10 reasons to have your destination wedding in Santorini!

Photo by dreamonphotography.gr

Santorini is a popular location for a destination wedding, and it's no secret. Some people may wonder, what makes Santorini so special? A great number of things! Santorini is a beautiful, unique island, and is suitable for probably any type of wedding. Let's go together through some of the reasons Santorini is such a famous wedding location!

1. Mesmerizing views

Oh yeah.. the famous caldera views. I've been going on and on about the views of Santorini's cliff side, I know. If you have been to Santorini before, you understand why. If you haven't, then you definitely should. Is it the white houses hanging from the cliff, that look like snow from far away? Is it the color of the cliff side's volcanic soil? Is it the volcano and Thirasia? It's the combination of all the above, which make Santorini's views so wonderfully amazing!

2. Magical sunset

Photo by clickbychristos.com

True, we have sunsets in every country, but Santorini's sunset have that something special, that makes everyone want to see again and again. Now, combine that with your wedding, and not only the guests will have a lifetime experience during their sunset cocktail hour, but you will get the most amazing and romantic wedding photos, that a couple could ask for!

3. Beach Weddings

If you are a person who always dreamed of a beach wedding, then Santorini is again a perfect choice for you! You will not only have the beach wedding of your dreams on such a romantic island, but it will also a one of a kind beach wedding. You see, Santorini is famous for its black beaches, made from volcanic rock. You can easily find a white beach to host a wedding, but Santorini is one of those unique places, where you could a black beach wedding!

Beach weddings in Santorini

4. Honeymoon and Wedding together!

Santorini is a wonderful and romantic island, with a lot of interesting activities for couples. So why not combine your wedding with your honeymoon? After saying goodbye to your friends and family, have a luxurious honeymoon suite booked just for you, and enjoy your first vacation as a married couple! Want to travel and visit other island? You are in luck, as Santorini is located right next to a lot of other wonderful Greek Islands, that you can visit after your days in Santorini!

5. On a budget

Santorini is considered a "on a budget" destination wedding location. A lot of couples come to get married on the island, to cut down on their wedding expenses. Also, it is a great way to combine your vacation and your wedding, thus saving some extra money on hotels and rooms, and air tickets to fly to a different vacation location.

6. Different season, different beauty

photo by dreamonphotography.gr

From season to season Santorini transforms. In spring the island is blossoming and is full of vivid colors. In summer, the vineyards start to blossom, giving Thira a different reason to stay beautiful and green. In autumn, the sunset can be seen from the beaches of Santorini, meaning that you can have a sunset beach wedding! As you can see, each season has its own beauty, and you will certainly find the perfect scenery for your wedding, when choosing Santorini.

7. Unique traditions

Santorini has some great traditions when it comes to weddings. Santorini has great traditions in general. In particular, the island is famous for being the donkey island, so why not incorporate that into your wedding? What a better entrance to the ceremony, but with the bride on a donkey and local musicians playing a traditional Greek wedding song. Just make sure that the donkey is not mistreated when booking one.

8. Wine tour cocktail hour

Another thing that the island is famous about, is its wines. If you don't wish to have the usual cocktail hour, while you will be away for your couple's photo shoot after the ceremony, take your guests to a winery for a wine tour and wine tasting. Your guests will have a great time, and will get a chance to learn more about the wine history of Santorini.

9. Professionalism

Santorini has been the capital of destination weddings for a long, long time. This means, that the people who work in the industry, know exactly what they are doing. When having your wedding in Santorini, you are guaranteed on having a stress-free, best organized wedding you could ever wish for.

10. Experience of a lifetime!!

photo by clickbychristos.com

Santorini is a beautiful island in a lot of different ways. By having your wedding on the island, you and your guests will most certainly have an experience of a lifetime. Give you, your family, and your friends a reason to visit this wonderful island, and witness firsthand what it has to offer. Everyone will be thankful and you will have a memorable wedding!

