The Wedding Atlas · Greece · Athens
Getting Married in Athens
The Acropolis above the city and the Saronic Gulf coast to the south. Athens offers a ceremony terrace with the Parthenon in view, in a city that has hosted important occasions for 2,500 years. Athens Venizelos Airport is among the best connected in Greece, which makes the city the most practical Greek choice for guests from outside Europe.
Part of the Athens destination guide.
- Best months
- April to June and September to November
Where to marry
Where to Get Married in Athens
Acropolis and Plaka
The historic centre below the Acropolis. Properties in Plaka and Monastiraki have terraces looking straight at the rock. The Acropolis is a protected UNESCO site and cannot be hired, but nearby properties give the strongest backdrop for an outdoor ceremony.
Kolonaki and Lycabettus
A residential district below Lycabettus, the highest point in the city. Neoclassical mansions are available for exclusive hire, and a chapel on the summit can host ceremonies with city views.
Athens Riviera (Vouliagmeni and Glyfada)
The coast running south along the Saronic Gulf, a drive from the airport. Hotel estates and a lake complex at Vouliagmeni make up the coastal wedding market, with clear water and pine-covered headlands.
Sounion peninsula
The headland at the southern tip of Attica, where the fifth-century BC Temple of Poseidon stands on a cliff above the Aegean. Several properties nearby use it as a backdrop, though it is harder to reach than the Riviera.
Find your area
Athens on the map
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People who work here
The owners, wedding directors, planners, photographers and chefs behind weddings in Athens.
Eleftheria PapagiannakiFounder and wedding planner, Eventuries Wedding Planning and Styling
Nena PapadopoulouFounder and wedding planner, STYLE CONCEPT Event Solutions
Michaela TheodorakakouFounder and creative director, Mitheo Events
Lydia Dafoti VolteraEvent planner, Mitheo Events
Christina KosmaSenior event designer, Mitheo Events
Vasia ChaniSenior event planner, Mitheo Events
Angeliki AvdikouSenior event planner, Mitheo Events
Joanna LoukakiDirector of events, Mitheo Events
George MarkoulisCo-founder and chief executive, Mitheo EventsA Wedding in Athens
The Acropolis above the city and the Saronic Gulf coast to the south
Wedding geography splits between the city and the Athens Riviera. In the city, neoclassical mansions in Kolonaki and Plaka, rooftop terraces in Monastiraki and converted industrial buildings in Psyrri and Metaxourgeio give the backdrop. The Riviera runs south along the Saronic Gulf through Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, with hotel estates and private beach clubs.
The practical case is year-round access and the option of a city ceremony with a coastal reception on the same day. Athens does not depend on the island season, and the Riviera hotels open for ten months of the year.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in Athens
Rooftop terrace venue
The defining Athens city format: a terrace in Monastiraki, Plaka or Thissio with direct sight lines to the illuminated Acropolis, the city lights below and the Aegean horizon on clear days.
Neoclassical mansion
Nineteenth-century properties in Kolonaki, Kifissia and Psychiko, available for exclusive hire. They combine European classical revival design with a Greek urban character.
Riviera hotel estate
The hotel estates of Vouliagmeni and Glyfada, including a large one set in a peninsula pine forest, combine full resort infrastructure with direct sea access.
Photo: Bright Blue Wedding And EventsThe season
When to get married
Athens has a milder climate than the islands and a longer workable season. Spring, from April to June, is widely seen as best. September and October suit the Riviera, with a warm sea, fewer crowds and good autumn light for photographs. July and August are hot in the city interior, regularly above 38 degrees Celsius, so Riviera venues work better than city terraces. Winter suits city-format weddings.
Getting there
How guests arrive
Athens Venizelos is the hub airport of Greece and the connection point for domestic island flights. The Riviera is a short road transfer, and the city centre is reached by metro on Line 3 or by road.
Athens Venizelos (ATH). Direct year-round flights from major UK airports with British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and the Greek carriers. It is Athens's only civilian airport, so all arrivals route through it.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Athens combines grand historic hotels in the centre with boutique design hotels in Monastiraki, Psiri and Koukaki around the Acropolis.
Syntagma and Plaka
Historic grand hotels on Syntagma Square have rooftop terraces with Acropolis views. Plaka has smaller hotels within walking distance of the archaeological sites.
Monastiraki
The market quarter has boutique hotels with rooftop pools and clear views of the Parthenon, close to mezze restaurants and the ancient Agora.
Koukaki
A quieter residential neighbourhood south of the Acropolis Museum, with small design hotels and easy walks to the museum and the Filopappou Hill viewpoint.
Photo: Eventuries Wedding Planning and StylingFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Athens
Athens dining runs from traditional taverna cooking to contemporary Greek cuisine, with rooftop restaurants around the Acropolis and lively street-food markets.
Mezze and fresh fish in Monastiraki
The lanes around Monastiraki square and the ancient Agora are lined with mezze restaurants serving grilled halloumi, spanakopita, grilled sardines and taramasalata. It suits a relaxed rehearsal dinner.
Rooftop dining
Rooftop restaurants in central Athens look to the Acropolis, most striking in the evening when the monument is lit.
Souvlaki
Street souvlaki, wrapped in warm pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, is best from the grill shops of Monastiraki and Psiri, open late into the night.
Good to know
Before you book
Getting there
Athens Venizelos has direct scheduled flights from London Heathrow, Gatwick and other UK and European airports all year, and the metro links it to the city centre.
Athens as a wedding destination
Athens suits couples who want a cultural city setting rather than a beach or island. A civil ceremony needs documents filed in advance with the relevant municipality.
The Acropolis and archaeology
The Acropolis, the ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaestus and the National Archaeological Museum can fill several days around the wedding. In summer, early morning visits avoid the crowds and the heat.
City heat in summer
Outdoor ceremonies in July and August belong in the early evening, with shade, cold water and good ventilation for guests.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
Can the ceremony have the Acropolis as its backdrop?
The Acropolis cannot be hired, but rooftop terraces in Monastiraki, Thissio and Plaka have direct sight lines to the lit Parthenon and Erechtheion at night.
What is the Athens Riviera?
The coast south of Athens along the Saronic Gulf, through Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza towards Cape Sounion. It holds the most concentrated hotel and beach club infrastructure on the Greek mainland.
How easy is Athens for guests from abroad?
It has the most internationally connected airport in Greece, with direct routes from London, New York, Dubai, Singapore and Toronto.
What stands at Cape Sounion?
A fifth-century BC marble temple on a cliff south of Athens, above the point where the Aegean and Saronic Seas meet. Lord Byron carved his name on a column in 1810, and sunset there is a celebrated view.
Is Athens suited to a summer wedding?
In July and August the city reaches 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, so outdoor terraces are uncomfortable before evening. The Riviera has sea breezes, and city venues are best in spring and autumn.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Athens
Tell Aura the setting, the season and the size of your day. She shortlists the venues and professionals that fit, and explains why.
More Wedding Destinations
This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.