Interview Stelios Koundourakis

Photos Andreas Markakis
Instagram | www.amarkakis.com

The Idea of Wedding Planning in Crete for Couples and Their Guests from Abroad – How Did It Begin?

I would be lying if I said that my company, Crete for Love, was the first in Chania or Crete. When we started in 2013, there were already a few wedding planning agencies but very few in comparison to today’s market. Now, new agencies show up every year, and most advertise to primarily target international clientele. Local couples, on the other hand, often feel that they don’t need an agency’s help for organizing their weddings and prefer to do it themselves, frequently with the help of family.

The idea and concept of wedding planning hold tremendous value, but the success truly lies in executing it correctly!

We are a family-run business, and everything began with my husband Andreas Markakis’ photography expertise, complemented by my own experience in the hotel industry. At that time, I worked in hotels, where one could truly understand how, in Greece, we strive to express our Greek and Cretan hospitality through the experience of local accommodation and culture.

Crete has always offered and continues to offer unique experiences to both tourists and locals. However, weddings here 10 years ago followed a very different philosophy. Only a few paid attention to the details that truly made a difference. Bridal preparations were often done in spaces unsuitable for proper photography, setups lacked finesse, and instead of focusing on the wedding’s elegant aspects, flaws were overlooked for the sake of practicality. Incorrect event timing often “stole” the best Mediterranean light. Additionally, many weddings took place in the same venues, which, while functional, did not showcase the true essence of the island.

Then, we asked ourselves: Where are our stunning mountains, vineyards, olive groves, and, yes, our beaches? And what about the proper presentation of Cretan and Greek cuisine?

We envisioned offering an experience where the couple could truly enjoy the island’s authentic atmosphere. Through a meticulously planned and organized event, we aimed to promote our land.

Let’s not forget that wedding tourism is a form of travel that attracts a discerning and high-quality clientele. These are the clients who care about quality, and only with the right image, targeted options, and solid infrastructure can they be won over.

We followed the example of other countries and regions of Greece, such as Santorini… and it worked. However, it was neither an automatic nor a simple process. So, do not judge it by the current image of weddings in Crete which is a complete product that now has to be improved.

Who is a Wedding Planner?

A wedding planner is a professional. Yes, they are taxed, ha-ha!

While formal education is not required, the role demands knowledge across various fields. It also requires a specific personality and skill set. In fact, when a business decides to handle weddings for international clients, the head planner and their team must speak foreign languages. English is essential and must be at a high level, as many times, we are involved in civil or religious weddings that require specific terminology and legal considerations.

A wedding is essentially an event production. It involves extensive preparation for one moment or day to ensure everything is perfect! On the wedding day, we are LIVE.

This means that the person, company, or team you hire as your planner must first present you with a clear plan of how they will collaborate with you, understand your needs, and offer suggestions that align with your tastes and the budget you’ve set for the wedding. Striking a balance between your desires and the actual cost of services is crucial. A good wedding planner, who truly understands the profession, will be able to explain where certain costs come from and, with their expertise and creativity, suggest viable alternatives, always within reasonable frames.

I often joke that I end up being both an accountant and a psychologist!

A wedding planner typically becomes a friend during the planning and organizing process. There must be so called “chemistry”, but a balance of roles must also be maintained. The client (the couple) needs to feel secure, but there will inevitably be times when the wedding planner must decline certain choices, knowing from their experience that they will negatively affect the final result. Honest communication and mutual understanding between both parties create a pleasant and fun atmosphere, even amidst the pressure to make everything perfect.

A wedding planner ensures that the couple enjoys their day while also ensuring that the guests have a good time. If the schedule and key moments—such as the cake cutting, the first dance, or the couple’s arrival at the venue—don’t follow a set program, it’s like “throwing money away” on something without substance. Guests will admire the beautiful decorations (which will also look great in photos), but they don’t want to wait endlessly for the couple or the food—they’ve come to celebrate. Without a proper flow, guests get tired and lose interest.