Those are 10 reasons, why you should have your destination wedding in Santorini. Still need something more to convince yourself to host your wedding in Santorini? Visit the island this summer, and fall in love with it yourself.

Thank you very much for reading! You have my best wishes!

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Country Weddings in Santorini!

Photo taken from www.himisspuff.com

Having your wedding closer to nature, especially when the days are long and warm, is always a great idea. What an easier way to do so, than have a country style wedding? You can host your wedding at the country side, in a barn, at your holiday home. Don't have the opportunity to run away into nature for your wedding? Not to worry. You can still have a wonderful country style set up on your wedding day, even in an indoor venue. All you need, are the correct decorations.

When you think about a country wedding, the first that comes to mind are those wonderful wooden barns, stylish cowboy boots, hey and horses. So, it is only natural for you to wonder, how would a country style wedding fin on an island like Santorini? I say, perfectly!

First off, let's start with the ceremony, as this is the beginning of a wedding. Whether on a caldera venue, or a beach venue, you can still recreate the country style you are looking for. The first detail is the aisle. Something simple like two wine barrels in the beginning on the aisle, with a wonderful flower arrangements on top, will be enough to give your ceremony the barn feeling. Put some simple, white chairs for the guests, and you have completed the image.

Whether you choose to have a gazebo or not, for the bride and groom to stand under during the ceremony, it can be decorated in the same matter that the aisle is. Use two similar wooden, wine barrels on each side of the gazebo, or next to the ceremony table, decorate them with beautiful and rich floral arrangements, and ta da!! Country wedding! To make the gazebo look even more impressive, add an additional layer of white curtains.  

Wish to make it even more fun? Use cowboy hats as flower baskets for the flower girls. Incorporate some horse shoes to the decoration, both for good luck, and the country feeling. And of course, have a country song as your entrance song!

Photo taken from blessings.com

Done with the ceremony, it's time to think about the reception. Here is where most of the work and creativity will be required, to achieve that country feeling you are going for, and make you and your guests feel like they are out in the country side!

Country weddings have the wooden element strongly in them, meaning that a lot of decorations are made from wood. On other words, wooden decorative items are the first thing you should think about. So…Barrels! Again! They are amazing to use for a sweet or welcome table, and using them at the reception will make the transaction from the ceremony area to the reception much smoother.

Another way to use wooden decorations, is to make awesome DIY decorations from pallets. Examples? You can make really cute welcome signs for your guests, at the entrance of the reception venue. Pallets can also be used to make your photo booth look like a real barn! Don't forget about the wooden crates. Use them as flowers pots with beautiful flower compositions. Place the crates around the venue, for a country style decoration.

A country wedding should have mason jars in it, or there will be something missing. You can use them as glasses for the refreshing, non-alcoholic welcome drinks for your guests upon their arrival at the venue. You can also use them for as vases, to put the flowers for the table centerpieces. Mason jars can even be used at the sweet table, as jars for the various candies.

To give your reception even more of that country feeling, don't forget to use tin buckets when decorating the venue. As with the all of the above, tin buckets are quite versatile. They can be used for your floral arrangements at the bar, the sweet or wish table, or even at the dinner tables when having the right size. Another smart and fun way to include tin buckets to the decoration, is using them as coolers for the drinks during the ceremony. Ask the bartender to fill the buckets with ice and bottles of beer, and have them placed near the dance floor, or at the bar, so that anyone could grab a beer easily.

Photo taken from womangettingmarried.com

What am I forgetting… ah! Fairy lights! Fairy lights are the key, into making your guests feel like they're under the night sky full of stars. They are also great decorative items for the head table, the bar, the candy bar. You can use them as curtains, wrap them around the bar, place them over the dance floor. Whatever feels more beautiful for you.

