By Stamatina Notaras
It’s a day some dream about with a clear vision, while for others, napkin madness and first dance fears only come front of mind post knee drop. Whether it’s a ceremony held under the arches in a hometown church with loved ones watching from the pews, or liquored-up vows in Las Vegas with a very sweaty and questionable Elvis as celebrant, traditional weddings are being challenged more than ever.
In the Greek community of Brisbane, where there’s talk of destination weddings, you’ll hear Pauly Kotis’ name woven throughout. Her portfolio spans across Australia and it wasn’t until planning her own wedding in Greece that she set her sights on a new offering – destination weddings.
“I was a wedding planner here in Australia, and planning my wedding in Greece sparked my interest in destination weddings,” she tells The Greek Herald.
Other than the crystal-clear beaches adorned in silky smooth pebbles, endless spritz sips under the sun – accompanied with a strong scent of SPF50, I hope – and yacht-bound hens and bucks night yielding memories that last a lifetime, there’s a good reason to consider biting the bullet and booking the ticket.
Let’s start with the obvious: your family and friends have a reason to book Euro-summer.
“Getting married overseas is now definitely more common than it used to be. Families are increasingly viewing it as an opportunity to travel together,” Pauly says.
Getting married in Greece
Brisbane-born bride Bella Katahanas is living in newlywed bliss off the back of her nuptials in the mainland of Greece, near Cape Sounion. Picture this – a bride and her beau wearing their best whites and standing clifftop, with sun-kissed loved ones listening in on their ‘I do’s.
“I was never really a girl who dreamt about my wedding day… except that I knew I wanted to be close to the ocean,” she says.
If you ask me, a good party means high heels tucked under tables while their owners cause havoc on the dance floor, smashing plates until the sun rises to signal a new day. No; this is not just a thing of movies; yes, you can make Mamma Mia a reality – minus a very dapper Pierce Brosnan confessing his love to your mum on the way to the chapel (sorry mum).
When compared to weddings in Australia, there’s one element that could be the last straw in the decision-making hay.
“What’s really attractive is the week-long celebrations leading up to and following the wedding. We started with a welcome party at a venue on a rooftop looking at the Acropolis in Athens… we had over 100 guests all staying at one hotel, hanging around at the beach together for the days leading up to the wedding. Plus, you can party for longer… on an island, there’s no restrictions!” Bella says.
This is a vast contrast to the 12 am cut-off in Australia, where the music abruptly halts and guests flock to the door, brainstorming where to take the party to next.
A hometown wedding
As a girl in her mid-20s, I’ve had the privilege of watching friends and family take the next step into marital bliss in a church a whole community was born and bred in. There’s no denying that there’s something beautiful in this, too.
Currently on a two-month long honeymoon with her new husband Terry, Eleni Stavrianos didn’t have a doubt when booking The Greek Club in Brisbane for her special day.
“It was important to us that our loved ones could attend. My grandparents are so special to me, so I wanted to ensure they could be present,” she says.
While not physically in Greece, Eleni and Terry brought Greece to them through tradition, honouring their heritage throughout.
“Tradition is so important to me, and we incorporated it into everything. We did the traditional Zosimo at my house on the morning of my wedding… and to honour Terry and my Kytherian heritage, all the ladies in my family gathered the week of my wedding to help prepare Xerotogana (fried Greek pastry with honey and nuts). I love the unity and connection it provides amongst the women in my life as I enter this new chapter of my life,” Eleni explains.
Destination versus hometown dilemma
Sitting atop the ‘cons’ list when in this ‘destination versus hometown’ predicament are the inevitable moans from family and friends and the ‘can’t attend’ tick on half of the RSVPs. Pauly is here to tell you that all is not lost, and there are ways around this block in the road.
“The best way to address this is to have a small gathering in Australia once the couple returns. They can also choose to have a vow exchange overseas and hold the official Orthodox ceremony back in Australia,” she says.
Cast your mind back to a recent wedding you attended and count on one hand how many times you spoke to the bride or groom, if at all. What I’m trying to get at is that, as much as we would love for everyone in our lives to be there for our big day, a welcomed casualty of a destination wedding is a more curated guest list, where you can fill your cup and memory bank with authentic interactions.
“We definitely ended up with a very curated guest list of our friends and family who really wanted to be there for us,” Bella says.
You’re probably thinking, “Well a wedding in Greece would be nice. So will you donate to my GoFund me?” After doing some digging, it turns out that your dream day is probably more feasible than you think.
“I think you can stick to a budget anywhere, but it’s more about what you get for that amount. In Greece, we found our budget went a lot further and we were able to give our guests the experience we really wanted them to have,” Bella says.
But, I’m not here to pull the wool over your eyes.
“I think people may have a misconception about the costs involved in getting married in Greece, especially if they are trying to replicate a wedding here in Australia. It doesn’t tend to be cheaper; however, it’s on a smaller scale and is far more customised,” Pauly says.
My last words of wisdom (however unsolicited they may seem) are that no matter where you and your partner say ‘I do,’ you make it wholeheartedly and unashamedly ’you’. Because when all is said and done and regularly scheduled programming ensues, it’s the one that makes your Sundays less scary, and your maintenance days less frequent (that oily hair and unkempt brows sort of love) that matters the most.
