John and Karen Kersey invite everyone to a casual welcome event on Friday at Nero & Alati. It is right on the beach in Platy Gialos, so come at 4pm to swim beforehand. Meze (small plates), ouzo, and refreshments will be served from 5pm to 7pm.
At 7:30, we will hike 2.2km to one of the ancient communication towers to watch the sunset. Bring a headlamp or flashlight.
Charles and Annitella Porges-Kiriakou invite everyone to gather at their villa for dinner, drinks, and live music starting at 6pm on Saturday in Platy Gialos. It is a 40 minute walk with a hill. If you have a car or taxi, please offer rides to others! There will be one shuttle at 5:30pm leaving from the town square with the palm trees in the center of the beach.
Morning hike to Vathi beach: Meet at 8am at the Plati Gialos bus turnaround at West end of town. Bring a bathing suit and water. Approximately 7.5km (4.5 miles) with 300m (1000 feet) of climbing. This hike is moderately difficult and strenuous, and may be windy.
Lunch at Vathi beach: We will be at one of the tavernas some time between 11am - 1pm
Afternoon hike to Fikiada beach (no facilities) and back to Plati Gialos: Meet at Vathi beach before 1pm. Bring a bathing suit and water. Approximately 8.5km (5.5 miles) with 300m (1000 feet) of climbing. This hike is moderately difficult and strenuous, and it may be hot and windy.
Together, the two hikes form this loop including the orange spur down to Vathi. Join for either part, or just meet us for lunch at Vathi. Note: there is no direct bus to Vathi.
Casual evening gathering: Io and Eva will be at our villa from 8-10pm if you want to stop by to say hello.
Explore the ancient village of Kastro: Io and Eva will be in Kastro from late morning to early afternoon, before returning to get ready for the 6pm welcome event. Bring a bathing suit to jump off the rocks or swim at Eftamartyres. Please coordinate your own lunch plans and transportation by bus (must transfer at Apollonia), carpooling, hitch hiking, or taxi. If you want to return by foot (~3 hour hike), meet at 2:00pm at the bus stop / trailhead.
The wedding ceremony will be held from 7pm to 8pm at Panagia Chrisopigi church. Parking is limited; please take the shuttle if possible.
To join the procession to the wedding ceremony, be at the entrance to Hotel Flora by 6:30pm. Otherwise, meet at Chrysopigi by 7pm. The ceremony starts promptly at 7pm and lasts 40 minutes. There is limited standing room inside the church. There are places to sit outside. Please enter and exit at any time to allow others to see part of the ceremony.
There will be shuttles leaving every ~15 minutes from 5:50 to 6:40. The bus leave from the town square with the palm trees in the center of the beach.Dress to impress, but also dress for the elements. Keep in mind that it may be hot or windy and you'll need to walk and dance on uneven surfaces. Suit optional; a jacket, blazer, sweater, or shawl for warmth is recommended. No ties requireThe reception will be held directly following the ceremony at Lazarou Beach Restaurant. It is 2 miles (3.3 km) from the church to the reception. We have arranged shuttles for transportation to the reception and then back to Plati Gialos after midnighIn Greece, wedding receptions last all night. There will be lots of food served until 2am, including vegetarian and vegan options. Drinks and music will continue until morning. There will be swimming, so bring a suit and towelCoffee and light breakfast will be served at Lazarou for those who partied overnight or rejoin in the morning.