Planning a wedding takes months, and a destination wedding in Greece takes even longer. There are venues to discover, vendors to meet, menus to taste, islands to fall in love with, and a thousand beautiful decisions to make along the way. This guide is here to answer the questions that matter most: how much does a luxury wedding in Greece really cost, what are the hidden costs nobody mentions, what do couples most commonly forget, and what are the options at every level?
How Much Does a Wedding in Greece Really Cost?
A Guide for Couples Planning a Destination Wedding Across Greece
Below is our honest pricing guide built around 50 guests. We start where entry is genuinely possible, and we show you where extraordinary leads.
One important note before we dive in: everything covered here relates to the wedding itself. The dress, the suits, the flights, the accommodation, the honeymoon, the wedding rings, and all the wonderful extras that surround the celebration are real and significant budgets that sit outside these figures and deserve their own planning from the very start. Now, let us get into it.
Specific Factors That Shape Your Budget
Destination Location: Santorini and Mykonos carry the highest premiums. Paros, Milos, Ios, and Corfu offer extraordinary beauty at more welcoming entry points. Athens and the Peloponnese operate on mainland pricing.
Peak season: July, August and September are intensely preffered. The finest venues are booked 12–24 months ahead. May and October offer outstanding conditions with slightly better availability.
Multi-day events: Greek hospitality is built for multi-day celebrations. A welcome dinner, wedding day, and farewell event is not an extravagance at the luxury level, it is the expectation.
Venue
ⓘ Full buyout with all guests staying on-site for 2–3 nights: from €9,000 to €30,000 per night and beyond. Santorini caldera-view venues and Mykonos private estates sit firmly at the premium end.
The venue sets the tone for everything. Greece offers some of the world's most extraordinary private villas, exclusive estates, and iconic event spaces, from clifftop caldera estates in Santorini and luxury private villas in Mykonos, to Venetian manor houses in Corfu, beachfront estates in Crete, glamorous seafront properties along the Athens Riviera, and historic estates in the Peloponnese. Fees vary widely depending on exclusivity, location, number of days hired, and whether private accommodation is included.
For full buyouts, where the entire estate is reserved exclusively for the wedding party across two or three nights, investment starts from €9,000 per night and rises to €30,000 and beyond for the most exclusive private villas and estates in Santorini and Mykonos.
It is also important to note that luxury hotels and exclusive resort venues in Greece typically apply a mandatory minimum food and beverage spend, plus a separate fee for exclusive use of their event terraces and spaces. These costs must be added to the overall venue budget from the outset.
Catering
ⓘ Prices exclude alcohol. For 50 guests at mid-range: approximately €7,500 for food service. Greek wine starts from €30–€45 per bottle; sommelier-curated selections from €50+.
Greek weddings are celebrated for their food, and for good reason. Every region of Greece carries extraordinary dishes, and at La Contesse, exceptional catering is non-negotiable. We are meticulous in selecting the right vendors, many working farm to fork, because the table is where your guests will spend most of their evening.
The cost of a wedding banquet in Greece varies depending on the number of guests, the menu style (buffet, family style mezze, or seated served courses), and the type of ingredients used. It is also important to understand whether catering is provided by the venue's in-house team or an independent external company. Venue caterers typically offer preset menus with limited customisation. Independent caterers offer more flexibility on menu, table settings, and wine selection, and generally start from a lower base.
In terms of table setup, independent caterers usually include basic equipment such as linen, crockery, and a choice of configurations. Venues use their own in-house settings; if the couple wants something different, rentals must be budgeted separately. We recommend allowing half a bottle of wine per person. Good Greek wines start from €30 to €45 per bottle. House wine is often included on the table at resort venues during dinner.
Open bar is almost never included in the per person catering fee and must be budgeted separately. Bar packages start from €25 per person per hour. In destinations such as Santorini, many venues apply a mandatory bar minimum starting from €40 per person. One cost that is frequently overlooked: food carries a 13% VAT in Greece, while service and alcohol are taxed at 24%, a distinction that adds up and must be accounted for from the outset.
Design
Bespoke furniture, tableware, linens, and decorative installations are what truly personalise the atmosphere of a wedding in Greece. Rental and design costs vary based on scope and start from €80 per person plus tax, while custom built décor elements, branded experiences, and statement furniture pieces can significantly increase the total investment.
