GUEST INFORMATION

Our wedding will be an adults-only celebration. Should you require childcare during your stay, our concierge team would be delighted to assist with arranging babysitters.

As this is a summer wedding in Athens, we encourage guests to choose lighter, breathable fabrics such as linen for comfort throughout the day and evening. We kindly ask gentlemen to wear smart summer suits and ladies to wear long dresses or gowns. We respectfully ask that ladies avoid white, ivory, cream, or similar tones, as these are reserved for the bride.

Private air-conditioned coaches will take all guests to and from the church ceremony, departing from the Divani Apollon Palace. We invite all guests to arrive at the reception of the Divani Apollon Palace by 3:30pm on 28 August, with coaches departing promptly at 3:45pm. The ceremony will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, 24 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens 106 72, and will last approximately 40 minutes. Coaches will then take guests directly to Lake Vouliagmeni, where the Iranian Sofreh Aghd and evening celebration will continue into the late hours. At the end of the evening, guests may return to their hotels at their leisure by taxi, just a 5-7 minute journey.

There will not be time to change between events. Following the ceremony, guests will be taken directly to Lake Vouliagmeni and welcomed with canapés and drinks before the Sofreh Aghd begins. Comfort has been considered throughout, with air-conditioned transfers, an air-conditioned church, and the outdoor celebration beginning as the temperature naturally softens into the evening.

3:30pm - Arrival at the Divani Apollon Palace reception 3:45pm - Coach transfers depart for the church 4:30pm - Arrival at the church 4:45pm to 5:30pm - Church ceremony 5:45pm - Coach transfers depart for Lake Vouliagmeni 6:30pm - Arrival at Lake Vouliagmeni 6:30pm to 7:15pm - Welcome drinks and canapés 7:30pm to 8:15pm - Iranian Sofreh Aghd 8:15pm to 9:00pm - Drinks and canapés 9:00pm to 11:00pm - Dinner 11:00pm to 4:00am - Dancing and celebration

The post-wedding celebration will take place on: Sunday 30 August at Bungalow 7 - an outdoor white pool party by the water. Guests are invited to arrive from 1:30pm, with the afternoon unfolding until 7:00pm. A private pool and stretch of beach have been reserved exclusively for our guests, each welcomed with their own sun lounger, parasol and towels. Drinks will flow throughout the afternoon, alongside an Asian-inspired finger food menu - featuring bao buns, wagyu sliders, gyoza, shrimp and vegetable dumplings, yakitori skewers, tuna tacos and more, passed by our Bungalow team as the day unfolds.

We kindly ask all guests to wear white swimwear and chic white beach-club resort wear for the occasion.

Bungalow 7 is approximately a 10-minute taxi journey from the recommended hotels in Vouliagmeni. Address: 110 Poseidonos Avenue, Glyfada 166 75, Athens.

The church ceremony will take place indoors at a beautiful air-conditioned cathedral in central Athens. The Sofreh Aghd and evening celebration will be held outdoors by Lake Vouliagmeni, beginning at approximately 7:30pm, timed for when the day softens into a cooler, golden evening. The White Party on Sunday 30 August will be an outdoor daytime celebration along the water's edge.

Saturday has been left intentionally free for you to enjoy at your leisure. A few suggestions: Allow our concierge team to curate a personalised itinerary, from private sightseeing in Athens to bespoke coastal experiences. Unwind by the pool or spend the afternoon on one of Vouliagmeni's beautiful beaches. Explore nearby Glyfada, with its elegant boutiques, lively bars and exceptional dining, just a ten-minute drive from the recommended hotels. We recommend booking restaurants in advance, as the best tables fill quickly in August.

Most guests will arrive a few days before the wedding and depart on Monday 31 August or later, either returning home, continuing on to the Greek islands, or extending their stay along the Athens Riviera. We'd gently suggest avoiding a Friday 28 August arrival, as the day begins in the early afternoon and runs into the late evening. Arriving a day or two earlier allows time to settle in, adjust to the time difference and ease into the celebrations.

Athens International Airport (ATH) is well connected to major cities worldwide, with direct flights from much of Europe and the Middle East, and one-stop connections from further afield. Our guests are travelling from Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iran and beyond, most via direct flights or a single, easy connection through a European or Middle Eastern hub. Should you need assistance with flights or onward travel, our concierge team would be delighted to help.

Some guests may require a visa to enter Greece and the wider Schengen Area, depending on their nationality. For British and other non-EU passport holders, please ensure your passport was issued within the last 10 years and remains valid for at least 3 months beyond your return date, with two blank pages. One detail worth a moment's check: the EU counts the 10 years from your passport's issue date rather than its expiry, so a passport may appear in date yet fall just outside the window. Travellers from outside the EU may notice slightly longer queues at Athens airport, as the EU's new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) is now in operation. Nothing is required in advance, a photograph and fingerprints are simply taken on arrival. Should you have any questions regarding entry requirements or documentation, our concierge team would be delighted to help.

The parents of the bride and groom will be staying at the Divani Apollon Palace. The bride and groom will also begin their stay at the Divani Apollon Palace, before moving to the nearby Azur Hotel from Thursday 27 August to Monday 31 August to be closer to friends

The Divani Apollon Palace and Amarilia Hotel reserve their pools exclusively for in-house guests. Azur Hotel offers a pool day pass of approximately €25 per person, subject to availability. As the pool is intimate in size and the hotel has over forty rooms, access cannot be guaranteed. We'd encourage you to choose your hotel with this in mind, ensuring you stay where you would most like to spend your time.

Your presence at our wedding truly means more to us than anything. Many of you are travelling great distances to be with us, and that alone is the greatest gift we could ask for. Please know there is genuinely no expectation of anything more. Should you wish to mark the occasion in some way, the bank details on the registry tab go towards our honeymoon, and any contribution, however small, would be received with so much love. As we'll be travelling onwards directly after the wedding, physical gifts are difficult for us to bring home. Whatever you choose, please know we are endlessly grateful to be sharing this day with you.

Our dedicated travel concierge team at The House of Bursford is on hand to support you throughout your stay, from the moment you begin planning your trip to your final morning in Athens. They would be delighted to assist with hotel bookings worldwide, including alternative stays in Athens or onward travel to the Greek islands; private airport transfers and luxury car arrangements; restaurant, beach club and bar reservations; beauty, hair and wellness bookings; babysitters and other on-the-ground arrangements; and a 24-hour concierge service throughout your journey. For any requests, please contact Joanne Bursford at joanne@thehouseofbursford.com or via WhatsApp on +44 7958 661948.