An insider’s guide to the best wedding venues in Athens, Greece
Ah, romantic, cultural, sunny, enchantress, Athena! The ancient city, the city that reigns eternal, the city of the Violet Crown… If you’ve been longing to plan a wedding in Greece’s capital and you’re still early on your wedding planning journey, chances are you’re looking to discover Athens’ wedding venue secrets. Well… the venues themselves are not secret at all… The Four Seasons Astir Palace, Grand Resort Lagonissi, Island Art & Taste, Lake Vouliagmeni, Pyrgos Petreza, Pyrgos Melissourgou, the Margi Farm, Golf Prive Glyfada, Hatzi Mansion… and so many more! I’m pretty sure they’ve all more or less have fallen under your radar. But how about the little things that matter, details only a photographer can let you know? This Journal post is just that! Read along and cue in the loveliness and the intelligence!
Before I begin what could easily be a dissertation, let me say this. Think of each and every one of these Athens wedding venues as palpable. Because all of these, no matter where located, or how grandiose they are, their booking cost only depends on what you wish to accomplish. If for example, you’re dying to have a Four Seasons Athens wedding and enjoy its luxuries, plus a magical honeymoon, keep things on a smaller scale with your guest list… Now where was I? Oh, yes, the part where I begin to dish the info you came here to read. Shall we?
THE FOUR SEASONS ASTIR PALACE (or, in short… FSATHENS)
The essentials: The Four Seasons Athens is not just a luxury hotel, it’s an icon. The Athenian Riviera resort where culture history (among other kinds) was made is famed for its opulence and truly gorgeous interiors, all designed to make you feel like royalty, so it’s perfect for bridal preps and your first bridal portraits. As it comes with two buildings, Arion & Nafsika and bungalows (aka private villas) it’s perfect to navigate to and fro during this hour certain that neither your groom nor your guests will get a glimpse of you in the dress before the ceremony.
The portraiture extras: With so many manicured locations all around, the pine-clad haven offers plenty of bride and groom portrait opportunities, such as the jetty, the pool, and the gardens but if you really want to take it a step further renting the Four Seasons Cruise to the Temple of Poseidon for your first images as a married couple is a winner. Think the magic of your romance, on a boat, at sunset. Oh, wow, YES!
The ceremony & reception input: The Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens offers three spaces best for your ceremony, three spaces for cocktails and reception, and one space for partying (it is a luxury hotel, after all, so you will not be allowed to party outside). Your ceremony can be held alfresco, on The Nafsika Terrace, on The Plateia Terrace, or in Nafsika’s front garden.
Know that the morning and noon lights on Athens Riviera are pretty harsh, so your images can look a little burnt if you opt for an early ceremony. The closest you are to the afternoon sun, the better. For your reception and cocktail, whose beginnings fall someplace between dusk and evening, you will witness spectacular lighting conditions, which make the views from The Four Seasons even more spectacular!
The Athens elopement note: If you are more budget-savvy, FSAthens offers a one-night stay on selected dates between February & early May. And if you’ve seen this year’s weather conditions in Greece, then you know we enjoy lovely sunny weather almost all year round. Opt for an April elopement at the Four Seasons Athens, and you can thank me later!
GRANT RESORT LAGONISSI
The essentials: More than an outstanding resort (crowned princes, Hollywood stars, and celebrities of all calibers have sought it out…) this Athens wedding venue comes with a helipad whose bird’s eye views worth all their wedding ceremony salt. Grand Resort Lagonissi weddings are lavish, and glamorous, and if you’ve always wanted to tie the knot on board a cruiser, host your wedding reception at the GRL’s Veghera hovering over the waves!
Photography-wise: Grand Resort Lagonissi will give you wedding backdrops galore, from the gorgeousness of the Royal Villa in your bridal preps and private portraits, to the perfect little garden nooks and the Grand Hall facade across its magnificent grounds. Plenty of opportunities for aerial images that stun, and even greater light under the leafy trees in the gardens. Golf-car to go around? most prefferably!
ISLAND ART & TASTE On ISLAND ATHENS RIVIERA
Everyone knows: This Athens Wedding venue is one of the most popular across our city’s Riviera. And it is also one of the first that destination wedding couples from across the world seek out to book. Complete with six different spaces (cleverly contstructed so that nobody bumps into people from the other wedding), it comes with the milkiest, sweetest light during the afternoon, and the shiftiest winds during daytime. After 6:00 p.m. in the summer months, all winds cease making it a dream to celebrate and photograph.
The bonus(es): Celebrating your Island Art & Taste wedding also means you get access to a bridal/ or groom preparation location (check out the Private House, the Residence & the Gallery if you need one) plus a Greek island pasty church (see the image above) which will add more ease than stress to your big day, and give you phenomenal portraits, without you having to move to the Cyclades. What I love about photographing weddings on Island Art & Taste is that this multiverse gives my couples plenty of different backdrops to get their shots taken at short distance from their reception or ceremony.
Is that it? Hardly… head to the next post to read about The Most Perfect Venues To Say I Do in Athens Part #2 !
