Choosing the perfect date is the absolute baseline of your wedding planning. However, if you are envisioning a traditional religious wedding within the Greek Orthodox Church—a very popular choice for destination weddings in Greece—the calendar is not wide open. There are specific periods throughout the year and major holy days when performing the sacrament of marriage is strictly forbidden by Ecclesiastical Canon Law.
These canonical restrictions are deeply tied to the Church's ancient fasting and mourning seasons. Because an Orthodox wedding is celebrated as a joyful, festive event, it is legally deemed incompatible with the solemn, introspective nature of these holy periods.
This comprehensive guide details both the fixed and movable dates when religious weddings are prohibited in Greece, ensuring you secure your date smoothly before publishing your statutory newspaper notice.
The Greek Orthodox Church strictly prohibits the celebration of weddings during the following annual fasting blocks:
Aside from the extended seasonal fasts, individual fixed dates on the calendar are barred from hosting weddings due to their strict penitential nature:
A frequent source of confusion for international couples involves weekdays. Traditionally, Wednesdays and Fridays are designated as weekly fasting days within the Orthodox faith.
In modern practice, weddings are permitted on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, couples are traditionally expected to ensure that the subsequent reception or wedding dinner respects the day (often by offering fasting options on the menu). Today, most local Metropoleis show significant pastoral flexibility regarding weekday receptions.
Under extraordinary and urgent circumstances (such as an advanced stage of pregnancy, critical medical reasons, or sudden permanent relocation abroad), a special dispensation may be granted to marry on a forbidden date.
This pastoral discretion is known as "Ecclesiastical Oikonomia". To obtain this, the couple must submit a formal written petition to the local ruling Bishop (Metropolitis) outlining their severe circumstances. The Bishop retains the sole legal right to approve or deny the request.
Because different Dioceses (Metropoleis) or local parish priests across the Greek islands and mainland may interpret canonical rules with varying degrees of strictness—or may have local patron saint holidays where the church is closed—your very first step should always be to consult directly with the specific parish priest before booking your wedding venue, caterer, or digital newspaper announcement.
