Santorini weddings and celebrations

Prepare a short brief before requesting proposals

Describe the occasion, approximate guest number and preferred date range. Separate the ceremony from the reception and explain which parts you want a planner to organise. If you already have accommodation or a venue in mind, name it and say which arrangements are fixed.

Make your non-negotiable practical needs clear early. Guests may have different mobility, transport and dietary requirements, and the couple may need quiet space to prepare. Discuss how the event will feel to attend from arrival to departure, rather than designing everything around one photograph.

• Date range and expected guest numbers.
• Ceremony, reception and any additional events.
• Preferred style and a realistic overall spending framework.
• Access, dietary and transport needs to discuss privately with suppliers.

Visit the event in your mind as a guest

Ask about the route from vehicle drop-off to the ceremony and reception areas. Check steps, surfaces, toilets, shade and the arrangement for guests who need to sit or take a break. A caldera setting can be striking while still requiring careful coordination of access and luggage or equipment movement.

Discuss the arrival sequence and the end of the evening. Several groups returning to different villages may need more than one vehicle movement. Confirm who coordinates guest pickup, how late services operate and where everyone should wait. A detailed transport plan is useful even for a small event.

Separate planning services from formal requirements

Ask the planner to identify what it arranges itself, what external suppliers provide and what you remain responsible for. For a legal ceremony, current documentation and eligibility questions need confirmation with the relevant authority and appropriately qualified professionals for your circumstances. A general wedding webpage cannot settle those requirements.

Check whether venue hire, photography, flowers, catering, music and transport are included or separate. Ask how supplier changes are approved and documented. Agree who manages the event on the day and whether that person will be your regular planning contact.

• Planner's written service scope and named contact.
• Venue and supplier contracts or clear booking records.
• Responsibilities for formal documents and appointments.
• Approval process for changes and additional expenditure.

Agree alternatives before the final schedule

Discuss an unsuitable-weather plan and how the venue handles changes to outdoor arrangements. Ask what equipment or extra space is needed and whether it changes the price. Make sure the alternatives fit the same guest access needs as the original plan.

Review deposits, payment stages, cancellation and postponement conditions before committing. Keep a shared schedule with supplier contacts and decision points. The businesses listed here offer public contact routes; their inclusion is not a partnership, inspection or guarantee that a particular date or venue is available.

• Weather alternative and responsibility for the decision.
• Guest and supplier transport schedule.
• Deposit, balance, cancellation and postponement terms.
• Written final plan, contacts and agreed inclusions.

Common questions

Does a wedding package include venue hire?

Do not assume it does. Ask for an itemised proposal covering the venue, planning service and each external supplier.

Where should we check legal ceremony documents?

With the relevant authority and appropriately qualified professionals for your circumstances. Confirm current requirements before committing to a date.

Can a small celebration use a private villa?

Discuss event use, visitor limits and external suppliers with the property before booking. Ordinary accommodation permission may not cover an event.