Last, but not least, let's talk about the flowers used for a country wedding in Santorini, as without them the decoration will be incomplete. Since country weddings are close to nature, the flowers you can use for the wedding can be simple wildflowers and herbs, you could easily find in the country side: Sunflowers, daisies, aster, thyme, lavender, to name a few. As for the colors, you are allowed to use any color combination you like, and still have a great country wedding style!

Those are just some ideas for a country style wedding here in Santorini. If you love barn weddings and Santorini, and need help combining those two, feel free to contact Cardoon Events for some help and advice!

Thank you very much for reading! I wish you a lovely day!

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Oceanids Estate: All you need to know!

So, you are looking to get married in Santorini, and wish to host your wedding reception and/or ceremony at a beach venue? OceanidsEstate wedding venue would be a perfect choice for you! In the previous blog I shared some information about this wonderful venue. Now, let's dive in into more "technical" details.

Picture taken from oceanids-estate.com

First and foremost, why choose Oceanids Estate for your wedding in Santorini? As Nina told me, and as I completely agree, "the couples who wish to get married in Oceanids, should understand that upon entering our venue, stress stops to exist. Our goal is to make them feel like home. They should also prepare themselves for a " till you drop" party!". They really stand by those words! When planning on having your wedding at Oceanids Estate, you won't have to worry about a thing. Isn't this a perfect scenario for a wedding?

Weddings cost money, we all know that. When it comes to Oceanids Estate, you won't have to dig deep into your pocket for a perfect wedding. The venue has a really reasonable price for renting it private, and they offer much more than just the private use. Their rental price include a DJ for 5 hours and an audio system strong enough to cover a 150 person wedding. In other words, one of the major parts of a wedding will be covered, just by choosing this venue! Besides the audio system, the rental price also includes a full party lightning system, a detail which will make your party even more fun!

The rental fee for the private use of the venue includes as well the staff of the venue, all taxes, and some decorations, such as lanterns and vases, a beautiful vintage style lounge area next to the sea, and comfortable stone couches! If this isn't a great value for money, I don't know what is!

The next question some might ask, is how many people you can invite to your wedding at Oceanids Estate? There are no limits!

Oceanids Estate wedding venue is perfect for both small, intimate weddings of 20 persons, and big wedding of 300 persons or more! The space of the venue can be arranged in such a way, that it will neither look too big and chaotic for small wedding, nor you and your guests will feel too crowded in case of a large wedding!

Picture taken from oceanids-estate.com

When it comes to drinks, Oceanids Estate has its own bar. For the cocktail hour you can choose between a variety of different welcome cocktails for your guests, from a glass of Prosecco, to a cocktail of your choice. Alcohol free drinks are also offered as an option, should you be having guests that don't drink. For the rest of the reception, you can choose one of the many different 5 hour long open bar packages. After the open is over, you are free to choose between providing your guests with unlimited drinks till the end of the party, or opting for your guests to pay for their own drinks. Oceanids truly makes your life easy!

Oceanids Estate does not have its own kitchen, but that is not a problem at all! The location of the venue is so convenient that makes it really easy for catering companies to work with them. And since the venue owners have great experience when it comes to weddings, they know exactly what a catering company needs to provide you their best services!

Still need a reason to book Oceanids Estate for your wedding? Here are some of the great advantages of the venue. When booking the venue for your private wedding, you get it from 14:00pm till 8:00am! And since there are no noise restrictions at this venue, you will have the time of your life partying all night long, undistracted!

If you are lucky enough, and on your wedding day there will be a full moon, then you will have the chance to dance under the moon, which is directly over the venue. A great way to make your wedding day even more romantic!

Oceanids Estate is kids friendly and disabled friendly. It is flat, there are no different levels, and there is a convenient ramp from the entrance of the venue, meaning that if you will be having people with disabilities attending your wedding, they won't have any trouble getting around.

Picture taken from oceanids-estate.com

Should you be having children at your wedding, their parents won't have to worry for their kids to fall over the stairs while running and playing! And because the venue has no levels, as already mentioned, you will all be at the same level, and non of your guests will be divided during dinner or the party!