A wedding planner makes sure all the elements come together seamlessly and that everything planned becomes a reality.

Nowadays, most venues have more limited operating hours, and someone must keep an eye on the clock. This task cannot be left to the couple’s family or friends. While they may have the best intentions, they often lack the necessary experience and become exhausted. They don’t want to “work” at your wedding. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen a relief when I’ve taken the microphone from a friend or cousin of the couple to announce the schedule, inform guests about bus arrivals, etc.

For this reason, it’s best for the couple to plan everything from the start, with the wedding planner’s presence and involvement.

When a couple chooses to book all vendors themselves but later realizes the effort involved in coordinating updates, changes, and everything else, they may seek the help of a wedding planner. By that point, in my opinion, it’s already too late… and there’s a high chance of mistakes. Most professional wedding planners will be reluctant to take on such events. Figuring out: who said what and when, it takes a lot of time and, ultimately, means higher costs. In wedding planning, last-minute decisions can be costly.

A wedding planner is with you from the very beginning, starting with selecting the venue and, if not, the early stages of choosing catering or bar services. These are not just about food and drinks—they impact the entire event’s flow. Experiences and visuals are created. Many things, if there is creativity and a budget, can be customized. However, this requires time—research, and reliable partners to ensure the best outcome.

For this reason, proper and thorough planning is not a cheap service. It’s highly personalized. It involves countless hours, endless emails, follow-ups, presentations, phone calls, meetings, and overseeing the day itself. The wedding might be at 6 p.m., but setup starts early in the morning (sometimes even the day before!). Every vendor must stay on top of their part, but the wedding planner is the conductor, orchestrating the entire event.

Why Do You Like Doing This Job?

I believe that anyone who chooses this career must, above all, have a deep love for people and possess the curiosity and respect needed to interact with individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

It’s not always easy, and at times, it can be exhausting. In these instances, we set clear boundaries. Just as couples choose us, we, as professionals, must also recognize when we are not the right fit for a prospective client and respectfully decline the opportunity.

This is an inherently personal job, and it’s important to acknowledge that we cannot be the right fit for everyone.

I’m constantly inspired by the love stories of my couples. They provide pure inspiration, often becoming material for a potential bestseller, ha-ha!

I thrive on the intensity and challenges of solving problems and bringing together so many different elements to create the perfect day.

The decorative aspect of weddings is particularly creative, and when the couple has the budget to allocate, the possibilities are endless. We can transform simple spaces into breathtaking fairytale settings. I would say this is the most fun part, but also the most challenging.

We often say, “I like it simple,” but simplicity is often much more complicated and costly than it seems. It looks “simple” because we’ve worked hard to achieve balance and harmony with the environment. Unfortunately, many couples reach the limits of their budget when it comes to decorations. Their Pinterest-inspired mood boards often need to be “trimmed,” as many ideas must be adapted because they simply cannot be replicated in real life.

The brainstorming process is exciting, and I love finding creative solutions for my clients.

How Much Does a Wedding Planner Service Cost?

A wedding planner is not for everyone, and not everyone needs one. If you don’t have the time, don’t know how to organize a party (and it feels like too much!), or simply don’t want to involve family and friends because you feel that a neutral, professional opinion and presence will represent you better, then it’s worth hiring an experienced company.

When we want to relax, we pay for a massage or go on vacation. The same principle applies to a wedding—if you don’t want to run around on your wedding day, managing everything from the chef to the flowers, answering endless phone calls, and being the sole point of contact when things go wrong, then investing in a professional to take care of it is well worth it.

For me, wedding planning is similar to building a house. You use the help of those who can take on the entire project or, from the start, find and coordinate each worker. Yes, it may cost less (depending on how we measure it—whether we have free time and want to dedicate it to the task), but it will take more time and cause more stress (it’s not the same talking to one or two people as it is to “chase” 15 different vendors!). And when mistakes are made, or when Plan B is needed, we are the ones who will take on the extra work, find replacements, and more.

