Our Big Fat Greek Wedding - Cretan Style

Saturday, July Eighteenth 2009
My father's whole family going back centuries has lived in or around the small village of Kambos in Crete. Our wedding will be in the village's main church that was built by my great-great-grandfather on his land. Kambos is located about 45 minutes from Platanias (the city we recommend staying in), and we will provide transportation to the church and the reception.

The reception will be held on the beach in Sfinari, another village about 15 minutes from Kambos. This will be a traditional Cretan reception with fresh food (from the villages), Cretan wine, tsikoudia (Greek moonshine), and traditional music. Just a warning to everyone… Cretan weddings used to last 3 or 4 days, so be prepared for a long night of eating, drinking, and dancing. It's not uncommon for the party to last until sunrise or later. Not to worry though, we will have transportation back to Platanias all throughout the party.

Platanias
Platanias is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Crete. The city has incredible sandy beaches, great restaurants, bars, and clubs. Because transportation to the ceremony is being provided from Platanias, we highly recommend that you stay there while in Crete.

Hotel Information
There are a ton of hotels in and around Platanias. Sarah and I are staying at the Porto Platanias Hotel because of its central location and proximity to my parents' place. All transportation to and from the wedding/reception will originate from the Porto Platanias Hotel.

Another hotel in the area is the Oscar Suites, which is owned by my godfather.

The Wedding Day

Getting to church: 4:30pm, bus leaves from Porto Platanias Hotel
Everyone will meet at the Porto Platanias around 4:30 where we will have transportation set up to take us to the church. The drive to Kambos is amazing… it's mostly winding roads through the mountains with breath-taking views. If you are anything like my mother and are afraid of winding mountain roads without guard rails then please sit on the driver's side and let the more adventurous sit on the right. It takes about an hour to get to the village.

The Ceremony: 6:00-7:00pm, in Kambos
The church is really small and standing room only. Because of this, the family of the bride and groom are usually inside the church and everyone else stands or sits outside. Honestly, the church gets pretty warm so the place to be is outside. There are no public bathrooms, no water fountains, and no air conditioning so be prepared. The ceremony will begin around 6:00pm (when it starts to get cooler) and will last about an hour.

Getting to Reception: 7:00-7:15pm
The reception is in Sfinari which is a 15 minute drive, transportation is once again provided.

The Reception: 7:15pm-7:00am (last one standing), in Sfinari
If the Cretan's know one thing, it's how to drink, eat, and dance. We'll be doing a lot of it. We will have a Greek band that will play traditional Cretan music. There will be way too much food and alcohol and people will be making sure you ate too much and drank too much. When you are too stuffed to move they will drag you up to dance. Don't worry it's easy… mostly going around in circles and kicking. If you kick someone that's ok… they don't mind, and as the night and drinking goes on they'll be kicking each other too.

Good luck trying to say no to a Cretan… I haven't been able to. The best thing to do is take whatever they are giving you… if you can't eat or drink anymore than take a small bite or sip and then smile and put it down. If you need to take a breather the beach is a couple of steps away… the salt air will help clear your head. If you need to go back to your hotel then we'll have transportation set up to take you back.

Helpful Links
Google Map of where things are
Trip Advisor hotels in Platanias

I came across this episode of Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and thought I would share...