Florals
Florals and design are where the vision of your wedding becomes visible. The overall cost varies depending on several factors: the number of guests, the type of design, the chosen florist, the style of tables (rectangular versus round require different floral quantities), and the use of seasonal versus out of season flowers. The approach here is always a discovery process, understanding the couple's vision and building the design around it.
Floral budgets for a luxury wedding in Greece start from €2,500 and grow considerably with the complexity and scale of the design. A fully dressed ceremony space, elaborate centrepieces, a bridal bouquet, and additional floral moments throughout the day will push the investment significantly higher. There are also costs that are frequently overlooked: flowers carry a 13% VAT, while floral services are taxed at 24%. On the islands, transport and installation of flowers and decor materials add a further layer of cost, as everything must arrive by ferry and be assembled on location within tight timeframes. These logistics should always be factored into the overall design budget from the outset.
Photo,video & content creation
ⓘ Greece produces photographic conditions that photographers pursue their entire careers. Multi-day documentary coverage and internationally acclaimed artists exceed €10,000 significantly.
Greece has a remarkable portfolio of photographers and videographers, many recognised well beyond Europe. Local Greek photographers start from €3,000 for an eight hour coverage package, with additional shooters, extended hours, and cinematography available as add-ons. Cinematography packages vary depending on the type of deliverable, whether a full cinematic film, a short highlight edit, or social media content. Content creation is increasingly chosen as a third service alongside photography and video as it captures behind the scenes moments and delivers edited content within 24 hours, starting from €1,000.
For internationally recognised photographers with editorial credits in publications such as Vogue or Harper's Bazaar, investment starts from €7,000 and surpasses €10,000 for the most sought after names. All services carry a 24% VAT in Greece, and travel expenses for vendors coming from Athens or abroad must be added on top of the service fee.
Music & Live Entertainment
ⓘ Many couples planning a luxury wedding in Greece choose to include a live music element in their ceremony, whether a violinist, a saxophonist, a harpist, or a small ensemble, creating an atmosphere that no playlist can replicate
Entertainment adds a completely different layer to your celebration, ensuring that every guest feels part of the experience from the very first moment.
For the reception, most couples opt for a DJ, which starts from €1,000, or a live band where the venue allows it, starting from €2,800. Both are priced based on the number of hours of performance. Traditional Greek musicians such as a bouzouki player or a rebetiko ensemble can also be incorporated, particularly for welcome dinners, adding an authentic cultural dimension that guests consistently remember.
Lighting & Audio-Visual Production
ⓘIt is important to note that transport and installation of all lighting and AV equipment carries its own cost on top of the rental fees. There are significant teams working behind the scenes to build, install, and dismantle everything before and after your event
Lighting and audio-visual is one of the most overlooked elements when couples begin planning their wedding, yet it is one of the most transformative. Many couples, particularly those managing parts of the process independently, forget entirely that dinner lighting, dancefloor lighting, and the dancefloor itself all need to be planned and budgeted. For an intimate wedding of 50 guests, a starting budget of €2,500 covers the essentials for the dining area. From there, the investment grows with the vision: fairy lights for a romantic garden setting, bespoke chandeliers or temple lamps as design add-ons, or a fully considered AV design covering the entrance, dining area, and dancing space as a cohesive whole.
.Working with the right specialists ensures the lighting design delivers that sense of elevated luxury without ever crossing the line into excess.
Hair, Make-up & Bridal Beauty
ⓘHair and makeup services in Greece start from €350 per service plus 24% VAT. Depending on the experience and reputation of the professional, costs go higher, particularly in destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos where pre-wedding shoots, multi-day events, and extended on-site availability all add to the overall investment.
Greece has fantastic hair and makeup professionals across all destinations, and at the luxury level, couples are going above and beyond, often covering beauty services for their entire bridal party and guests.
Grooms are increasingly joining in too, with a barber or groomer on the day becoming a popular and fun addition. Having a professional by your side throughout the entire day, not just for the preparation, is a genuine investment in peace of mind, and one that makes a real difference to how relaxed and confident you feel from ceremony to dancefloor.
