Marrying in Mykonos
Mykonos is the most cosmopolitan of the Greek islands and has a deep international villa market. Artists, writers and the international jet-set have visited since the 1950s, and the hotels, villa agencies and creative suppliers grew around that history. The windmills above Mykonos Town, the Little Venice quarter and the blue and white maze of the Chora are among the best-known images in Greece.
Mykonos Town, in the north, is a town-focused base, while the south is given over to beaches and villas. The town is the architectural heart, with the Kato Mili windmills above Little Venice. The south and southeast, around Elia, Agrari and Kalafatis beaches, hold the most private villas. The north, around Ftelia and Panormos, is windier and wilder.
The case for Mykonos over Santorini is scale and variety. The island is larger and the villa pool deeper, and a real town culture and several beach settings give a multi-day programme more options.
The seasons
- Best
- Shoulder
- Peak
- Quieter
5 Star view Our reading of the wedding year, from the months below.
- Best months
- May to June and September
- Shoulder season
- April and October
- Peak season
- July and August
Mykonos has a compressed season. The island is quiet from November to March, and the influx from late June to August is intense. May and June offer balanced conditions, with the island coming to life and suppliers engaged but not overwhelmed. September, after the August visitors leave, is the usual choice of planners for its light and more intimate character.
Daylight and sunset
The bar runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. A ceremony is usually timed an hour or two before the sunset shown.
Calculated From the coordinates of Mykonos, local time, for 2027.
Ramadan and Eid
For couples and guests who observe them, the dates to plan a wedding around.
| Year | Ramadan | Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 Feb to 8 Mar | 9 Mar | 16 May |
| 2028 | 28 Jan to 25 Feb | 26 Feb | 5 May |
Calculated From the Umm al-Qura calendar. The observed dates follow the sighting of the moon and can fall a day either side.
The areas of Mykonos
Mykonos Town (Chora)
The architectural and cultural centre, a maze of whitewashed lanes with the windmills above Little Venice. It suits ceremonies in town venues or hotel event spaces overlooking the harbour.
Little Venice
The quarter on the water, where balconied houses extend over the sea. The sunset view with the windmills behind is the defining image of the island.
South and southeast (Elia and Agrari)
The most private part of the island, with the largest concentration of villas, most with sea views and pool terraces. The land is drier and more exposed, but privacy and views are best here.
Ano Mera and the interior
The only inland village of note, with a more working, less touristic character and the 16th-century Monastery of Panagia Tourliani. Little used for weddings, it offers a more authentically Cycladic setting.
What venues are like
Private villa
The defining Mykonos format: a privately owned property, usually on an elevated site with sea views, a pool terrace and space for a seated dinner. The best are handled by specialist agencies and need a planner relationship.
Boutique hotel
The island has many design-led hotels. Hotel venues bring full service alongside the architecture, and exclusive buyout of event spaces is the usual format.
Town venue
Private houses in the Chora lanes, harbour-front spaces and Little Venice properties. The pedestrian-only lanes need specific planning for arrivals and catering.
Airports and transfers
- Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) The year-round hub, with frequent domestic flights, practical for intercontinental arrivals.
- Thessaloniki Macedonia (SKG)
- Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis (HER)
- Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis (CHQ)
- Santorini Thira (JTR) Relevant for couples combining both islands, which are linked by high-speed ferry.
- Mykonos (JMK) Seasonal direct routes from London Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh, typically May to October.
- Rhodes Diagoras (RHO)
- Corfu Ioannis Kapodistrias (CFU)
- Zakynthos Dionysios Solomos (ZTH)
Mykonos Airport has seasonal direct routes from several UK airports from May to October, and year-round access runs through Athens. A high-speed ferry links Mykonos and Santorini, which makes island combinations practical.
Marrying legally in Greece
Foreign couples marry in a civil ceremony at a Greek municipality. Residents abroad send the municipality a marriage licence or certificate of no impediment from their own country, with birth certificates and passport copies, apostilled and translated into Greek, and the municipality then fixes the date and time of the ceremony.
- 1Two months before, as a planning guide
Send the documents to the municipality
Choose the municipality where the ceremony will be held and send it, in person or by email, the licence or certificate of no impediment issued in your own country (naming both spouses and its period of validity), a recent birth certificate, a family status certificate where your country issues one, and a passport copy. Foreign documents must be originals, carry the Hague Apostille (or consular certification for other countries) and be translated into Greek by an accepted translator.
- 2Once the file is checked
Fix the date and licence
The municipality checks and signs the file and agrees the date and time of the ceremony with you. Under the national procedure the licence is granted by the mayor once a one-week objection period has passed without objection, and it is valid for 6 months.
- 3The day
The civil ceremony
Held by the municipality. The marriage is then registered with the Greek civil registry.
- Residency
- not required for the civil ceremony at a municipality that accepts non-residents
- Home-country paper
- licence or certificate of no impediment naming both spouses
- Documents
- apostilled, originals, translated into Greek
- Objection period
- 1 week
- Licence validity
- 6 months
Already married at home?5 Star view
Many couples complete the legal or religious marriage in their own country and hold the celebration here. A ceremony with no legal effect needs none of the steps above: the venue and the planner arrange it.
Who needs a visa
Travelling from the United States
American citizens visit Greece without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under Schengen rules. The European Union's ETIAS travel authorisation will be required of visa-exempt visitors, Americans included, once it is operating; it is not yet operating and no start date has been announced.
Travelling from the United Kingdom
British passport holders visit Greece without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area. The passport must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. The European Union's Entry/Exit System registers fingerprints and a photograph at the border on a first visit.
Other nationalities
EU and EEA nationals need no visa. Other nationalities check with the Greek embassy or consulate in their country.
Reference National Registry of Administrative Public Services (en.mitos.gov.gr): issue of a marriage licence for foreign residents in Greece, read 2026-10-21. Municipality of Chania civil marriages office: documents for foreigners residing abroad (September 2023), read 2026-10-21. gov.uk: Greece entry requirements, read 2026-10-21. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu), read 2026-10-21. Checked 21 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the authority that will marry you before you book.
Accommodation
Mykonos Town and the hillside above Ornos Bay are the main bases, from design-led boutique hotels to large resorts on the southern coast.
At the table
Eating on Mykonos centres on fresh fish, mezedes and grilled meat, with a strong tradition of waterfront dining.
Meze and fresh fish
Small plates of octopus, taramasalata, tzatziki and grilled calamari. The fish tavernas on the Little Venice waterfront have tables above the sea.
Kopanisti
A pungent, spicy cured cheese particular to Mykonos, made from cow and goat milk and served in a meze spread or on bread.
Loukoumades
Honey doughnuts fried to order with cinnamon and crushed walnuts, a street-food staple found near the market.
Beach club dining
Beach clubs on Ftelia Beach serve seafood, salads and grilled fish, a popular choice for wedding-day lunches.
What planners tell couples
Getting there
Direct seasonal flights run from May to October. Outside that period connections run through Athens. The airport is close to Mykonos Town.
Party culture and shoulder season
July and August bring heavy club tourism, higher prices and congested roads. Couples wanting a quieter celebration should consider May or September.
Wedding licensing
A legally binding ceremony in Greece needs specific documentation and often a Greek-speaking officiant. Many couples register at home and hold a symbolic ceremony on the island.
Getting around
The roads wind and are shared with ATVs and mopeds in season, and taxis can be hard to find at peak times. Larger parties should pre-arrange transfers with a local operator.
