Church Weddings in Cyprus

There are two main Churches used for weddings in Paphos,  Agia Kyriaki which is pronounced “Ay Kiriaki”   (also known as St Paul’s Pillar)  located in Kato Paphos and Saint George’s Chapel on the coast near Chloraka. Both are beautiful buildings and hold  Roman Catholics weddings and Anglican weddings in Paphos I will talk about the Churches first and then about some alternative Chapels and finally I will supply a little information to get you started on arranging your Church wedding in Paphos. Lastly at the bottom I have included a couple of links that you may find useful.

 

The two main Churches are shared for Paphos Church weddings by both denominations. Wedding ceremonies are held Monday to Friday with Anglican ceremonies held Monday and Tuesday whilst  Catholic ceremonies are performed Wednesday Thursday and Friday. Both Churches become booked very early so you are advised to check availability at the earliest opportunity. Formalities are extensive and involved, I strongly recommend doing your homework at the earliest opportunity.

 

AGIA KYRIAKI CHURCH

 

The Church of Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa to give it it’s full name was originally built as a Latin Church in around 1500AD. It was built on the foundations of a small Church that had been destroyed by earthquake in 59 AD. The Turkish (Ottoman’s)  invasion in 1570 saw the Church become a Byzantine Cathedral.

 

It is chronicled that St Paul and St Barnabas came to Paphos in 45AD and whilst here he was whipped at a pillar near the Church and so the Church is sometimes called The Church of St Paul’s Pillar. The Church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church who still use the premises for special occasions but generally speaking The Anglican and Latin Church share the Church with permission granted by the Bishop of Paphos.

 

Located in lower or “Kato” Paphos and just a short walk from the harbour, the Church is one of the most spectacular venues you can choose for Church weddings in Paphos. Surrounded by the exquisite ruins and pillars outside –  colourful icons adoring the walls inside, the Church is truly an ancient and unique splendour. Thankfully the Church stays relatively cool in the summer due to the thick stone walls enabling bridal parties to enjoy a short respite from the heat of the summer months.

 

Agia Kyriaki is a very popular venue for Church weddings in Paphos and being shared between the two religious denominations (Anglican and Catholic) becomes booked up quite some time in advance. The two busiest months are May and September due to the perfect climatic conditions, Anglican ceremonies are conducted on Mondays and Tuesdays with Catholic ceremonies held on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays. Costs are ever changing so follow the link at the foot of this post to obtain up to date prices but the website still shows the 2010 price at 650 Euros with a deposit of 50% payable withing 6 weeks of reserving a date.

 

Here is a link to some history of the Church.

 

CHAPEL OF SAINT GEORGE

 

The Chapel of St George is a lovely venue for you Church wedding in Paphos, situated along the coast on the way to Coral Bay, the drive will take about 15 minutes. The St George’s Hotel is situated just a 100 meters  away. Relatively small and therefore ideal for a smaller sized wedding party the Chapel will comfortably seat 20-25 guests with standing room for more. The Chapel is air conditioned to help keep you and your wedding guests comfortable.

 

Beautifully decorated in the style of Greek Orthodox Christians the interior is stunning. The little photographs used here to illustrate this blog post cannot do justice to this spectacular little Chapel.

 

Unlike Agia Kyriaki, confetti throwing is welcomed at St George’s. Music is from a C.D player only and by arrangement. There are some steps down to the road and these are used for many of the group photographs after the wedding ceremony. You should note that there are steps to negotiate both on the way to the Church from the car park and on exiting. However, they are wide and provided with handrails.

 

 

Once again, wedding services are conducted Monday to Friday between 1pm and 5pm with Catholic ceremonies held Monday and Tuesday and Anglican ceremonies performed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

A great way to get your guests to and from The Chapel of Saint George is to hire a fun bus or old fashioned “Village Bus”. These are old Bedford buses repainted in many bright colours and decorated for the wedding party to clamber on board. These are not recommended for the very infirm.

 

 

OTHER CHAPELS IN THE PAPHOS AREA

THE ELYSIUM CHAPEL

Built in the grounds of the magnificent Elysium Hotel which is situated near the center of Paphos in the area along “Tombs Of The Kings Road” The hotel does impose accommodation requirements so please check with the hotel. I should not say this but this is my favourite hotel for wedding photography in Paphos. The hotel normally tries to impose their chosen photographers on a couple but I have photographed many weddings here.

 

APHRODITE HILLS

Where else would you go for a romantic wedding but the home place of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love! St Catherine’s Chapel is located within the Aphrodite Hills complex situated approximately 20 km outside Paphos. The chapel will seat 40 guests inside  and around 100 outside. There are numerous venues within the complex for a reception after the ceremony.

 

COLUMBIA BEACH RESORT

The Chapel sits within the grounds of the opulent Columbia Beach resort next door to the 3 start Columbia Beach hotel. Small and very colourful the Chapel will only sit about 10 guests for an intimate wedding. The hotel has other locations for the civil ceremony.

 

AZIA CHAPEL

The Chapel is located to the rear of the Azia Hotel and boasts splendid sea views and seats 20 -25 wedding guests. Alternatively you can request an outdoor ceremony in the grounds of the chapel and seat up to about 80 guests.

 USEFUL LINKS

Anglican Churches in Paphos - click HERE.

Catholic Churches in  Paphos – click HERE.