Luxury stationery is about craftsmanship and personalisation, from hand-pressed invitations and calligraphy to custom signage and day-of details. For a Greek destination wedding, design inspiration is rich, from the geometry of ancient mosaic, the deep blues of the Aegean, the organic forms of Cycladic architecture. Budgets start from €1,200 for a quality printed suite and rise to €6,000 and above for fully bespoke artisanal designs incorporating fine printing, wax seals, or hand-painted artwork.
The cost of a wedding officiant in Greece depends on the type of ceremony. Symbolic celebrants, the most popular choice for international couples, typically start from €800. Civil ceremonies involve additional administrative fees, document translation, and advance paperwork preparation, all of which La Contesse manages on your behalf. English speaking officiants familiar with destination weddings in Greece provide both the legal guidance and the personal touch that makes the ceremony truly your own.
Ceremony Officiant
From €400 — typically 750 to €1,500 — premium €2,000+
Stationery & Print Design
Plan B — bad Weather contingency
Greece enjoys exceptional weather throughout the wedding season, but having a Plan B is always a wise decision. Marquees and tent structures are the answer when needed, and costs start from €2,500 depending on the square metres required. The final price depends on several factors: the type and design of the structure (traditional, glass, or stretch), the supplier's location relative to the venue, the flooring material chosen (wood, carpet, or customised PVC), and the installation logistics. Setup requires access to the venue one to two days before the wedding and dismantling at least one day after.
Welcome Gifts & Guest Amenities
Thoughtful gifting enhances the guest experience and is a signature element of luxury destination weddings in Greece. Curated welcome boxes filled with local delicacies, artisan products, and branded keepsakes typically start from €60 per guest, depending on customisation and packaging. Many couples also include personalised notes or destination itineraries that introduce their guests to Greek culture, the local area, and the story behind the celebration.
pre and after Events,
Experiences & Guest Hospitality
A luxury destination wedding in Greece is not a single day, it is a complete journey. Guests travelling from across the world deserve to have every moment of their stay filled with the extraordinary culture, landscape, and spirit of Greece. The philosophy is simple: every guest should feel not like an attendee, but like a pampered, cherished traveller on the most memorable holiday of their lives.
Pre and post wedding experiences are an integral part of the destination wedding journey in Greece. Welcome dinners, private beach parties, luxury yacht charters, island hopping cruises, wine tastings, cooking experiences, boat trips to hidden coves, and guided explorations of ancient ruins are all part of what makes a Greek celebration truly immersive. These gatherings set the tone, create connection, and offer guests an authentic taste of Greek hospitality at its finest.
Transportation
Transportation in Greece is quite difficult to define at a fixed cost, as it depends on several factors: the number of vehicles or vessels required, the distances to be covered, the type of transport chosen (cars, vans, coaches, water taxis, or private boats), and the duration of the service. In general, transportation starts from €1,000 and increases based on the complexity of the logistics and the level of service required. On the islands, water transfers replace road vehicles entirely and must be planned and budgeted as a dedicated line from the outset.
upscale Entertainment
Beyond live music, many luxury weddings in Greece feature immersive performances such as dancers, acrobats, live artists, or fireworks displays. These additions are increasingly common at high end celebrations and create the kind of unexpected moments that guests talk about long after the evening ends. Costs start from €2,000, while large scale shows or pyrotechnic productions can reach €5,000 to €10,000 and above, depending on safety regulations, duration, and creative direction.
WEDDING Planning FEES
Unlike planners who charge a percentage of your total spend, La Contesse operates on a flat fee model. Our investment reflects the complexity of your event, the number of guests, the number of days, and the destinations involved, not a sliding percentage of every euro you spend. This means our recommendations are always in your interest.
For a luxury destination wedding in Greece across two or three days, our full service fee covers concept development, destination and vendor curation, design direction, all legal and logistical co-ordination, and complete on-site execution. Contact us for a personalised planning proposal.
For approximately 50 guests, a luxury destination wedding in Greece is a deeply personal investment, and every element can be shaped around what matters most to you. As a guide:
From €40,000 an elegant, well curated single day celebration at a premium Greek venue with quality vendors across all categories.
From €50,000 a truly exceptional luxury experience where quality is preserved across every element of the day.
€1,000+ per person the full multi-day La Contesse experience: bespoke design, live entertainment, side events, and complete creative direction.
A Starting Point, for a Luxury Wedding in Greece