Because this wedding venue is right next to the sea, it's a perfect location for a beautiful and private beach wedding! If you are

dreaming of something different for your wedding, you can arrange a "Mamma Mia" styled wedding, or even arrive by horse to the ceremony, or after the couple's photo shoot.

Oceanids Estate is not good just for summer weddings. The venue has an astonishing indoor area, which can be used for winter weddings as well. This is also an advantage if you are planning on having your wedding in early spring or late autumn, as you won't need to worry about your "Plan B" in case of a rainy day. Oceanids Estate is a "Plan A" and "Plan B" combined!

If you are thinking of having special effects, fireworks, a spectacular stage for dancing, then you can choose Pro-Support to provide all those services to you! Why

Pro-Support. Because Pro-Support is owned by the same people that have Oceanids Estate, and you will profit by having combined packages with Oceanids Estate and Pro-Support!

To sum up, Oceanids Estate is a wonderful choice for a wedding ceremony and reception. With great prices, amazing location, complete privacy, no noise restrictions, you are guaranteed on having the best wedding possible, which will stay in the memories of you and your guests forever!

And As Nina and Nikitas say "A marriage in Oceanids Estate is a lifetime experience!"

Need more information on the venue? Visit Oceanids Estate's official website - http://www.oceanids-estate.com/

Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you a lovely day!

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Oceanids Estate: A look behind the curtains.

In the last blog post I wrote about the various wedding venues that Santorini has. This time, I would like to write in more detail about Oceanids Estate wedding venue at the beach of Ekso Gonia.

Oceanids Estate was opened in 2013. The building, where Oceanids Estate is housed, used to be a tomato canning factory. The building was built is 1937 from the famous black Santorinian volcanic rock, which gives the now wedding venue a really unique and amazing feeling. The owners of Oceanids Estate renovated the venue to a very high standard, but still kept the old style of the building.

The owners of Oceanids Estate, Nina and Nikitas, have great experience in the field of weddings and events, which means that when choosing this wedding venue, you will have people working with you who exactly what is needed to make your wedding unforgettable. They are friendly, professional, kind people, who will do everything they can to ensure that your wedding day will be both incredibly fun and stress free.

I've started working with Oceanids Estate in 2015, when planning some weddings for the summer of 2016. They made my job really easy, and where always eager to answer any of the questions the couple or I could have. They have a great method of organizing the weddings their hosting, that no minor planning detail will be forgotten. Nina is an excellent wedding planner herself, which has proven to be of great help, as she knows exactly what needs to be done for a perfect wedding. No couple or guest has ever left this wedding venue with a complaint or without a happy smile.

Another interesting and impressive detail, is how Nina and Nikitas treat their working stuff. They are understanding, kind, patient and wise employers, meaning that the waiters, the cleaning stuff, the barmen, and the DJs, all enjoy working at Oceanids Estate. You may wonder, why would I mention that? Well, because a tired waiter or a unsatisfied with the working conditions cleaning lady, can easily create a sour memory from your wedding. Oceanids Estate's stuff do a great job, they put their soul into what they are doing, which shows in the successful weddings the venues has, because they are treated as equals, as people!  

A great feature of Oceanids Estate, is that it is located right at the beach of Ekso Gonia. There aren't any roads between the venue and the beach. Your wedding reception and party will be literally at the beach, but without any sand getting in your shoes! Isn't that great? Not only that, but the beach in front of the venue is one of the best beaches of the island. And this is what makes Oceanids Estate venue one of the best places to have a beach wedding.

Will there be children attending the wedding? You'll be glad to know that Oceanids Estate is a paradise for children. They LOVE this venue! They have plenty of room to safely run and play around, and the indoor area can be easily transformed into a kids' room, keeping the little ones busy while their parents are having fun.

The venue also has a nice, big pool, as you have probably seemed from the pictures already. And there is no need to worry about safety, as the venue only allows the use of the pool if you hire a lifeguard. The pool is loved by both children and adults, just be sure to follow the safety rules.

