Planning a Wedding in Greece

With its picturesque views and incredibly unique architecture, it is no surprise that Greece is a coveted destination for weddings! However, during the age of COVID, destination weddings and international travel in general has become a tad more complicated. After traveling through Greece (specifically Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini) in October ‘21, here is everything I learned, and everything you should know about planning a wedding or honeymoon in Greece during the age of COVID!

Vaccines- To get in to Greece, we were asked to show our vaccination card prior to departure, as well as upon arrival. Make sure to have the physical copy if possible, although we found that most places also accepted a scanned digital copy! Once in Greece, we were rarely asked if we were vaccinated, however some restaurants throughout Greece only allowed vaccinated customers to sit inside, if you were unvaccinated, they ask that you sit outside.
Tests- To get into Greece, and to return to the US, we had to show proof of a negative COVID test, and the test had to be taken within 3 days of departure. You only had to show a a screenshot of your negative test results on your phone as proof. While we were in Greece, our hotel coordinated for a doctor to come to our hotel to do a rapid COVID test, it cost about 80 euros and the doctor took cash only- so be prepared with cash on hand!
Masks- Obviously masks were required in all air ports, ferries, cabs, and any other forms of transportation. Once we made it to Greece, we were not asked to put our masks on while we were out and about. We did not come across any restaurants or hotels that were requiring masks, and most people in the cities were not wearing masks either- although it was not uncommon to see a few people wearing them around. However, most restaurant/hotel staff were still wearing masks!
Crowds- We went to Greece at the end of the season, so crowds were not as bad and the cities were not so packed. However, we talked to a lot of store owners and hotel staff who said that this summer was the busiest summer they have had in a long time. So do not fall in to the trap of thinking that cities will be less crowded due to COVID, if anything, it was the opposite!