It was always our dream to marry on a Greek island, but which one as there are so many beautiful ones to choose from? Oh and how do you go about getting this organized; not exactly a frequent experience for a Brit, marrying a Polish girl and living in Switzerland? I had a brain wave to ask my Greek colleague in Athens. Where would Greek people recommend to get married? Paxi (Paxos) was right up at the top of the list. I did know of the island as in my single days I went to Corfu and took a boat trip to Paxos. Although we did not set foot on the island, I remember the clear, turquoise waters, perfect bays and vowed to return to one day. A quick Google ‘Weddings + Paxos’, and up comes the Paxos Weddings site owned by Sam and Stu, a British couple who live there and plan weddings. Fate lends a hand.
We made contact and we looked at dates. June 10th (the only available date) worked for a small group of our closest family and friends, so we had just 6 months to plan and hold our dream wedding. In this unchartered situation, we put complete trust in Sam to guide us through. Right from the outset, we got clear guidance on a range of options for venues, catering, flowers, transport, music and accommodation and of course the formalities. We were not put under any pressure to choose and had flexibility to change things where possible right until the last minute. We found Sam really approachable, well organized and followed through on our requests every time. Importantly, the admin and translations seemed a little daunting but she put us in contact with a service that can do all this for you, this was a great help.
Our friends and family all arrived for a 3 day wedding celebration: Day 1 meeting and greeting, day 2 the wedding and day 3 we called the aftermath!. If you can arrange this, a pre dinner for all at the Erimitis bar, overlooking the West Coast cliffs at sunset is a one in a life time experience. This and a few shots of Polish vodka really got people together and ready for the big day. As everyone stayed at the Paxos Beach Hotel in Gaios, the boys walked into town on the wedding day and the girls were picked up by a little boat and taken to a beautiful little town hall on the harbour front. The Mayor turned up on his bicycle and performed a brief ceremony. We were serenaded onto the boat by guitars and a singer to be greeted by the Love Boat theme and a trip around the island and then to our reception at Mongonissi taverna. We anchored the boat in a beautiful little bay overlooked by a church and said our personal vows with not a dry eye in the house (or boat).
There is hardly a more idyllic setting for a wedding than the Mongonissi taverna. This is the only place in an oasis of calm, blue, clear water and has its own soft sand beach and the family owners could not do enough to make it your day. Do not expect a typical English wedding where everything is timed and formal, this is just so relaxed and flexible to your needs. As the trio played and sang a mix of smooth ballads, we took in the amazing scene, ate typical Greek food including the tastiest lamb on a spit. After lunch (and I cannot ever recall this at any other wedding), everyone just got into their bathing costumes and began swimming, playing and sun bathing on the beach culminating in the pyramid of men routine!
Throughout the day, Sam and Stuart were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly and it went to perfection. They left us to it after the Greek dancing and the party went on into the early hours. There was never a moment when people were not dancing to Abba and the rest. I am pleased but not surprised to tell you that our group now holds the record for number of drinks drank at a wedding at the taverna!
So, this is our story and reflection of one of the best days in our life. Most of our friends were grieving at having to go home and we will come back next year. We cannot thank Sam and Stu enough for the support they gave us and highly recommend any people who are thinking about it to just take the plunge and go for it. It will be unforgettable.