For those of you who are thinking about having their wedding ceremony and/or reception at Oceanids Estate, you will be pleased to know that the venue has an amazing strategic position. It is located really close to Kamari, one of the beach resorts of Santorini. The farthest part of Kamari, the one that is right under the mountain, is no further than 5 minutes by car from the venue. You won't need to worry about tiring your guests with long transportation trips!! And even though the venue is so close to a living area, it does not have any of the noise restrictions that you will find at the caldera venues, meaning that you can freely party until sunrise!

In my opinion, Oceanids Estate is one the best wedding venues of Santorini for multiple reasons. It is definitely in my top 3 Santorini wedding venues!

Wish to know more about the venue? Stay tuned, to find out more information about Oceanids Estate on Monday!

Thank you very much for reading! I wish you all a good day!

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Santorini Wedding Venues!

Santorini has a number of great wedding venues. Some of them are located on the cliff side of the island, overlooking the famous caldera sea and the volcano. There are also plenty of wedding venues located on the beach side of Santorini, and believe me when I say that they don't lack the beauty of the caldera venues.

Le Ciel wedding venue

There are some differences between the caldera venues and the beach venues, and in this posts I would like to write about exactly that. I would like to compare the differences between the two types of wedding venues, making it easier for you to choose the venue that will be most suitable for your wedding.

Before I begin, I would like to point out, that if you are torn between a beach venue and a caldera venue, then there is a simple solution. Which one? Well, choose both!! You can easily arrange to have a wedding ceremony on a caldera venue, and then host your reception at a beach venue, combining the advantages of both types of venues Santorini offers.

Let's get into more detail…

As mentioned above, the caldera venues offer amazing views of the caldera, the volcano, the Thirasia island, and of course the so famous Santorini sunset. There never was a guest or a couple that wasn't amazed by the view their caldera venue of choice had. When the sky is clear, you can even see the nearby islands, which only adds to the greatness.

Venetsanos Winery wedding venue

When going for a wedding venue on the caldera side of Santorini, you can choose between beautiful wineries, like Venetsanos Winery, and combine your wedding with an educational winery tour for your guests, as well as a delicious wine tasting, and high class wedding venues such as Le Ciel wedding venue in Imerovigli.

Sea side venues are scattered along the beaches of Santorini. Admittedly, they don't have the caldera views, but the beauty they offer is no less wonderful then their fellow wedding venues on the other side of the island. The soothing sound of the waves, the clear night sky, and of course gorgeous sunrises, will still make your wedding day unforgettable to you and your guests!

Want to learn more about the choices you have for a beach wedding venue? Read this blog post, dedicated entirely to the beach venues of Santorini.

Caldera wedding venues are, as a rule, located near hotels, or could even be part of a hotel. This is a great plus, as you won't need to worry about transportation for your guests since they can stay at a walking distance from your wedding venue. With beach venues, you won't be able to find hotels right next to the venue, because they are usually located in more isolated areas. This is not a bad thing though, because this way the beach venues offer more privacy.

The proximity of the venues to the living areas of the islands, greatly affects the noise policy of each venue. In an older blog, I've already mentioned the strict noise policies that caldera venues have.

Oceanids Estate Wedding Venue

In most cases, you cannot extend your wedding party beyond 1 am, since this is the latest the music can be played at the caldera. With beach venues though, you won't have such restrictions and can stay and party until morning.

Beach venues also don't have the firework restrictions, that a lot of caldera venues have. It is not always possible to have fireworks at the caldera area for multiple reasons. One of the reasons is the previously mentioned noise policy. Another reason is the fire hazard. The cliff side does not have easy access to most of its point, and if a sparkle falls and starts a fire halfway the cliff, there won't be a way to put the fire down, something that is obviously quite dangerous. You should also take into consideration the wind, which is most of the time stronger at the caldera side of Santorini than the beach side. Wind and fireworks don't go to together well.

