The ceremony will be in Westchester, which is about about 25 minutes from Naperville and the city of Chicago. The venue will be in Naperville, which is about 1 hour to the city. Downtown Naperville is a walkable town with tons of shopping, restaurants, bars, a riverwalk and lots to do. Therefore, we suggest staying in Naperville so that you can dance the night away and take the shuttle bus or walk back to your hotel!

We suggest renting a car if you plan to go out and see a lot. You will have to Uber or Taxi to the Church and then to the reception. There will be a complimentary shuttle to and from the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Naperville and the reception pavilion. If you stay in downtown Naperville, there is a train that leaves almost every hour to the city (about 1 hour ride) and you can even visit neighboring cities with the train!

Wedding Guest Attire. The Greek Orthodox Sacrament of Marriage can only be performed in a Greek Orthodox church, chapel or cathedral. So, think, "Sunday best." No jeans. We also request no strapless dresses or midriffs showing. Ladies, if you have spaghetti straps or bare shoulders, please bring a shall to cover your shoulders in the church. And please, no white, ivory or cream.

Same as the ceremony. Note that cocktail hour will be outside in the grass, so ladies, be prepared with your shoes and jacket if necessary.

Sure, if its not a loogee. A tradition dating back to ancient times is to spit after offering congratulations or compliments to the couple. Today guests mimic ‘the act’ of spitting – blowing a puff of breath through pursed lips. Due to the rule of threes, ‘spitting’ three times brings greater luck.

Figure about 45 minutes to an hour in church.

Even though Greek receptions are lively, the ceremony is solemn and respectful. Follow the crowd for cues on when to stand and sit. As you enter the church, the bride’s guests sit on the left.

As much as we love all your little kiddos, we have decided to have no small children at the reception. For the ceremony, we would LOVE to have all the children there to witness the Holy Sacrament. But after the ceremony, we respectfully ask to hand off the munchkins to a babysitter as the reception will have intense dancing meant for old people only. Not to mention, a clumsy bride who doesn't want to break any little kids (you will understand that once you see her dance).

Yes! You can watch a video and practice the most basic steps at the link here! https://www.greekboston.com/dance-kalamatianos/ . Also, in America, there is a tradition of a “showering” gift. When the couple Greek dances, close family and friends will toss a whole wad of bills at them. It's optional for guests to participate, but bring a few dollar bills if you want to join in the festivities. The money symbolizes helping the couple get established.

Valid for a time in history, it is no longer the case.

Koufeta are white sugar-coated almonds (Jordan Almonds). The white symbolizes purity and the egg shape represents fertility and new life. The hard almond is a symbol of the endurance of marriage and the sugar coating is a promise of a sweet life together. For wedding favors, the bride and her bridesmaids always wrap an odd number of koufeta in netting or bonbonnieres. The odd numbers are indivisible, so it symbolizes that the couple will remain undivided. It is a Greek tradition for an unmarried woman to tuck the koufeta under her pillow so she will dream of her future husband.

Meson Sabika is a Spanish Tapas restaurant housed in a mansion that was built in 1847. It sits on a pristine four-acre estate near downtown Naperville. Guests are free to explore the grounds of the venue during cocktail hour. Make sure to look inside the house, too!