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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Destination Jewish Wedding in Greece

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Photo by Zuzanna Panaretou

If you’re dreaming of holding your Jewish wedding in an ultra-romantic locale packed with beautiful scenery, vibrant local culture, and delicious food, Greece might well be on your destination shortlist. And with good reason – from glittering blue water and sandy beaches to majestic ancient ruins to rich Jewish heritage, Greece is an incredible destination. 

As with any international destination wedding – especially one in a country where you may not speak the language – planning can be a little overwhelming. But we sat down with the team from Sirtaki Events, founded by Israeli couple Anat and Yonathan – who loved their own destination wedding in Greece so much they moved to sunny Chalkida to help other couples make the day of their dreams come true!

Photo by Orestis Zoumpos Photography

As Jewish event planners, Anat and Yonathan have a deep understanding of Jewish wedding traditions, and their entire team is knowledgeable about the customs and nuances of Jewish weddings. They handle everything from arranging a rabbi to kosher-certified (or kosher-style) catering, managing the legal aspects of the day to arranging walkable accommodations for guests who observe Shabbat. They’re all about making the planning process as smooth and stress-free as possible for their couples – and they’ve shared some great nuggets of wisdom with us, so do read on!

Photo by Bendosa Photography

Choosing the Perfect Venue for Your Jewish Wedding in Greece

Greece is chock full of breathtaking locations, and there’s no end to the options when it comes to choosing a venue. That said, Sirtaki’s top picks for a Jewish wedding are Athens, Rhodes, and Evia Island. These cities are not only picturesque but also have a strong Jewish presence with access to suppliers who can provide all the services you need for the perfect Jewish wedding day. Ionanina and Thessaloniki are also home to historical synagogues that make an unforgettable setting for your chuppah. 

Photo by Bendosa Photography

Alternatively, you can choose to wed outdoors under a stunning traditional chuppah, framed by the stunning backdrop of the Greek island of your choice!

Photo by Girogos Papacharalampous from Or and Paul‘s Irish-Israeli Jewish Wedding 

Timing It Right

When planning a Jewish destination wedding in Greece, Sirtaki Events tells us, it’s crucial to get your timing right. You may be drawn to Greece for its warm, sunny climate – the country does boast 250 sunny days a year – but keep in mind that the summers are really very hot, with temperatures beginning to rise toward the end of May. 

If you do want to get married in summer, do like the Greeks and hold your ceremony later in the day to avoid the sweltering midday sun – the average Greek wedding starts after 7:00 PM. 

Photo by Girogos Papacharalampous from Or and Paul‘s Irish-Israeli Jewish Wedding 

Alternatively, consider planning your wedding for off season – you can save big, and there’s a great chance you’ll still be able to enjoy the glorious weather Greece is known for. If you go this route, though, Sirtaki emphasizes that it’s crucial to do your research –  or lean on your wedding planner – to ensure your venue is available and accessible at your chosen time of year. 

One more great tip from Sirtaki, regardless of the time of year you choose: make sure to find out in advance where and when the sun sets on your big day so you won’t miss out on the photos you’re dreaming of, whether that’s a sunset chuppah or radiant couple’s portraits. 

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How to Make Your Jewish Wedding Fun for Your Guests with GUESTPIX

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When we ask couples their top priority for their Jewish wedding, more often than not we hear the same answer: making sure each and every guest has an absolute blast. Sure, you and your partner are the stars of the day, but your wedding is about so much more than the two of you – and that’s why we sat down with our friends at GUESTPIX to chat about some easy ways to make sure your guests stay engaged and entertained from start to finish.  

GUESTPIX is a cutting-edge digital photo-sharing and hosting solution that makes it easy and fun for your guests to share images, videos, and digital guestbook messages with the two of you, during and after your big day (plus all the pre- and post-wedding events) via a private QR code.

Unlike asking guests to share their photos on social media with a hashtag, GUESTPIX keeps your special moments off social media and under your control. You won’t have to download images one by one from texts or emails, or chase your loved ones to send you high-res files of the shots you love on social media: GUESTPIX will deliver original quality digital photos and videos straight to you, ready to download in a single click. They’ve got packages to suit weddings of all sizes, and you can use GUESTPIX wherever you are in the world.

It couldn’t be more user-friendly – for you and for your guests. Plus, GUESTPIX has come up with some fun guest activities that will make snapping pics part of the entertainment!

Here’s how you can use GUESTPIX to make your wedding a blast for everyone involved:

Invite Your Guests to Contribute to Your Digital Albums

With GUESTPIX’s new Albums package, you get to effortlessly collect and organize all the cherished moments from your special events as your guests capture them. From the engagement party through to the aufruf, the wedding day itself, and beyond, GUESTPIX’s Albums feature gives you a highly-customizable set up for your different wedding events, with built-in privacy and security settings so you can control which albums guests can see and access via the QR code options.

Guests will have a blast capturing unique memories to share with the two of you, from emotional moments under the chuppah to the unforgettable energy of the hora to the wild dancefloor at the afterparty, and you’ll receive a treasure trove of images capturing the wedding from multiple perspectives.

