Weddings and christenings across Cyprus

MyWedi is made in Limassol, so we know how Cyprus celebrates. A wedding here often has several hundred guests, and lists of a thousand are not unusual in a village or a big family. Christenings are close behind, with the godparents at the centre and a long table afterwards. Relatives fly in from London, Melbourne and Johannesburg, and many who can’t travel still want to follow the day.

Pick your area

• Nicosia: the capital’s churches, city hotels and garden venues, with the hottest summers on the island.
• Limassol: seafront hotels and the marina below, wine villages and stone churches above.
• Larnaca: Saint Lazarus, the seafront and the villages around the salt lake, close to the airport.
• Paphos: civil ceremonies by the sea, resort weddings and sunsets over the harbour.
• Ayia Napa and Protaras: beach ceremonies and big family weddings in the Kokkinochoria.
• Troodos and the mountain villages: pine forests, cool summers and the village square.

Customs worth planning for

• The bed-making («στρώσιμο του κρεβατιού»). Before the wedding, family and friends dance around the couple’s new bed and throw money and rice on it, often with a baby rolled across it for luck. It is one of the most photographed moments, and it usually happens at home, far from the photographer’s schedule. Give it its own part in the schedule and its photos stay together.
• The koumbaroi. There are often several koumbaroi and koumbares at a Cypriot wedding. Give them their role in MyWedi, so guests know who is who in the feed.
• The money dance. During the couple’s first dance, guests pin notes on the bride and groom. It lasts a while and everyone films it, so ask guests to post their clips to the feed.
• Village weddings. The church in the square, the reception in the village hall or a field of tables. Signal can be weak, and uploads continue where they stopped once the phone reconnects.
• Christenings. The godparent brings the «λαμπάδα», the tall decorated candle, and in many families the baby’s name stays a secret until the priest says it. Guests leave with «μαρτυρικά», the small witness pins. Make the name the moment the feed waits for.

Seasons

The main wedding season runs from May to October, with receptions outdoors and after sunset in the heat of July and August. Plan a live photo wall for the evening, under cover or indoors. Christenings carry on all year, and winter celebrations move into halls and restaurants. Up in the mountains the summer evenings stay cool, and down on the coast September and October are still warm enough for dinner outside.

Coming from abroad

Cyprus is a popular place to marry for couples from the UK, Israel and further afield, often with a civil ceremony at a town hall followed by a reception by the sea. Many Cypriots who live abroad also come home to marry in the family’s church. Your invitation and RSVP work in English, and guests can switch to Greek or Russian. Everyone gets the venue on a map, the schedule and a calendar entry. Read more on destination weddings, weddings and christenings, or see the demo wedding and the demo christening.