Greece inspires wedding themes

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The theme for your wedding should be something very personal to the bride and groom (although usually chosen by the bride!). The most successful themes are those which draw on the surroundings of the bridal couple, as well as things they like, or that are meaningful to them. Greece offers plenty of inspiration. Fitting right in with the latest trend for green and pink themes, Halkidiki is a paradise of verdant vegetation and splashes of pink from bougainvillea, geraniums and the ever present oleanders.

 

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Drawing inspiration from the plentiful olive groves and vines in northern Greece, you could always opt for this as your green theme. This opens up a host of possibilities. How about decorating your venue with olive branches? They can even look great on a wedding cake!   

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Deck your bridesmaids out in olive green and they will look great with beautiful pink posies.

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Give wedding favours of bottles of olive oil, labelled with the bride and groom's names and wedding date.

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Or for the more traditional amongst you, hand out Greek boubouniera (bonbonnieres) filled with sugared almonds (koufeta). 

 
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Whatever wedding theme you choose, you can rest assured that Crescent Moon's suppliers and hand picked venues in Greece will bring it to life.



Fabulous patisserie in northern Greece

It is a little known fact outside Greece that Thessaloniki has a great tradition of patisserie. Perhaps the locals want to keep all the lovely cakes to themselves!

This springs from the fact that it was such a cosmopolitan mixture of cultures. It has always been the melting pot of Greece, with strong influences from the baking traditions of Paris and Vienna of the 19^th century. Also important was the Turkish style of cake making. In the early part of the 20^th century some innovative pastry chefs in Thessaloniki developed their own school of patisserie. Now the city has a zaxaroplasteio (cake shop) on every corner and luscious chocolate and cream confections are displayed in mouthwatering arrays in their windows. Indeed the huge variety of cakes and the beautiful designs are one of the trademarks of Thessaloniki. Many award winning zaxaroplasteio have branches in Halkidiki as well as in the city. To name just a few, Agapitos, Plaisir, Nikos and Terkenlis. With such expertise in luxurious patisserie, any kind of celebration or wedding cake can be made to order.

Why have your wedding in Halkidiki?

Halkidiki in Greece is a well kept secret. These three peninsulas stretching into the Agean Sea boast beautiful beaches and pine covered hills. Here in the greenest part of Greece there are idyllic, quiet beaches and small villages yet also sophisticated restaurants and bars – if you know where to find them.

The Greeks have been keeping Halkidiki for themselves as many have built holiday homes there. At the weekends nearby Thessaloniki empties as city dwellers head for the beach. During the summer months the people of the towns of northern Greece as well as the city holiday in Halkidiki.

It is also a popular destination for weddings and it is easy to see why. What makes Halkidiki so wonderful is the endless green of the pine trees set against the azure blue sea. And of course the bright sunshine and cloudless skies. Perfect backdrops for the bride and groom's photos can be seen everywhere. What most people in the UK don't know is that there is fabulous cuisine and first class hospitality to be had in Halkidiki. Anything you need for the perfect day can be found here and the hotels and restaurants will go out of their way to make sure that your special day is everything you dreamed of.

Greeks have a long tradition of extravagant weddings and so nothing is too much trouble for the efficient and smiling hoteliers and restaurateurs in this region. The smallest celebration to the biggest extravaganza can be accommodated.

Northern Greece is also renowned for the art of patisserie and chocolates. Walk into any Zacharoplastio (cake shop) and you can see cakes and pastries to die for. Chocolate pralines are also dreamy. Any kind of wedding cake can be made to order. Chocolate favours, or the more traditional sugared almonds, can also be obtained.