiring exclusively local vendors, like a photographer and a videographer, so you can ensure there are no travelling restrictions that will stop them from working with you. We still have a few dates open for this season, so what are waiting for, drop us a line!

Did we help at all get your anxiety to lower levels? We hope that your plans adjust to an even better version than your initial idea, and that we get to see you on one of the spectacular Greek islands this summer season, if not in a wedding attire, then at least in your swimming suits! Until our next post, stay safe and in love!

words by Marion