Alonissos Hosts Greece’s First Underwater Wedding

Greece’s first underwater wedding ceremony recently took place in the waters of Alonissos island of the Sporades group and was hosted by the municipality.

A young couple, Petros and Myrto, exchanged their wedding vows in a stunning underwater area off the coast of Alonissos on August 29. The civil marriage ceremony was conducted by Alonissos Mayor Petros Vafinis. who is also the holder of a diving licence and authorized to conduct underwater civil wedding ceremonies. Attendees of the underwater ceremony included the president of the municipality’s tourism committee and organizer of the wedding, Maria Agallou, and three diving instructors provided voluntarily by the island’s Triton Dive Center.

The ceremony took place in line with the necessary safety measures and attention to detail through the use of special waterproof equipment.

During the ceremony, the newlyweds exchanged vows and removed their masks when it was time for the traditional wedding kiss.

“It is difficult to describe the feelings I experienced on the seabed during the wedding ceremony. Underwater nature provided the ideal peaceful setting; during the ceremony it was if time had stopped and the moment belonged exclusively to the couple,” Vafinis said.

The ceremony was filmed through an underwater camera and screened live through a big screen on the coast offering the chance to the couple’s guests to enjoy the ceremony.

The wedding took place following an invitation of that Vafinis on Valentine’s Day in February to couples wishing to experience an underwater ceremony.

“We wish to open a new market for Greece and particularly Alonissos – an island that has evolved into an international diving destination,” the mayor said.

This year Alonissos welcomed hundreds of scuba divers from all over the world who visited the nearby area of Peristera, which is home to Greece’s first underwater museum that includes a 5th century shipwreck with more than 3,000 amphorae intact.

According to Vafinis, occupancy rates increased as much as 100 percent in August and remained high throughout the summer season.

The mayor said he expects tourism flows to Alonissos to continue until early October.