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Greece as a wedding destination

Thousands of young couples, mostly from China, India and Russia, but also from Britain and the U.S., come to get married in Greece. This year Santorini, Crete and Rhodes are flooded with couples exchanging vows of loyalty under their unique light.

A wedding by the sea. With the endless blue and the rocky and majestic backdrop of the Cyclades. Or the pine forests that reach down to the beaches and create unique aquamarine backdrops. Such a wedding is not only the dream of Greek men and women, but also of couples from around the world. Hence this new and extremely profitable kind of tourism is booming and turning Greece into one of the top wedding destinations.
The wedding of a Chinese group two months ago on Crete is just one example of the area hosting this kind of tourism. Unofficial evidence (as such marriages are not registered in the registries) attest to its development.
However, as noted by “Kathimerini” newspaper it is estimated last year that were 1,100 weddings in Santorini alone.


Who choose Santorini for their wedding
The Chinese may be first on the list, but it seems that Santorini is becoming a global wedding destination as couples choosing to exchange vows of eternal faith and love come from the following countries:
UK
UK
Russia
Asian countries
Indeed, Indians who choose charming Greek island to celebrate their wedding seem to leave the most money they make as it's the most expensive wedding ceremonies.
It is no coincidence that Santorini was recently chosen as the second best worldwide luxury destination for honeymooners by the UK site 101 honeymoons. Preceded by Paris and followed by Capri.

“Hot” Greek Wedding Destinations
Surely, however, it is not just the much lauded Santorini that is chosen by couples as a destination for their wedding. According to market insiders, quoted by “Kathimerini” more and more foreigners choose slightly less predictable Greek destinations. Specifically they choose the following islands and cities:
Monemvasia
Skiathos
Symi
Crete
Paros
Milos
Kos
Mykonos
Athens
 

Group weddings
However, an upward trend, is seen for group marriages of couples from abroad from which the benefit is twofold, since apart from the revenue from the wedding they are also a way of advertising Greece abroad. The obvious example, as mentioned above,was the wedding of 16 couples from China who got married in Chania. A similar ceremony was held in Paros, but also in Potidaia in Halkidiki, where 11 Russian and Latvian couples exchanged wedding vows under ... “My Fat Big Greek Wedding” themed ceremony created by a Thessaloniki tourist group inspired by the American film production, for couples who want a unique wedding and share expenses. Meanwhile, Crete is chosen for weddings by groups and couples from Russia and Ukraine.
As reported last June by haniotika-nea.gr, agencies that have come into contact with private and public local bodies have shown interest in the organization of Russian marriages in Chania. The great increase of interest observed for weddings in Greece was noted by president of Beleon Tours, Leonidas Demetriades who said "packages booked increased by 30% compared with 2013. Indeed only in May the company booked 23 marriages on Crete, Rhodes, Santorini and Kos. "
The first batch of Chinese weddings in Greece was in 2006 in Oia, Santorini, but at that time no one could have imagined that such an event could become a tourist trend. The beautiful island of the Cyclades until today remains the most popular destination for travelers from China who choose Greece for their holidays.
"So far we have received requests to conduct at Fira eight to ten Chinese group weddings and honeymoona, from April until autumn," said Deputy Mayor of Thera Ioannis Argyros. "The ceremony is held in the center of Fira in front of the cathedral with a panoramic views of the Caldera. The Chinese are very fond of Santorini. Since 2008 there is a steady upward trend in visitors from China," he says.

Greece as a wedding destination at an exhibition in Thailand
It is obvious that the market prospects are limitless. This emerged recently during the specialized exhibition for weddings “Wedding Fair 2014” in Bangkok, in which Greece participated through the advertising project YourWeddinginGreece.com.
The Greek project Your Wedding In Greece participated in the Thai capital Bangkok with its own stand at the beginning of July. In a report entitled “Wedding Fair 2014,” proposals for the wedding celebration were put forward for various parts of the country and especially Santorini, Monemvasia, Athens, Elafonisso and Allonisos.
Mr. Theodore Koumelis, CEO of Travel Media Applications, from Bangkok, told the online edition of “To Vima”: “The wedding industry in our country is well-organized with dozens of specialized services for the couple. Greek tradition and culture also emphasizes the institution of marriage as the most important social human event. This is exactly the experience foreign visitors to our country seek to experience, who in recent years have increased dramatically from every part of the world. So young Thais want to live this experience, who along with thousands of other Asians want weddings in Greece. "