It’s a big topic discussing what could go wrong, ha-ha!

This is where a wedding planner steps in. Many times, most couples don’t need to know what broke, what was missing, or how we managed to find the perfect replacement at the last minute.

Here in Crete, this “investment” in your wedding will typically cost between €2,000 and €5,000, depending on factors such as the event’s requirements, the experience of the agency, the size of the wedding, and the planning process’s duration. Crete is a large island, so don’t forget the costs related to covering distances.

There are different service frameworks, and each planner, if they’ve properly assessed the situation, will explain how they work and help you understand the value of their service. An all-inclusive package is quite different from a fully customized design, which offers a variety of options and continuous communication with the client. Working from home is different from having a physical office with staff. There are options, and that’s the beauty of it—you can judge for yourself.

Do You Need a Wedding Planner to Organize a Wedding or to Celebrate a Personal Moment?

This is a very personal decision and depends on who we are as individuals, what our budget is, and what we expect from an event or wedding.

If we have the time, are well-organized, and don’t have too much on our plate, I would say it’s better to keep things simple and handle it ourselves.

However, if, like many of my couples, we have demanding careers, children, and limited moments to just relax and enjoy ourselves without getting bogged down in logistics, searching, and negotiations, then a wedding planner is definitely the right choice.

What Do Couples Typically Look for When They Want to Get Married in Greece and Crete?

The climate and the sunny days that Crete, as well as many other parts of Greece, offer are a key factor.

The weather also brings something else to the table—a rich food culture. Crete is a top destination for food lovers! The food—how it’s served and what we eat—creates unforgettable memories. I always joke that food is an essential part of the décor in my weddings, with its vibrant colors, textures, rich variety, and, let’s be honest, sometimes excessive quantities. But at least we don’t have to worry about anyone leaving hungry! Have a laugh? I’ve heard from many of my couples that they’ve attended beautiful and elegant weddings, only to be disappointed because the food, either in quantity or quality, wasn’t up to the wedding level (mostly talking about the weddings abroad).

The Locations – While Crete may not have the caldera of Santorini, it boasts incredible spots in its villages that showcase the island’s rich culture and history, as well as tranquil seaside settings with large, beautiful beaches. The island beautifully combines lush green landscapes with the deep blue sea. Olive groves meet the ocean, and there’s still plenty of untamed beauty, all alongside modern, comfortable tourist infrastructures.

Variety – As the largest Greek island, with over half a million permanent residents, Crete offers a wide range of accommodation options and suppliers. This variety appeals to couples looking for more affordable solutions while still receiving top-notch service.

What Are the Characteristics of a Destination Wedding?

A destination wedding is one that takes place in a different country, far from where the couple or most of the guests reside.

Why do so many couples opt for this type of wedding today?

In the past, destination weddings were often chosen for financial reasons, as they could be more affordable than hosting a wedding at home. However, nowadays, the main motivation is the desire for something unique, a wedding that’s truly “out of the box.” Couples often choose destinations with warm climates, stunning natural landscapes, and locations that offer rich history and exceptional culinary experiences. Many also combine their wedding with a honeymoon.

Crete is a popular choice because it is familiar to many (when I ask my clients, most have visited the island for vacations before) and is easily accessible from various European countries.

Traveling to a destination wedding can be expensive for many guests, as the couple typically does not cover their travel or accommodation costs. As a result, these weddings are often smaller, with an average of 50-60 guests, which is considered large for a destination wedding.

Because attending such an event is a significant investment for the guests, couples often forget traditional wedding gifts and instead organize additional activities and a welcome dinner surrounding the wedding day. This is their way of thanking their guests for traveling so far to celebrate with them. It also helps support the local tourism economy.

Trust me—attending a destination wedding is an unforgettable experience. The curated experiences and entertainment are thoughtfully designed and provide something you just can’t get by simply visiting a place. The very best of the destination—its culture, food, music, and more—is typically packed into one incredible day, all set in a breathtaking location.

