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cyprus trip

our last trip of 2005 was to paphos, cyprus, one of our most popular wedding destinations, we thought this would be one of our less hectic trips due to all our venues being in one resort, however we were wrong and a busy week lay ahead, read on to learn about our trip!

day one

we arrived in cyprus around midnight after a smooth short flight, we checked into our hotel and were asleep the second our heads hit the pillow!

day two

I couldn't wait to take in my first real view of cyprus and was certainly not disappointed; the sea was as blue and clear as the brochures promised it was also pleasantly warm for an early october morning!

we left our hotel and headed towards the harbour a scenic walk with uninterrupted views out to sea. we were soon ready to escape the heat for a while and decided to stop for lunch in a pleasant looking terrace style restaurant, this is where I had my first taste of halloumi. the locally produced cheese is delicious, it is a cross between feta with the texture of an english mature cheese, and so versatile, needless to say this was the basis of my diet for the whole trip!!

later that day we met with our wedding planner by the harbour and enjoyed a sunset drink, he filled us in on the best places to visit on the island and the history, along with talk of weddings of course!!

we finished the evening with a meal in a new american restaurant highly recommended by our wedding planner and retired to our beds happily fed!

day three – kerry and james'wedding

the next day we awoke to more glorious sunshine, we were very excited as a couple of our clients james and kerry were getting married that day.

day four

the next day we awoke with slightly sore heads and enjoyed a late breakfast. we had decided after speaking to a lot of our clients that the troodos mountains where a must see! we hired a sturdy looking jeep as we had been advised some of the roads where slightly unfinished, (what an understatement), the occupants of the little nissan behind us looked like they were having an uncomfortable ride, we decided not to get too far in front incase they needed a tow!

the scenery was outstanding and constantly changing the higher up the mountain we got. we drove through lots of quaint small villages and saw some beautiful chapels and churches on our way. we stopped frequently to enjoy the stunning vistas and to take photographs.

the temperature started to drop so we knew that we were nearing our destination. the mountains are so high that the temperature can vary drastically to the costal resorts. in october, it can be as low as 14 or 15 degrees with intermittent rain in the mountains. due to the cooler weather this part of the island is quieter at this time of year, but in my opinion it's also the best time to appreciate its natural beauty.

we drove through the main resort (with our jackets on) and walked amongst the local shops and traders, enjoying the smell of roasted nuts that seemed to be on sale everywhere, there's also some good bargains to be found in these small shops, so worth a stop if you get the chance. I would also recommend lunch in one of the small cafes to enjoy the views while sampling the local cuisine.

our next stop was the kykkos monastery to see the church of gold! this is well worth a visit; the atmosphere in the church is very moving and the exhibitions very informative.

day five

the next day it was an early start as we had much to see, we had planned a tour around each of the wedding venues, here are our thoughts!

yeriskipou town hall

east of kato paphos around 15 minutes from the harbour we arrived in the small village of yeriskipou, most of the houses here are owned by the locals, there is some new development underway, but it is still very much a local town which adds to its charm. yeriskipou town hall I must say is one of my favourite venues, it's very old but really well maintained, with its open naturalistic setting. the council last year erected a very modern but sympathetic shade so the bride, groom and their guests would feel more comfortable in the heat during the wedding ceremony.

peyia town hall

peyia town hall is situated west of kato paphos, a little further out of town between paphos town centre and coral bay. the ceremony takes place under a beautiful decorated wooden gazebo. the old fountains here no longer work but are a stunning backdrop for the wedding photographs . the young cypriots used to visit the fountains to drink the fresh water and to meet other boys or girls so it seems rather fitting that this is now the spot where hundreds of couples each year tie the knot.  

paphos town hall

a beautiful grand building. the wedding rooms inside are lovely, decorated luxuriously in burgundy and reds. there are two ceremony rooms, one allowing for large weddings where the bride can walk up the aisle on the arm of her father and also a smaller more intimate room for weddings parties of 10 or less. the steps outside make a lovely photograph setting.

st georges

a small modern church, with delightful vivid religious paintings on each wall. smaller than I realised, with little standing room, I would say room for a maximum of 28 at the most. a beautiful setting for a wedding with lovely scenery outside and with a very pretty altar where the ceremony takes place. this venue is also ideally air conditioned for the really hot months, which is a real bonus!

ayia kyriaki

a wonderful historic building ideally situated in the centre of paphos, the bride makes her entrance via an old wooden walkway through the double doors into the church. ayia kyriaki has ample seating for very large weddings, the air here is also nice and cool due to the thick walls and small windows.

the elysium

an elegant 5 star hotel, gracefully designed for comfort and relaxation. the weddings are held in the mini amphitheatre which is far enough from the pool to feel private, and yet you are still privy to the fabulous views of the hotel and sea beyond. If your budget will stretch this far the elysium is an excellent honeymoon hotel and the perfect setting for a wedding reception.

later that day...

that evening we had planned to eat at a local taverna, popular with our wedding couples. we were given the best table in the house, right next to the stage for the entertainment later in the evening (i'm sure this was because our wedding planner had arranged it!)!

we decided to go with the fish meze's, which was served promptly in small dishes filled with dips and bread and was so delicious and fresh, we were quite overwhelmed by the amount and varieties of fish we were served, enough food for a family of six easily. our sides were splitting but I was determined to sample everything, except the octopus and ink fish which I politely declined!

the entertainment began around 9.30, we were entertained by a couple of traditional cypriot dancers and a local man who could balance almost anything on his head (52 glasses altogether I believe) the fun really begins when members of the audience are invited to place the next glass on top of the last, and by this time of the night there where plenty of people more than merry on the local drink!!

the entertainment ended with almost everyone up and dancing, or at least trying to. the line of dancers were led outside to a spectacular finale, a pre prepared cross of fire which is set alight and which everyone danced around, it was great to watch!

there was a wedding on the table behind us and it sounded like they were having an excellent time, drinking eating and dancing!

i must say this was one of our best evenings of the trip, it is a wonderful venue for a traditional wedding reception dinner, it's as informal as they come, but with a splash of style!! the only consideration is that because this venue is so popular there can sometimes be more than one wedding, and although the restaurant will respectively sit each party in different areas you will more than likely see other couples. however even with this in mind I would still highly recommend this venue for anyone looking for an excellent time with good entertainment, at a very reasonable price!!

day six

our second to last day came around too quickly, we decided to see the amphitheatre, aphrodite's bath and also stop at a vineyard on the way to sample some of the locally grown wines.

cyprus really is a beautiful island, bigger than I anticipated and so diverse, it really is an all round resort with accommodation and entertainment to suit all budgets and ages. and when you put that together with the cypriot hospitality it would be hard not to have a good time!

we were very sad to leave and can't wait to go back (especially to sample some more of that lovely food!).