Bопросы и ответы

Why should I get married in Crete?

Imagine yourself getting married on a beach at sunset with a fragrant breeze or exchanging your vows in a Venetian fortress with breathtaking sea views. These are some of the most popular choices of ceremonies in Crete and they can be easily arranged, especially if you choose moments as your wedding planner company to do all the hard work for you! Crete, the biggest island in Greece offers sumptuous locations and venues for your dream wedding. The island features two airports (Chania & Heraklion) which offer daily flights, so your guests can even just stay for the weekend. As a popular and affordable destination in the Mediterranean, Crete boats a perfect climate – mild winters and hot summers - ideal for weddings throughout the whole year.

Why should I contact a wedding planner directly when I can book a wedding directly at the hotel?

Most hotels do not have a wedding department or the knowledge to deal with all the necessary paperwork. They mainly offer just honeymoon packages for already-married couples. In addition, during the summer season, the hotel staff are very busy and they are not able to devote enough time and attention to personalising your wedding and to offer the attention you deserve.

Do you book flights and hotels, too?

Depending on your home country we cooperate with various reliable travel agencies for flight bookings and package holidays.  Accommodation and transfer can be arranged directly through us.

When is the cheapest time of the year to get married?

Between November and April we offer cheaper wedding packages as it is renowned for being colder and more likely to rain. Usually the weather remains good until end of December and the temperature rises again from the end of March.

When is the most expensive time of the year to get married?

Our wedding packages don’t change throughout the whole summer season. As July and August are peak season months you can expect hotels & flights to be more expensive during this period.

When is the most popular time of the year to get married?

Between May and October is the most popular time of year to get married in Crete.

What about the sun?

However strong the temptation may be, try not to burn yourself pre-wedding. Use a high-factor sun cream and if you plan to wear an off-the-shoulder number, choose a swimming costume with removable straps to avoid white lines in your photos.

Can I change a confirmed wedding date?

Yes, it is possible to change a confirmed date but there will apply amendment charges – as per our terms and conditions- 100 Euros per couple. In addition to this there may be further charges levied by suppliers or venues for amendments to wedding dates; these will be advised should you request a date change.
Please note: During times of extraordinary circumstances, such as strikes or weather-related problems we will do everything we can to rearrange your wedding date.

How far in advance do I need to book? 

It is always best to allow as much time as possible for planning your wedding. We generally require a minimum of 3 weeks in advance due to legal paperwork (given that you can supply us with the necessary documents within that time).
Please note that it takes some time in your home country to organize all the necessary documents incl. Apostille stamp.

How long will I need to be in Crete before getting married?

It is not necessary that you spend time beforehand in Crete, as MOMENTS will organize all necessary paperwork for you. Nevertheless we recommend arriving some days in advance in order to meet you in person and to discuss the last minute details for your special day.

We are staying just 1 day in Crete - can we still get married? 

Yes, even if you visit Crete on a cruise and stay in the harbour, legal weddings can be organized in the area.

Where can I have a civil ceremony?

Most town halls do only allow weddings within the town hall itself. In some regions the town hall provides different open-air ceremony venues. For example in Rethymno you can legally get married on the beach, at the Venetian fortress or in the picturesque harbor. Further venues such as a Venetian chapel or a wedding in front of a Greek orthodox church are as well possible.

Can I have a church ceremony as well as a civil ceremony?

Yes, both ceremonies can be organized in Crete but each wedding has to be confirmed by the responsible priest depending on confession. At the moment catholic weddings cannot be performed in Greece.

Can I choose the time for getting married? GETTING MARRIED?

Yes, in most cases you can, and often we will confirm the time in advance. However, you will be advised at the time of booking if this is not possible - in this case, your wedding ceremony time will be requested; and then confirmed approx. 1 week before your arrival. From time to time last minute changes have to be made to wedding times; although this is rare, please bear in mind that this change can occur, even after your arrival in Crete.

Can I get married on a weekend? 

Most wedding ceremonies take place Monday to Friday until 2pm (excluding Public Holidays). In Rethymno weddings are also possible at the weekend for an extra charge.
Please note that some town halls perform wedding ceremonies only on specific days and at specific times.

How long does the civil ceremony last?

The official part of the civil ceremony lasts approx. 5 minutes. There is the possibility to extend the duration on request.

Do you have sample vows, music, readings? 

Generally speaking Civil Ceremonies are short and very 'matter of fact'. The wording of the vows for civil ceremonies cannot be amended, due to the laws of Greece and thus exact phrasing is required. If you are having a religious blessing or symbolic ceremony you can select different vows, music and readings from our wide range of samples. Of course you can also come up with your own ideas.

Will my ceremony be conducted in my language? 

In Greece, in order for your wedding to be legally recognized, the law requires the registrar to perform the ceremony in Greek; this will then be spoken in English by a translator for you to understand. If you wish the ceremony to be translated in any other language please inform us of this (extra charges may apply). Symbolic weddings/vow renewals can be performed in any language.

