Same-Sex Marriage Now Legal in Greece #LoveisLove
Greece went viral on the 15th of February 2024, just after Valentine’s Day, when the parliament voted to approve the bill for Same-Sex Marriage becoming legal in Greece.
All major news outlets around the world reported this progressive part of the legislation that just passed in Greece! Making progress for equality and human rights! The news about legalizing gay weddings in Greece has spread around the globe! Greece has become one of the first Orthodox countries to legalize same-sex weddings!
Thousands gathered on Syntagma Square in Athens outside the Greek Parliament on the day when the much-anticipated vote on same-sex marriage was underway inside the parliament! It was a landmark win for marriage equality, for the LGBTQ+ community and all supporters of LGBTQ rights, after the victorious vote of 176 out of 300. The law not only gives the right to same-sex couples to wed, but also to adopt children!
Is same-sex marriage allowed in Greece?
YES! Same-sex marriage is now legal in Greece since 16 February 2024.
We can finally say that gay weddings are now legally allowed as Greece legalizes same-sex marriage in a ground-breaking change! Greece has always been an ideal destination for gay wedding ceremonies. And now you can also tie the knot legally as it is recognized in Greece. You can plan your civil ceremony on one of the Greek islands. Mykonos (Ibiza of Greece) Ios, and Santorini are some of the more popular chosen destinations. Or consider, Lesbos, Tilos, Rhodes or Kos, which might be an ideal choice for your same-sex destination wedding in Greece!
How does the new law about same-sex weddings in Greece affect wedding tourism?
Although Greece has been one of the more popular destinations for same-sex weddings for many years now same-sex civil partnerships have been allowed since 2015, and legal recognition of gender identity since 2017, most of these gay destination weddings were symbolic!
However, this new law is now allowing wedding tourism to expand exponentially! Greece just became the 16th country in Europe next to Spain, Portugal, France, etc., to allow same-sex couples to legally marry. If anything, the legalization of gay marriage will only bring more wedding tourism and more weddings to the already popular wedding destination!
What is going to change for gay couples planning their wedding in Greece?
Greece has always been very LGBTQ+ friendly and thus a chosen country for numerous gay destination weddings! The new law expands the right for a civic marriage to same-sex couples and thus finally allows all couples to have a legal civil ceremony in Greece.
However, the first gay marriage in Greece was on the island of Tilos. When Mayor Anastasios Aliferis of Tilos married two same-sex couples in 2008, using the loophole in the law from 1982 which stated that civil marriage is allowed between “persons”. Without specifying the gender! The two unions were later annulled by the Supreme Court. Which triggered the nationwide protest among the LBTGQ community leading to new reforms and current revolutionary changes in the law!
If you’re planning your gay wedding in Greece, you just got another task on your wedding planning To-Do list! Now you can also start preparing the necessary paperwork for a legally recognized union! However, obtaining a legal marriage certificate in Greece does not mean your union will be recognized in your country. That is if your country does not recognize same-sex marriages. For the exact paperwork required, please turn to your wedding planner or local authorities, the town hall of your chosen location.