Challenge Your Guests with GUESTPIX “I Spy” Photo Cards

We’re absolutely obsessed with GUESTPIX’s “I Spy” photo challenge. This is such a fun and easy way to add a fun activity for your guests while encouraging them to capture more of the shots you’ll want to revisit in the future.

Setting up an “I Spy” challenge couldn’t be simpler: before the event, just use one of GUESTPIX’s editable Canva templates to create a list of fun photo tasks for your guests, such as:

  • The ketubah signing
  • Someone laughing
  • The badeken
  • A group selfie
  • Smashing the glass
  • Guests dancing the hora
  • The best-dressed guest

Distribute the list to your guests on the day or display it in various spots around the venue and let the fun begin! Everyone will have a blast hunting for these special shots, and it adds an extra layer of engagement and fun. As they upload their snaps and in-the-moment videos to GUESTPIX, not only do you get a diverse collection of candid moments to treasure, but it also encourages guests to mingle and interact with one another.

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Win a Glow Up for Your Shabbat Table with The Social Kitchen

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Is your Friday night table in need of a refresh? Then I’ve got just the thing for you:we’ve teamed up with The Social Kitchen, London’s chicest option for event styling and crockery hire, to give one lucky winner in London or Hertfordshire UK a design consultation and luxury table setting hire for a Friday night to remember!

I’ve long been a fan of The Social Kitchen’s founder, Dani Tucker, who’s Jewish herself – I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on photoshoots and adore her wonderful cookbooks – and I’m just blown away by her incredible knack for taking table settings from the ordinary to the extraordinary. She’s renowned for her bringing new ideas to the table (literally), and her unique stylings come together to create unforgettable experiences. 

She’s got the most impeccable taste – and I love how she shows that Jewish doesn’t have to equal stodgy and boring, one Shabbat or holiday tablescape at a time! And even if you don’t turn out to be the lucky winner of our competition, Dani’s shared some fabulous ideas for easy DIY upgrades – read on for her tips!

Inspiring Tablescapes 

The Social Kitchen was inspired by Dani’s beloved late mother, Shally, who loved nothing more than hosting family and friends at home, creating magic through her spectacular cooking and effortless hospitality. 

This sense of warmth and belief in the power of hospitality is the heartbeat of everything The Social Kitchen does. And while The Social Kitchen is known for their epic event styling – they work on lots of gorgeous Jewish weddings – you can work with them for any event, from the grandest to the most intimate, like a Shabbat or holiday gathering at home. 

They’ve got a beautifully diverse range of products carefully curated from around the world, including decadent glassware and stylish crockery and cutlery in a huge variety of colours and sizes, designed to be mixed and matched. Add in some vibrant accessories, and you’ve got everything you need to create an unforgettable look.

And when you work with The Social Kitchen, you’re not just getting style – they’re also known for their top-notch service. They’ll take care of every last detail – and are also available to offer support on the day of your event if needed.

Dani’s DIY Tips 

Dani shared three great ideas for DIY ways to upgrade your own Shabbat table, drawn from her years of experience in styling. 

  1. Mix and Match
    Throw out the rule book and blend different styles, colours, patterns and textures! For example, you could pair old and new by taking an heirloom (or thrifted!) lace tablecloth and layering it over a modern fabric to give your table an elevated twist. Mix up your textures by pairing light pink matte plate with a jet black shiny charger. Or you could opt to have a completely different style of wine glass at every place setting for a whimsical look – the possibilities with this one are truly endless!
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  2. Decorate Your Own Challah Cover
    If you’re crafty, you could sew your own from scratch, or buy a gorgeous Jewish embroidery kit – but if you’re looking for something a little simpler, Dani suggests buying a pillow case (or repurposing an old one) and decorating it by doodling with permanent markers! Do it solo, or get your friends and family involved – if you’ve got young children, this could be a really sweet way to create a special family heirloom together! 
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  3. Recycled Vases
    Dani suggests saving jam jars you’ve finished, peeling the labels off, and repurposing them as flower vases! For a dramatic look, use one colour of flower and tie a large ribbon bow round the top of the jar, leaving long tails draping along the table.

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Get Your Glow-Up While Supporting Israel with FRÉ Skincare 

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Since 10/7, I’ve been making an effort to support Israeli businesses – and I know a lot of you have too. And by far my favourite find has been FRÉ Skincare, an awesome Israeli brand with cutting-edge products that are giving me that post-spa glow every day. 

I’ve been using FRÉ products for two months now, since the beginning of January this year, and they’ve been a total game changer for me. My skin has never felt so glowy, dewy, and radiantly healthy – and the ritual of using these seriously luxe-feeling products at the end of each day has become such a restorative wind-down routine.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Jewish Joy + Positivity ✡︎ | Karen Cinnamon (@yourjewishlife)

Giving Back

All of FRÉ’s products are vegan and cruelty-free, and I love their commitment to Tikkum Olam. They offer a 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days after your first order – no questions asked –  and they ship throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and, of course, Israel!

I’m so thrilled to be sharing this wonderful brand with you – try FRÉ for yourself with a 25% discount with the code “JEWISHLIFE”.

Here’s a more detailed rundown on what I’ve been using and, most importantly, the results!

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