Gorgeous Greek beach wedding ceremony on Halki

There is a Greek dance hailing from the island of Kalymnos which depicts a man, crippled with decompression sickness, as many sponge divers were.  The dance starts off slowly with the lead dancer, the crippled sponge diver, barely able to stand even with the use of a stick.  The music starts slowly, but as it builds up so the passion and pride rise.  At this point he flings aside his stick and joyously dances, the music seemingly lifting him out of his crippled posture. What does this have to do with a romantic Greek beach wedding ceremony?

The memory of seeing this dance was stirred when Barry (the groom), just weeks after having surgery on his back, decisively and determinedly threw aside his crutches in order to read his wedding vows to Niesha. It was like the rising passion for this momentous occasion was all it needed to stand unaided and make his promises for a shared life of joy.  Great moment.

Where it all happened…

Barry and Niesha chose to have their ceremony on the pretty Greek island of Halki, just off the coast of Rhodes. It’s a small, very chilled Greek island only accessible by boat. The venue was Kanya beach; white sand and turquoise waters to rival the Caribbean! The setting was romantic, rustic and wonderfully Mediterranean. We used the decking around the taverna (the only one there!) for the ceremony space with those beautiful turquoise waters behind us and after the ceremony, the guests moved down onto another area on the beach for the meal and to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Wedding ceremony details

Both Barry and Niesha have grown-up children from previous relationships and as an extra bonus they all genuinely love each other and get on fantastically! So, of course, it was important for them to participate in the ceremony.

Niesha’s son, Alex, walked his Mum along the beach and up to the taverna as Barry’s son in law Chris sang them in with his guitar. They chose a David Grey song ‘Be mine’ as it perfectly encapsulates how they both swept each other off of their feet!

Both Barry’s daughter Ellen and Niesha’s daughter Kerina were bridesmaids as well as performing a really moving handfasting later in the ceremony. Niesha’s sister Debbie joined the girls as matron of honour and they all looked absolutely gorgeous in their blue floaty dresses!

Barry’s best man Nigel played a (literal) supporting role and keeper of the rings.

And then everyone was in place and we began!

I told the story of Barry and Niesha – he’s a charmer in the loveliest possible way and managed to outmanoeuvre all the rules in the Niesha book of dating, and she’s no pushover I can tell you! And before we knew it, it was time for the ring exchange and then that amazing moment when Barry threw his crutches aside to share his personal wedding vows. (Have a look here for some wedding vow inspiration) And the moments just kept coming – Niesha had a mascara malfunction after hearing Barry’s promises and Alex, Niesha’s son, stepped up with a tissue to sort it out, saying:

“I just need to do this Mum, otherwise you will hate the photos!”

Now that’s a boy who knows his mum!

Ceremony details – Handfasting

When vows and rings had been exchanged, we finished the ceremony with a handfasting. Barry’s daughter, Ellen, and Niesha’s daughter, Kerina, stepped up to bind their hands in a beautiful show of unity and love, literally binding their families and their lives together.

Chris, ‘the roving minstrel’ played them out and all the wedding art went on to enjoy photos on the beach before finishing the evening with dinner on the beach.

It was magical! Such a beautiful location enhanced by a couple so in love and in tune with each other, and with the added bonus of uniting two families to create a new whole!

Credits

The wedding ceremony was on Kania beach, an idyllic setting on the tiny island of Halki and just perfect for your own Greek beach wedding ceremony!

The celebrant was me, ECK – A wedding Celebrant in Greece.

The design and bespoke décor were Maria and Daffy from 3 Redbags events. The accommodation and transfers for the guests and the couple were arranged through Nissia Holidays, the leading Halki specialist! The photographer was Savvas Argyrou.

If you would like your wedding ceremony to be crafted to suit your personalities, and you fancy a gorgeous location in Greece, then get in contact today and we can have a chat about how we can make it happen!

Email me at: weddingcelebrantgreece@gmail.com