cant see the images? download flash player free here

santorini trip

our flight took a short 3 hours 45minutes and timed perfectly for arriving in time for sunset, our first highly anticipated views of the volcano were everything we'd hoped and more, the sun was still an hour from setting and already the colours were forming over the ocean. we quickly checked in, dropped of our belongings and headed to the front of the hotel to watch the fast approaching sunset, a very popular spot we found and as we were shortly joined by other hotel guests with bottles of local wine and plates of olives in hand, apparently no 2 sunsets are ever the same.

for 3 hours we sat mesmerized by the view before us, the changing colours lasting long after the sun had disappeared, the finale being the glittering sparkles of lights of the hotels, homes and restaurants, that appeared before us on the island before us an in oia once the last ounce of daylight had disappeared!

now ready to taste some local cuisine we headed of into imergliovi at the recommendation of our hotel manager. we enjoyed local fresh fish with a bottle of the local beer keo which we were already familiar with from our trips to zante.

the next day we arose early to take the hillside walk into fira the capital, the walk in theory takes 20 minutes, but if you enjoy breathtaking views and taking photographs I would advise allowing at least 2 hours, every turn you take you are greeted by more beautiful vistas and stunning greek architecture, all the hotels are built into the hillside and it's a real marvel how some of the hotels balance on the edge, each one carefully designed to make as much of the views around whilst allowing privacy at the same time.

fira was the bustling town we expected, the capital is visited by cruise ships daily, and from my experience of working on one this means that you are bombarded by lots and lots of tourists all looking for the best bargains and souvenirs in the shops which are aplenty here. fira is packed with wonderful bars and restaurants overlooking the volcano, the food is quite pricey, but worth every penny, even if only to enjoy the views!

the next day we met with our wedding planner for a tour of our wedding venues and potential new additions to our portfolio. santorini felt larger than I expected, but you can still drive from one side to another in less than 2.5 hours. all of our wedding venues are situated on the volcano side and are within easy reach of fira a popular destination for couples and families.
here are our thoughts on the venues we visited.

profitis elias
my most favourite venue, the ride up may be a little hair rising but the rewards are obvious. profitis elias is a charming bijou church, the ceremony takes place in its outdoor courtyard taking in prime views of the caldera, this venue is far away from the hustle of any of the resorts offering privacy and peaceful surroundings. it offers the best views of the volcano and sunset along with exclusivity that is not always guaranteed at other venues.

st irini
beautiful location just outside of the capital fira, allowing some wonderful views of the caldera, my only slight disappointment with this venue is that is it next to a quite busy road, a wall does shelter some of the noise but some can still sometimes be heard and this may affect the romantic feeling we like to create for weddings.

wineries
famous for wines production, there is no surprise then that santorini is popular for its winery weddings, we visited two of the most popular locations, antoniou and santo both beautiful for different reasons, but I preferred antoniou because the exclusivity it offers, a grand room inside the winery is excellent for dancing the night away while outside terrace offers some of the best views of the caldera whilst enjoying a celebration dinner.

santo winery offers slightly better views of the volcano but it is more open to the public, a section would be cornered off for you, however this wouldn't stop the noise of other clients or prevent them watching your most private ceremony, if this doesn't bother you then this is a lovely venue, however they cannot cater for receptions on site, which means an outside caterer such as selene's would provide the food and can be a little pricey! dj's cannot be used at the venue as it may disturb the other guests visiting the winery, but fira is only a short journey away if you fancy partying the night away!

churches
santorini has over 450 churches so you really are spoilt for choice, only catholic and orthodox weddings are legal on the island, the ceremonies and locations are really are beautiful and the priests are some of the most flexible and accommodating I know!

hotel weddings
our wedding planner brought us to the santorini princess hotel in imergliovi to show us around this very special hotel. this hotel is perfect for intimate private weddings, with perfect views of the volcano, surrounded by natural beauty the ceremony takes place on a high terrace overlooking the caldera, receptions can also be catered here, this is one of the most romantic hotels on the island and the service and quality here is second to none, perfect for honeymoons, the only downside is that because this hotel is so fabulous is it very popular and books up very fast! you need to be on the ball to have your wedding here!

on day five of our trip we hired a car to tour the length of the island, it is quite different from one side to another. akrotiri and the red beaches of the south of the island offer natural and untouched views, with a few local fish resultants scattered around the coast, well worth a visit. although some development is on its way offering luxury villas and hotels, it still remains very natural and authentic.

fira
fira is a bustling town, catering for the hundreds of tourists that don its shores each day from the cruise ships, a mix of local shops and designer boutiques will please the keenest of shoppers. even though this is the most commercialised area of the island, it still offers some of the best views of the volcano and some of the best restaurants, its lively atmosphere lends itself perfectly to a wedding celebration, with plenty of bars and restaurants for the younger ones to party on afterwards.

famous restaurants like selene and vanilla can be found here and are well worth a visit. (even though I found vanilla a bit too intimate with you almost sitting right on top of your fellow guests!)

imergliovi
imergliovi is the perfect spot for honeymooners, quiet luxury hotels, stunning views, privacy, no loud music, local greek restaurants. leaving you plenty of time to spend quality undisturbed time together! my favourite hotel? the santorini princess.

oia
pronounced (EE-YA) is the furthest point to the north of the island and is a picture perfect traditional greek village, destroyed by an earthquake in the 50's it has now rebuilt itself to its former glory, offering some of the most luxurious hotels on the island neatly disguised in traditional architecture on the hillside. famous restaurants such as 1800 and ambrosias can be found here. I did find however that because of how built up this side of the island was that a lot of the hotels were overlooked, so I'm not sure exactly how much privacy you would get from your terrace, but this is the only fault I could find, this place is magical and romantic and a favourite for brides and grooms!

kamari
we stayed here for 3 nights, partly because we booked so late and wasn't left with much choice, however our hotel the tamarix del mar and was absolutely superb! they did seem to have a problem with overbooking whilst we were there but they definitely did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable and pleasant. the rooms are luxury defined, with so much attention to every tiny detail! our roof top jacuzzi was a real treat! the beaches on the island are black and didn't appear to be very crowded, although this could be the time of year! the restaurants here are traditional and scrumptious and a little kinder to your wallet. this would be an ideal spot for wedding relatives on a budget, transfers between resorts are 15 minutes at the most so not an unrealistic distance and at least then the bride and groom get their privacy!!

perissa
a quieter version of kamari, the resort was almost closed down by the time we visited in october, but it seemed very friendly and welcoming.

there is so much to see on this small island, it seems a shame to go for a week and not explore, they are clearly proud of its fascinating history and have made the most of its beauty which is why most visitors return year after year! the architecture will leave you amazed and I can now appreciate why this is a popular haunt for artists and photographers from all over the world. the island is also full of hill walks and trails for climbers/hikers, there really is something for everyone here, although for children I would suggest the beach resorts of perissa and kamari which are more family friendly.

we can't wait to go back to santorini, the only difference this time is we'll book in advance, the island is so popular that if you leave it too late you may not end up with the type of accommodation you want. It is not hard to see why santorini is so popular with wedding couples, it is unlike any other greek island, it offers beauty, the famous greek hospitality and the exclusivity that cannot be found on many other islands. a wedding here will be an occasion that no one will ever forget.