One last major difference between the caldera wedding venues and the beach wedding venues is the size of the venues. Caldera does not offer enough room for large venues. The biggest cliff side venues you can find, can host no more than a 100 persons. Beach venues, on the other hand, are perfect for wedding for up to 200 hundred persons, as they are more spacious and you will have enough room for your tables and a dance area.

How to choose between a beach venue and a cliff side venue? You'll just have to ask yourself what is more important to you: the magnificent views till the end of the wedding day, or an all night long party? If you are looking into having a small or relatively small wedding, which won't last longer than midnight, then caldera is your perfect choice. But if you prefer to invite all of your friends and family to the wedding, and have a sunset to sunrise wedding, then opt for a beach venue.

If you need more help with your venue choice, feel free to contact Cardoon Events for more advice.

Next blog will be dedicated to Oceanids Estate wedding venue, so stay tuned to learn more about this amazing beach venue!

Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you a lovely day.

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Beach Weddings in Santorini!

Santorini is famous for its breathtaking caldera view, with the white houses hanging from the colorful cliff, its magical sunsets, and the churches with the blue domes. This is probably why Santorini is such a popular location for destination weddings.

I can understand that every couple would want to have a wedding picture on the cliff side of Santorini. With so many wedding venues located on the caldera, it is really easy to combine your wedding day with the beautiful views of Santorini, giving you and your guests amazing memories for a lifetime.

Still, Santorini is much more than just the caldera, as it also has the famous black beaches, which make a great place for a wedding ceremony. You should keep in mind, that since the beaches are

Beach wedding at Oceranids Estate

public, anyone could come and crash your wedding, should you choose to have the ceremony at a random beach in Santorini. Not to worry though, as If you choose a venue, which is located at the beach, you will be able to enjoy a private ceremony, without any strangers.

One such great venue, where you could have your beach wedding is Oceanids Estate. The wedding venue is located right at the beach of Ekso Gonia, which happens to be one the best beaches of the island. It is spacious, meaning that you won't have to limit your guest list, something that is always a plus. Afterwards, you can host your reception at the same venue, and enjoy an all night long party which will end with the sunrise.

Beach wedding set up at Akro Restaurant

Another beautiful venue by the sea for your beach wedding is Akro restaurant. This venue is located at the unique beach in Mesa Pigadia in Akrotiri. Its rocky landscape and romantic atmosphere will make your wedding day unforgettable, both to you and your guests. And if you are dreaming of having a unique entrance to your wedding, you can come to the ceremony on a horse, since the Santo Horse Riding stables are located not far away from the venue. Your guests will certainly remember this entrance, and you will get amazing wedding pictures.

If you are looking for an elopement or a small wedding on the beach, then Sea Side restaurant would be a perfect choice for you. Located in the very edge of Perissa, you will have a romantic seaside wedding and a great time with your close friends and family. After the ceremony, you can stay for a semi-private dinner at Sea Side restaurant's cute kiosk, or, if you prefer full privacy on your wedding day, book the entire restaurant just for you.

Beach weddings in Santorini offer a number of advantages over the caldera weddings. First of all, the beach venues do not have the noise restrictions that caldera has, meaning that you can party up until morning. You can have fireworks, since no one will be bothered by the noise, and fireworks make a great addition to any wedding. Even though during summer months you won't be able to see the sunset from the beaches of Santorini, the colors of the sky during sunset, along with the endless blue sea, still make great photos!

If you wish to have those famous wedding photos on the caldera, you can always go for the couple's photo shoot at the cliff side. Just leave your guests for an hour to enjoy their cocktails by the sea, and go to the caldera side for the pictures. Who said you couldn't have it all?

On Monday's blog post I will be discussing in more detail about the main differences between the caldera venues and the beach venues, so stay tuned!

Thank you very much for reading, and I wish you a lovely day!

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