What Would You Advise New Couples Thinking of Getting Married in Crete?

Couples should take the time to thoroughly explore the island and its features—such as its nature, architecture, and size. Many people don’t realize that the drive from Heraklion to Chania is nearly three hours, which impacts both time and costs when considering service providers.

There is a widespread image of Greece—whitewashed houses, small (often almost empty) seaside tavernas, and white churches. While Crete has some of these, the island’s overall aesthetic is distinctively not Cycladic, and most churches are for Orthodox Christians, unless they are situated in private locations.

Crete is more rustic and lush, with a population that resides on the island year-round. There are facilities in place to serve both the local population and visitors alike.

Indeed, Crete offers a wide range of options, which allows for flexible pricing, catering to both luxury and more budget-conscious solutions. However, it is not as affordable as many couples assume.

It’s a smart move for couples to first research the cost of wedding services in their home country before considering a wedding in Crete or elsewhere abroad. There’s no immediate need to reach out to a wedding planner at the start. By having a general understanding of the island’s cost of living, couples will have a clearer idea of what they can and can’t afford. It’s unrealistic to expect something that costs 100 euros in their home country to suddenly be priced at just 30 euros in Crete.

Many couples from abroad, especially those with friends or family in Crete, often hear various things and believe they can organize their wedding on a shoestring budget, sometimes almost to an unrealistic extent. What they tend to forget is that “the devil is in the details.” While they want to keep costs low, they still expect the same level of quality they would find back home. Naturally, these standards come at a premium in Crete. However, there will always be good value for money as long as the prices are in line with what couples would expect in their own country.

Why Crete and Not Somewhere Else in Greece for a Destination Wedding?

Crete’s infrastructure is rapidly growing. While we still have a way to go, a lot is already happening, and we have much to offer.

The island offers a variety of experiences—someone could spend two weeks here and still never run out of things to do. It’s well known that Crete enjoys a high percentage of repeat visitors.

Food – Simply outstanding!

Accommodation – There are numerous hotels, villas, and Airbnb options available. This is particularly important because our guests often have different budgets, and this variety helps them find options that suit their financial situation. There is also the option of a wedding without guests—the so-called “elopement” wedding—but most couples prefer to have their families and friends present.

Additionally, Crete has a long tourist season, which gives couples more time to organize their wedding. Depending on the time of year, they can find prices that fit their budget.

Past – Present – Future of Destination Weddings in Crete

Fifteen to ten years ago, the concept of a destination wedding in Crete existed, but it was still in its early stages. The infrastructure—meaning the organized venues (other than those used for local weddings)—was not in place. In fact, the first wedding planning companies had to educate many professionals in the concept of weddings and events for international clients. While there was demand, there was a lack of experience and organization.

As industry grew, the professional image evolved gradually. A more refined and polished approach emerged—proper setups that showcased the natural beauty of the island, highlighting Crete as a rich destination with both natural beauty and a diverse array of experiences.

It’s clear that the image created through systematic organization and the private initiatives of wedding planners is the main reason we are now able to talk about destination weddings in Crete!

Today, many agencies and companies thrive on this tourism product. However, we still have a long way to go, more organized venues are needed, more high-end services are required, and today’s suppliers must be mindful of what they offer and at what price. While many weddings are hosted on our island, the volume of events still hasn’t reached the level of quality that fully supports the higher prices.

This is something we must never overlook. When we aim to charge premium prices, we need to do the proper research and present our services with a well-thought-out offer and agreement. We must always put forward a polished image and collaborate effectively. We are the professionals of this island—not visitors. We want people to come because they love Crete, not because they can do things cheaper here than in other destinations. 🖋

Anna Laudanska

The owner of company: Crete for Love / www.creteforlove.com

The owner of wedding venue: Markakis Estate / www.markakisestate.com

Photos :

Andreas Markakis https://andreasmarkakis.com/

Sotiris Tsakanikas https://sotiristsakanikas.com/

Sydney Marie https://www.sydneymarie.co/