Insights · Wedding
A card in the envelope with your gift, a line in the guest book, a message on the wedding day. Wishes are the smallest gift, yet often the one newlyweds hold on to longest. Below are wedding wishes for every occasion, all written by us.
You'll find the traditional Greek wishes heard in church, short wishes for a card, wishes from the best man and the parents, lighter ones from friends, and wishes for a wedding and christening on the same day.
Contents (10)
- Traditional Greek wedding wishes
- Short wedding wishes
- Wishes for a wedding card (with your gift)
- Wishes from the best man
- Wishes from the parents
- Light-hearted wishes from friends
- Wishes for a joint wedding and christening (gamovaptisi)
- Where to write your wishes
- The wishes that last forever
- Frequently asked questions about wedding wishes
Traditional Greek wedding wishes
At the church and at the reception, these are the wishes you'll hear most:
- "Na zisete!" (May you live long and happily) to the couple.
- "Vion anthosparton!", the most formal wish, meaning "a life strewn with flowers".
- "Na zisoun!" (May they live long) to the parents and the best man.
- "Kala stefana!" (roughly, "may your own wedding come soon") to those who are engaged or not yet married.
- "And to yours!", which the couple says back to guests who aren't married yet.
Short wedding wishes
Short enough for the card with your gift or a text message.
- Na zisete! With love, health and many moments together.
- Today is only the beginning. The best is yet to come!
- May you always be each other's joy.
- May you grow old together, holding hands just like today.
- May your home always be full of laughter and love.
- Whatever you dream of together, may you get to live it together.
- May you never lose the way you looked at each other today.
- Vion anthosparton, and may you always be in love!
Wishes for a wedding card (with your gift)
On the card that goes in the envelope, two or three lines are plenty: the couple's names, your wish and your signature.
- Dear friends, na zisete! We wish you a life as beautiful as today.
- Here's to your new life together: health, love and plenty of luck. Na zisete!
- A little something towards your first dream together. May you always be this happy!
- For a honeymoon to remember and a life we'll all envy. Na zisete!
- With all our love, for the most beautiful "I do". Vion anthosparton!
- For the journey you begin together today: may it be full of love, laughter and beautiful stops along the way. Na zisete!
- Two names, one shared future. May you live happily ever after!
- May your home always smell of coffee, fresh bread and love. Na zisete!
Wishes from the best man
The best man or maid of honour (koumbaros or koumbara in Greek) stands beside the couple during the ceremony and becomes part of the new family. That's why their wishes tend to be the most personal.
- It was an honour to exchange your wedding crowns. I'll be there for you, whatever comes. Na zisete!
- As of today we're not just friends, we're family. May you always be as happy as you are today.
- I watched you fall in love, and today I watched you get married. I can't wait for everything that comes next.
- May the crowns I exchanged today keep you together for life, with lots of love and even more laughter.
- Na zisete, and I hope I'll be godparent to your children too!
Wishes from the parents
- My child, today we watch you start a family of your own, and our hearts are bursting. Na zisete!
- May you give each other the love and patience we tried to teach you, and then some.
- From today we have one more child. Welcome to our family.
- May you always support each other, on the easy days and the hard ones.
Light-hearted wishes from friends
- Na zisete! And remember: the last word always goes to whoever says "you're right".
- Congratulations! Finally someone has agreed to put up with you, and it's official!
- Na zisete, and may you never fight over the remote control.
- We wish you endless love and parties that last until morning, just like tonight!
- Love brought you this far. Humour will take you even further. Na zisete!
Wishes for a joint wedding and christening (gamovaptisi)
More and more couples get married and christen their child on the same day. That calls for a double wish:
- Na zisete, and long live your little one! Double joy, double wishes.
- May the three of you be happy together, and may your little one grow up healthy and loved.
- Today you became a family in every sense of the word. Na zisete, and enjoy your little one!
- For your wedding and your little treasure's christening: lots of love and good health to all of you!
- An "I do" and a name on the same day. Na zisete, and long live your little one!
- Long live your new family! May your life always be as full as today.
- Crowns for the two of you, light for your little one. Health and love to you all!
- May you always delight in each other, and be proud of your child every step of the way.
For the card at a joint wedding and christening, a short double wish is enough:
- Na zisete, and long live your little one! With all our love.
- For the wedding and the christening: health, love and smiles to all of you.
And from the koumbaroi, who at a joint wedding and christening are often the godparents too:
- Today I exchanged your wedding crowns and held your child at the font. There is no greater honour. Na zisete!
- Koumbaroi and godparents on the same day: we will be by your side, all three of you, always.
For more wishes for the child, see our christening wishes.
The words of the day fade. What stays is the faces of the people who came to say them, and those are what the photographs keep.
Where to write your wishes
- In the reception guest book. The couple will leaf through it again on anniversaries. Write something personal.
- On the envelope card. Short and warm, with your name so they know who it is from.
- In a video message. Many guests now leave a short video wish, which goes into the wedding film.
- In a message, if you can't attend. Send it on the morning of the wedding, not late at night.
The wishes that last forever
Years later, the couple won't remember who wrote which wish. But they will remember grandma's hug, their father's tear, their friends' laughter at the party. Those are what we keep, in the photographs and in the wedding film, so you can go back to them whenever you like.
For your own day, see our work: wedding photographer in Patras, and the weddings we have photographed.
Frequently asked questions about wedding wishes
What do we say to the couple at a Greek wedding?
The most common wish is "Na zisete!". More formally, "Vion anthosparton!".
What does "Vion anthosparton" mean?
It means "a life strewn with flowers", in other words a happy life without hardship.
What do we say to the couple's parents?
"Na sas zisoun!" (May they live long for you) or "Enjoy them!".
How does the couple reply to wishes?
"Thank you!" and, to those who aren't married, "And to yours!".
What do we write in a wedding card?
Two or three warm lines for the couple, with their names and your signature. For example: "Na zisete! With love, health and many moments together".
What do you wish a couple at a joint wedding and christening?
"Na zisete kai na sas zisei!" It joins "na zisete" (long life to you both) for the couple with "na sas zisei" (long life to your child) in a single wish.
Planning your own wedding?
Tell us the date and where it will be. We'll take care of keeping the hugs and the happy tears.
Photographs: Dimitris Stergiou and the studio team