What paperwork will we need? 

It depends on your nationality & country of residence. Take a look at the legal details on “legal papers” first, but also check with your embassy website just in case details have changed. Generally you will need proof of birth, ID with a picture, and any previous marriage, divorce, death of previous spouse or adoption papers if applicable.

Will I have to organize all the translations? 

No, because we offer a local & legal translation service for couples, who don’t have the time to do this in their home country. It often applies that for certain countries the translations are less expensive here in Crete.

How do I post my documents to the wedding planners? 

We recommend to send all legal documents by trackable post/courier service, so please keep in mind. That if you send your documents this way then additional charges will apply.

I am the bride - what name do I travel with? 

You will travel in your maiden name on your outbound flight (before you are married) and on any subsequent flights throughout your holiday, and inbound flight home. This is because this name will be on your passport. The name change can only be carried out back in your home country. You will need the marriage certificate to do this.

Will our marriage be legally recognized in my home country?

Yes, with the exception of symbolic blessings and same-sex ceremonies.

It's just the two of us travelling, can we get married? 

Of course you can get married, we organize weddings for all couples regardless of if they are travelling alone or bringing guests with them.

Do we have to have a maid of honor?

No, but there must be two persons present at your marriage to act as witnesses. We can provide you with witnesses if necessary.

We would like to invite family & friends is this possible? 

Yes, we can assist you to find appropriate accommodation & flights for your guests’ budgets & needs. We can also offer group rates for more than 15 persons if you are travelling together for the same duration.

Is Crete an appropriate wedding destination for our children and older guests?

Yes, absolutely. There are many of hotels with children’s facilities and sandy beaches which are ideal for kids. Older guests will enjoy this beautiful island as well, there are many things to do such as archaeological sites, pleasant walks & guided tours, and relaxing Spa’s for the body and soul. 

How will my guests get to the ceremony & reception venue? 

We offer different transportation possibilities for your guests, depending how near or far their accommodation is. Airport transfers are also available.

What Greek traditions can we incorporate into our wedding celebrations? 

There are many Greek traditions you can choose for your wedding. Some ideas are: traditional Greek wedding pastries for the wedding party, “bonbonieres” – presents for the guests, traditional Cretan dancers….Simply contact us for more ideas.

Do any of the recommended venues do a tasting or sample menu? 

In Crete this isn’t as common as in other countries. However some restaurants, taverns, catering services & other reception venues do offer the possibility of a tasting or sampler menu for you to try (upon request & charges apply).

I would like to visit my wedding location in advance of my wedding holiday - is this possible? 

Yes, this is possible. If you plan to celebrate a wedding in Crete with more than 40 guests we would recommend a prior visit, but this is not obligatory. There is usually a charge for the time and expenses that MOMENTS incurs for your meeting. Please contact us for information and any potential charges.

How quickly do we meet or see our wedding coordinator? 

MOMENTS will contact you some days before your departure in order to arrange an appointment for the initial meeting. Usually the meeting takes please within the first 48 hours of your stay in order to have enough time for any possible changes.

Will the phone number of my wedding coordinator be available to me? 

MOMENTS will provide you with phone numbers for our local office and the responsible wedding coordinator to be able to contact them at any time. 

Will there be other weddings on my wedding day? 

MOMENTS offers a “one wedding per day” policy. This means that we book only one wedding per day as we want to dedicate our full attention to the couple in order to offer best services. Please note that we do our best to honour our policy, but there may be certain days e.g. special dates (11.11.2011, Valentines Day, 20.12.2012) where there may be more than one wedding.

Who will perform our ceremony? 

Civil ceremonies are conducted by the responsible registrar. Church weddings are performed by the priest or reverend, depending on the church. For non-legal symbolic weddings or vow renewals there will be a celebrant.

We are a same-sex couple - can we get married in Crete? 

MOMENTS is a gay friendly wedding company and we offer our services for both same-sex and mixed-sex couples. Greece doesn't offer legal same-sex weddings but MOMENTS will discuss the various options available to you.

When will we receive our marriage certificate? 

Usually the marriage certificate will be issued immediately after the wedding, although some town halls need a couple of days to issue it. For international use this certificate has to bear an Apostille stamp which is issued by another authority and has to be translated into your language. In most cases you will receive the marriage certificate incl. Apostille stamp and translation approx. 3 weeks after the wedding.

Can we have our wedding outfits pressed? 

4* and 5* hotels usually offer this service, which would be charged locally. We cooperate with a company nearby, which can also press the outfits (extra charges apply, delivery service included).

Do you also organize weddings in the winter period? 

Yes, of course. Our office is open all year and especially the winter months (from November until March) we offer special rates. It’s also the best time to get to know the real Crete, and it’s way of life.

Is feedback on my wedding in Crete welcome? 

We welcome all feedback on our services and it’s very important for us as we use it to improve or change our services in the future. Another reason why the feedback is so important to us is that it helps future couples to learn about and enjoy the experiences of other couples.