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Cretan weddings are great fun for both the families and they are definitely lavish compared to any of the other weddings. If you get an opportunity to witness a Cretan wedding, you will definitely get to see several ancient, mostly pre Christian traditions being followed in the wedding rituals. For instance, you will find tradition of the serving of braided cinnamon bread sprinkled with some candied fruits. The dough is usually cut in the shape of stars and moons. The amazing aroma of the dough is believed to represent the hopes and joys of togetherness after marriage.

The Bed Ceremony is a great way in which the family and friends have a lot of fun at the expense of few young unmarried women who try to make the newly married couples bed in the best manner possible. The ceremony occurs a day or two prior to the wedding in the couples new home. Family and friends get together at their new home and watch the marital bed being prepared by these women. To witness Cretan culture you can board flights to Crete from a number of locations.

They jokingly keep spoiling the sheets every time the girls try their hand at smoothening out the sheets. When the adults feel that the bed has been made up to their satisfaction, thats when the fun is over and the bed is finally decorated with petals and sugared almonds. After the trick is over a baby is made to crawl on the bed or rolled over to signify the future of the married couple.

Numerous couples indulge in their typical Greek Church Wedding in which the groom comes first at the church with the best man called koumbaros in Greek. He and his family wait eagerly for the bride. Holding the brides bouquet, the wedding begins when the bride arrives. During the wedding the priest initiates the ring ceremony and allows the bride and the groom to exchange rings to be worn in their right hands. After this the best man places the wedding crown on the groom and the bride who keeps changing the crowns between the bride and the groom thrice. The couple finally drink wine from a goblet, called Common Cup.

The wedding reaches its completion when the married couple walks the Ceremonial Walk. The priest, groom, bride, and the best man join hands to walk round forming a circle again three times. As they begin the Ceremonial Walk the friends and family shower rice on them. The ceremony goes on for about 45 minutes and in the end friends and family congratulates the couple. The wedding ceremony continues with a feast accompanied by songs and people playing the lyra.

Getting here any time of the year is quite easy as there are several flights to Crete from Ireland, UK and other countries. The city has three airports viz. Heraklion airport, Chania airport and Sitia airport, where international flights land at the first two airports only.