Group and Wedding Guest Arrival Planning in Crete
Getting one household to a villa is usually straightforward. Coordinating several households arriving on different flights and staying across separate villas requires a clearer plan.
It is entirely manageable, and the groups who find it easy are the ones who planned the arrivals rather than the celebration. This guide covers that part.
Amazing Villas in Crete provides private accommodation and local stay guidance. The villas are places for wedding guests to stay; ceremonies and receptions take place at the chosen wedding venue.
By Argyris Skordilis, owner and host · Updated
Everyone Arrives at a Different Time, and That Is Normal
Groups often arrive on different flights and at different times. One household comes in on the Thursday morning, another arrives late that night, someone connects through Athens and reaches the villa after midnight.
Rather than trying to compress that into one arrival, plan it as a series of them. For each group travelling together, note the date, the approximate arrival time, the airport, how many people, and which villa they are going to. Send that to Argyris in one message, and update it when flights change.
Late arrivals can be coordinated more smoothly when Argyris knows about them in advance. Send an update as soon as practical if the timing changes.
Choose One Lead Guest
The single most useful thing a group can do is nominate one person to coordinate with Argyris.
Not because the rest of the group is unwelcome to ask questions, but because five people relaying five versions of the same arrival plan is how details get lost. One point of contact keeps the arrangements clear, and it means the answers come back to somebody who has the whole picture.
The lead guest can be whichever person has the clearest overview of the bookings and arrival plans.
Each Villa Is a Separate Booking
If your group is staying across more than one villa, each villa is booked, referenced and paid for individually.
MAZI combines two or three of Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini in Asteri. Kitron with Myrrini accommodates up to 12 guests; Asteri with either accommodates up to 14; all three accommodate up to 20. Each villa remains an independent booking, with its own kitchen, living spaces, private pool, booking reference and payment.
Villa Argiris is a separate villa in Stavromenos, about 2.6 km from Asteri, and is not part of MAZI. For groups of more than 20, it can be booked separately alongside MAZI, for up to 28 guests in total.
For arrivals this matters in a practical way: three bookings mean separate arrival information and check-in coordination for each villa. The lead guest coordinates; the bookings stay separate.
Plan Transport Household by Household
Because guests arrive separately, transport is usually easier arranged per household than for the group as a whole.
Some parties want a hire car from the airport. Others prefer a private transfer after a long flight, then a car later in the week. Ask Argyris and he can suggest a transfer company. Final availability, vehicle, price and terms are confirmed with the provider for each request. It is worth asking early, particularly for larger groups or late arrivals.
If part of your group is in Asteri and part in Stavromenos, remember that these are two different bases with their own journeys. Plan on that basis rather than assuming everyone can share a lift.
A note worth stating plainly: if the celebration involves alcohol, arrange transport for that evening in advance. Do not plan to drive.
Luggage, Vehicles and Child Seats
Groups underestimate luggage more reliably than they underestimate anything else. Once garment bags, dresses, gifts, pushchairs and beach equipment are included, a vehicle that fits the passengers may not fit what they brought.
Tell Argyris roughly how many bags each party is travelling with when the transport request is made, so that what reaches the provider reflects reality rather than optimism.
Child seats must be requested in advance, with the children’s ages and any details the provider asks for. Treat them as a request that needs confirming, not something waiting at the desk.
Check-in and Arriving Early
Check-in is from 15:30, and check-out is at 11:00.
If part of your group lands in the morning, tell Argyris in advance and he will say what is possible on your dates. An early luggage drop can sometimes be arranged, depending on when the previous guests depart and on the cleaning schedule that day, which is why it has to be arranged beforehand rather than requested on the morning.
A luggage drop is not early check-in, and early access cannot be guaranteed, particularly on a changeover day. If it genuinely matters for a wedding morning, raise it as early as you can.
Before Anyone Travels
Roughly 14 days before arrival, each booking receives its arrival information: directions and a map link for that specific villa, check-in details, a request for flight details and expected arrival times, and a question about anything practical that is needed. Each booking also receives an express check-in link.
Each booking should complete the guest-information requirements provided through its own express check-in link.
Then, on the day, each party sends Argyris a message when they leave the airport. That helps him estimate arrival times across the group and coordinate the arrival and check-in arrangements.
The First Evening
The evening before a wedding is not the evening to be ambitious.
If you are travelling by private transfer, consider asking in advance whether the transfer company can include an essential supermarket stop on the way. This is subject to confirmation. Please check current opening hours close to your dates rather than relying on anything written in advance, and if you are hoping to eat out as a group, contact the restaurant directly and confirm the reservation in advance. Availability for a large table should not be assumed.
Each villa booked directly receives a Cretan Breakfast Basket, providing a few local essentials for your first mornings.
Beyond that, the most useful first evening is usually a quiet one at the villa, with everyone in the right house and the luggage indoors.
Getting Ready on the Day
Guests staying at the villas may get ready there as part of the normal use of their accommodation.
If an external hair, beauty, photography or other professional needs access to a villa, discuss it with Argyris in advance. Access, timing, visitor numbers and parking arrangements must be confirmed for the specific villa before anything is organised. This prior approval does not expand the agreed private-accommodation use of the villa.
What to Send Argyris
For each party travelling together:
- arrival date and approximate time;
- airport;
- number of adults and children;
- which villa they are staying in;
- hire car or transfer;
- luggage volume;
- child seats if needed;
- departure plans.
And one name, at the start, for whoever is coordinating.
Facts checked against our four villa pages · Last reviewed by Argyris Skordilis, owner of Amazing Villas in Crete.
Frequently asked questions
Can wedding guests stay together in neighbouring villas?
MAZI combines two or three of Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini in Asteri: up to 12 guests with Kitron and Myrrini, up to 14 with Asteri and either, and up to 20 with all three. Each villa remains an independent booking with its own kitchen, pool, reference and payment. The MAZI group planner helps you share out the rooms.
What if our group is larger than 20 guests?
Villa Argiris, a separate villa in Stavromenos about 2.6 km from Asteri, can be booked separately alongside MAZI for up to 28 guests in total. It is not part of MAZI.
Can the wedding ceremony or reception be held at the villas?
The villas are places for wedding guests to stay. Ceremonies and receptions take place at the chosen wedding venue.
Can we get ready at the villa on the wedding day?
Guests staying at the villas may get ready there as part of normal use. If a hair, beauty, photography or other professional needs access, discuss it with Argyris in advance so that access, timing, visitor numbers and parking can be confirmed for that villa.
How should a wedding group arrange airport transport?
Transport is usually easier arranged per household than for the whole group. Ask Argyris and he can suggest a transfer company; final availability, vehicle, price and terms are confirmed with the provider, and it is worth asking early.
Can part of the group check in early?
Tell Argyris in advance if part of the group lands in the morning. An early luggage drop can sometimes be arranged, but it is not early check-in, and early access cannot be guaranteed, particularly on a changeover day.
Plan the Details with Argyris
Tell Argyris who is travelling and when you arrive, and he will help you plan the details. He usually replies within 12 hours.
More Plan Your Stay guides
- Villa AsteriThe Carpenter’s House · 8 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Kitron6 guests · every bedroom en-suite · Asteri Village
- Villa Myrrini6 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Argiris8 guests · one level, sea views · Stavromenos
- Compare the villasAll the facts side by side
