All about Zakynthos

An event, which has been performed since 2004 during the Carnival period, inspired by the caravanner Antonios Milanos, is the "Venetian Wedding in Zante in the 16th century". The event takes us back to the 16th century, when the nobles of "Zante" with their very expensive and impressive costumes showed their wealth to ordinary citizens through the weddings performed by the noble families of the island. The preparation for such a wedding began long before, as the bride and the other women who were invited to the wedding had to start sewing their impressive dresses to be ready and rehearsing long before the wedding.The grand procession of the Venetian wedding, begins at St. Paul's Square, then crosses Alexandros Roma Street, and ends at St. Mark's Square.  Then, with the necessary honours, the wedding ceremony takes place in the presence of the notary. It is worth mentioning that the magnificent wedding procession opens with drummers and flag bearers. The newlyweds and their close relatives follow. The nona (grandmother) is carried in a lentika (a closed stretcher of exceptional art in which the nobles were carried), followed by the bride's chests with the dowries. The procession is accompanied by the guests, who wear exact replicas of 16th century costumes, while girls carry canisters with rose petals and weding favors. The wedding feast follows, with Renaissance dances and many traditional local dishes such as zacharokuka (sugared almonds) orzades (sugared milk of almonds) and pantoles (light sweet cake).