Together with our families, we joyfully invite you to celebrate our wedding!
Monemvasia is a historic town in the southeastern Peloponnese. It's best known for its medieval fortress on the "Rock of Monemvasia," a small island connected to the mainland town by a bridge. There are no cars within the fortress walls, only winding cobbled streets. The fortress town is topped by a plateau with ruins and the 13th-century Byzantine church of St. Sophia. Monemvasia’s name comes from two Greek words: "Mone" (single) and "emvasis" (entrance).
Our wedding ceremony will be inside the fortress of Monemvasia. Please note, guests will walk through the old cobblestone streets to get to the church - comfortable and stable footwear is recommended.
Immediately following the ceremony, guests will be shuttled or can walk down the road from the fortress to the Hotel Lazareto for a cocktail hour. Followed by dinner and a night of dancing!
Our wedding weekend festivities will begin on Thursday night with a wine tasting in the medieval fortress town, also known as the Kastro, of Monemvasia.
On Friday morning a bus will meet us in Monemvasia and take us on a short drive to a ferry boat bound for the nearby island of Elafonisos. The bus will come with us to the island and take us to the beach, Small Simos, where we will spend the day lounging, drinking, and eating in the sand at the Cervi-Beach bar. In the afternoon, the bus takes us back to the ferry and Monemvasia where guests are free to explore the town, grab dinner and drinks, or just rest up for the big fat Greek wedding day!
The church ceremony and reception both take place on the Rock of Monemvasia. Please, scroll down to the map that labels these key locations. Please note, the Church is inside the Kastro - guests attending the ceremony will have to walk from the entrance of the Kastro, through the cobblestone walkways, and back out. There will be a shuttle offering rides between the Kastro and the reception venue, Hotel Lazareto.
After we partied under the stars, we'll wake up with a brunch at Hotel Lazareto - Greek coffee and breakfast by the Sea.
There is no airport in Monemvasia. The one with most regular flights is Athens airport, a 3.5 hours' drive away. From the airport, visitors can go to Monemvasia by rental car or by limited buses from Athens. Once you get to the island, you won't need a car so we'd encourage ride sharing! By road from Athens, we suggest you take the E65 as far as Gefyra, then the A71. The E65 is a main road, and a smoother route than getting straight on to the E961. Both have great views and take a similar amount of time. There are quite a few tolls on the E65 and they accept change or credit card.
We recommend finding a place to stay in the Kastro of Monemvasia or over the bridge in Gefira, Monemvasia.
When booking becomes available closer to the wedding date, here are some hotels we suggest.
The wedding reception will be held here. We have reserved Lazareto for the 27th and 28th of May. You can book at preferential rates.
VisitThis is a hotel right over the bridge, a quick walk to the reception. It has a central location on the water with a view of the Rock of Monemvasia.
VisitAnother option over the bridge in Gefira. It is located on the water with a view of the Rock.
VisitAlong with these options, there are many beautiful AirBnB rentals and small inns in the Kastro to choose from. In order to stay near our festivities, make sure to book something on the Rock of Monemvasia or right over the bridge in town (as shown on the map).
Any hotels listed as "near Monemvasia" could be an inconvenient drive away and too far from all the action.
Meet Monemvasia:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/monemvasia-greece-travel_n_6565318
Municipality of Monemvasia website:
https://monemvasia.gr/galleries/monemvasia
Elafonisos Island (location of Friday’s beach excursion):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elafonisos
Cervi-Beach Bar on Elafonisos Island:
https://www.cervi.gr
Your presence is our present!