Creta Maris Beach Resort

Creta Maris is a family-owned, all-inclusive beach resort in Hersonissos, about 25 km from Heraklion on Crete's north coast. It has 675 rooms and suites plus a single private pool villa, set between two main buildings and a cluster of whitewashed bungalows, with a blue flag sandy beach and 17 pools.

This is a resort wedding rather than a private estate. Seven restaurants, nine bars, the Nami wine cellar, a vineyard and an organic kitchen garden sit on site, and the resort is built for every age, from kids and teens clubs and a waterpark to an Exclusive Adult Rooms area for guests aged 16 and over.

The resort offers a Cretan-style ceremony in its traditional chapel or on the seafront, and the team will shape anything from a small ceremony to a symbolic elopement. The published package covers 20 guests and includes the chapel or another hotel space, Cretan flowers with honey and walnuts on the ceremony table, a bouquet and buttonhole, a reception cocktail with soumada and Cretan canapés, ceremony music, a two layer cake and a spa ritual for the couple.

After the ceremony, guests dine in one of the themed restaurants, though not privately. For a bigger party or a private dinner, ask the team for a tailored offer and the music curfew.

Guests stay on site, from bungalows facing the pool to family rooms that connect, each with a terrace or balcony. Board is all inclusive, which keeps costs simple for the group, and the couple gets a room upgrade, late check-out when available and breakfast in the room the morning after.

Around the wedding there is the spa and hammam, an open-air cinema, water sports and local experiences such as Greek dancing and cooking classes. The resort's own guide suggests nearby villages including Koutouloufari, Piskopiano and Krasi, with Malia close by. Hersonissos is about 25 km from Heraklion, and transfers can be booked through the resort's website.