FAQ

I advise you to set the date 1.5 - 1 years before the wedding. Santorini is a popular island for weddings and depending on the date (23.XX.2023) or the location, it is advisable to set the date early.

I recommend the months of May, June, September, and October for getting married on Santorini. July and August are not only not recommended because of the very hot temperatures, the island is also very crowded at this time (high season) and there can be delays due to too much road traffic, which can be problematic for the timing of a wedding.

Yes, this is possible. However, it may then be that the favourite location or service provider (photographer, videographer, florist, hair and make-up artist etc.) is already fully booked and we have to look for an alternative. If it is a civil wedding, one has to consider the time needed to obtain the legal papers.

I recommend you to be in Santorini 2-3 days before the wedding so that you can acclimatise. The meeting with me will take place 2 days before the wedding at the wedding venue so that we can discuss everything in peace.

The ceremony should be performed 2.5 hours before sunset for various reasons. 1. golden hour - best light for beautiful photos / videos. 2. temperature - in summer it can be very hot in the afternoon hours and not all venues have shade facilities. This sometimes causes great health discomfort to the people involved (guests, the couple and also us service providers). 3. decoration - in this heat most of the flowers wilt before the ceremony even starts and this looks ugly for the guests and also later on in the photos. I always schedule the ceremony 2.5 hours before sunset and charge a fee if the couple absolutely wants the ceremony earlier and 100% disclaim any responsibility for the appearance of the décor and the health of the people involved.

That's the big question, and unfortunately there's no one-size-fits-all answer: It depends entirely on your wishes. Unless you have an unlimited budget, you need to assess and prioritise what is really important to you. Some couples love flowers and spend a lot of their budget on decorations, other couples who love culinary delights have an eye on choosing the best menu. Many couples prefer a single venue for the ceremony and reception and don't want to travel between different venues on their wedding day. Whatever your preference, get in touch with me so we can discuss your wedding day.

The wedding planning industry is service-based which is very different to product-based. I provide services before, during and after your big day and your investment into a planner is an investment in time, talents and expertise, from the moment you get in touch all the way through to receiving your wedding-license, sometime even beyond that. The value of a planner doesn't decrease overtime, quite the opposite. 90% of the job happens prior to the big day. The wedding is the epitome of all the hard work that has taken place overtime. From the second I am hired, the books are closed on that date for any other events and reinvest into dedicating time and skills into bringing your big day to life. That includes implementing workflows, setting up onboarding, researching vendors, thinking about logistics and more... That would also entail, when an event is cancelled, for any reason - a refund of deposits paid up to that point is really not an option as your investment is already on a roll.

The time frame depends on what has been agreed with the photographers and videographers you have booked (should be in the contract). They may be able to provide you with a small handful of images and clips to share with your friends and family sooner while you wait for the full gallery.

Yes, in Greece witnesses are required for a civil wedding. One of the witnesses will be me and the second person I will organise for you.

Yes, the civil wedding in Santorini is a legal marriage. The marriage certificate you receive after the wedding is a legal document issued by the Greek government and is internationally recognised. With this marriage certificate you register your marriage in your home country at the registry office in your place of residence. Please note that this marriage certificate is not valid for longer than 3 months.

If you book me as your wedding planner, you don't have to stay in Santorini for a single day after the wedding - so you could leave on your wedding night. This is because I work with a lawyer who does this paperwork for us after the wedding. These costs are already included in the fee for a civil marriage. I won't do it without this service either, as it saves us all time and nerves. You sign a power of attorney at the pre-wedding meeting, he will join the meeting briefly for this. Then he can do all the paperwork for us, that's it.

No, according to Greek law, the wife does not automatically take the husband's surname. You have to register this additionally as soon as you register the marriage in your home country.

If you book me as your wedding planner, the lawyer I work with will take care of all the paperwork that needs to be done after the marriage. This process usually takes 3-4 weeks after the wedding day. Once I have received the marriage certificate from the lawyer, I will send it to you by post to your home address. This process can take up to 2 weeks depending on the country.

In order to comply with Greek law, you will need a copy of the original long form birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If you have booked me as your wedding planner, you will receive further information in the form of a leaflet.