Monday, July 7th - The aftermath

Dear blog,

Needless to say, it's been an exhausting night. The wedding party regroups back at home to lick their wounds.


In the early morning hours, the bride prepares herself for her wedding night by changing into something more -perhaps too?- comfortable and getting some protein from the left-overs provided by Yannis.

Based on some quick accounting, getting married is a lucrative business.

The floor manager rests on her laurels while receiving thanks from the groom for a job well done. Note that, at this point in the process, coconut-flavored pastries and toilet paper are a floor manager's best friends.

After very little sleep, the bride and groom are still in need of some relaxation later that morning. They decide that the only way to get through this is by going back to a simpler way of life. A true Hollywood ending.

Sunday, July 6th - The main event

Dear blog,


Few moments are as moving for the soul of a floor manager as when she is gazing at the white canvas of an empty fish taverna before the arrival of the barbaric hordes of guests. The calm before the storm doesn't last long though, ...

as the guests are already converging on Galera, ...

including some that were not in the original seating plan.

The floor manager is hard at work squeezing everyone into their seats.

In the end, crisis is more or less averted and guests are already busy throwing back shots of ouzo.

Just as things are settling down, the happy couple arrive after their photo shoot, waiting for the floor manager's signal to make their grand appearance.

As Tiësto's Parade of the Athletes starts pumping through the speakers, they make their way up to Galera...

and the crowd goes crazy! The bride performs her presidential wave in all its glory...

and then proceeds to cut the cake...

while Yannis pours the bubbly.

The groom seems to hesitate...

but in the end the creation of Yanni's pastry-making friend does not disappoint.

The dinner is now in full swing...

in the magnificent setting of the candle-lit Galera.

As the unsuspecting bride tours the tables and socializes with guests...

the groom delivers his top-secret surprise greek speech. With some moral support from the brother of the bride, the speech is a hit!

The father of the groom shows his enthusiasm by being one of the first on the dance floor.

The bride barely has time to grab a quick bite...

because the party's started!

Energized by the expert sounds of Stamatis and his band, ...

the bride proceeds to dance...

and dance...

and dance...

and dance...

and dance...

and dance some more.

Not to be outdone, the brother of the bride displays his skills in a wide range of dances, from the classical...

to the traditional.

The bride and best woman support his performance fully.

In a shamelessly staged event, the floor manager manages to catch the bouquet with one hand while drinking ouzo from the other.

Friends of the bride look like they're having a fine time..

and so does everyone else!

And yet, even for a floor manager, sometimes the floor is simply not enough.

The sister of the groom and the best woman seem to agree.

As the best woman trains the next generation of table-top dancers, ...

the groom proves that no one is too tall to get on the tables.

The fiesta goes on...

and on...

and on...

and on...

and on...

and on.

As the party winds down, the bride enjoys some slow dancing á trois, ...

only to return exhausted to the arms of her man.

The night ends with some hard-earned cake. What a party!

It all brings back memories of another summer, exactly 10 years ago.

Sunday, July 6th - The ceremony

Dear blog,

A floor manager's job is too tough for words to describe. Unexpected difficulties come up every minute. First, the tables at Galera are a bit more generous than anticipated, so making sure each of them has the right number of chairs is an exercise in compression. Second, convincing Yannis that putting 13 chairs at some of the tables will not bring about the Apocalypse requires advanced negotiating skills. Finally, just as resistance seems to fade and the original seating plan is enforced fully, the floor manager has to run to the church as she realizes that everyone else is already there and conveniently forgot to tell her about it.


Thankfully, the wedding is not over yet. The couple, the father of the groom (left) and the best woman (right) are in their places as the ceremony begins.

The bride has some difficulty in taking the event seriously and her brother isn't helping.

After some momentary panic and looking around in purses, the best woman produces the rings...

... and proceeds to perform her duties with poise.

The rings are now in place and both families seem pleased that no one has tried to escape so far.

[Note that both CIA and KGB have sent their agents to the ceremony. Can you spot them in the crowd?]

Crowning the couple requires some gymnastics on the part of the best woman due to the groom's high altitude.

As temperatures are rising, the floor manager is called upon to provide emergency ventilation...

and it's finally time for a drink.

Some of the guests get overzealous with the rice, thus further making a mockery of the event.

After it's all done, there's barely time for some post-ceremony gossip...

before the guests line up to congratulate the wedding party. The floor manager pays her respects quickly, as she has to run to fish taverna Galera and anticipate the arrival of the masses.