All weddings are specials, but not all of them make the news.
In the case of Marina and Soren, it was rather inevitable for their special day to get publicity, with some dubbing it ‘the wedding of the year’.
Marina is the daughter of Sydney-based lawyer Nicholas Pappas, who has served as a Director on a number of public and private boards, from then Laiki Bank in Australia to Member of the Board of Governors at the Steve Waugh Foundation.
(Fun fact: some might recall the time Russell Crowe called Pappas “a hero of mine” for his work as South Sydney Chairman).
The list of around 250 guests included business heavyweights from the Greek Australian and broader community, such as Andrew Liveris, chair of the Brisbane Olympics 2032 organising committee.
Not to mention, Archbishop Makarios of Australia conducted the service himself, alongside father George Maltezos at the Cathedral of St Constantine and Eleni in Kastellorizo last week.
“That was a great honour,” proud father of the bride, Nicholas Pappas AM told Neos Kosmos.
“Archbishop Makarios conducted a beautiful ceremony and that was a great honour not only for us, but for our guests and for Kastellorizo, an island having such strong connections with Australia.”
Mr Pappas, is one of over 60,000 Kazzies Down Under and their descendants who have maintained ties with the Greek island of 300 inhabitants.
But the Kastellorizo wedding was not his idea, he revealed.
“It was my daughter’s wish actually.
“As a family, we thought it was important at this time when there’s some tensions about the eastern Mediterranean, to reaffirm our commitment to the island of our origins, because as diaspora we need to be vigilant and engaged. So when Marina shared that wish, we were very proud that she and her Danish husband Soren made the decision to have the wedding here.”
The weather was on the couple’s side with a sunny, blue sky making a generous appearance for their special day.
Kastellorizian songs were sung at home, and the bride’s family was accompanied to the church by an ensemble playing traditional tunes of the island. The groom’s relatives also enjoyed their share of traditional Danish songs.
A nuptial detail that did not go unnoticed? Marina’s read umbrella. Mr Pappas explained:
“The bride carries a kokkini umbrella on the day of the wedding. This was an old tradition, to give colour to the bride’s complexion, because the girls were kept very much indoors in the old days. Not the case anymore of course,” he said with a laugh.
Following the ceremony, celebrations continued well into the night at an estate which was a short walk from the church.
“We were very lucky that dear friends of ours, the Mitaros family, granted us the privilege of hosting the reception at a beautiful estate on the water they own.
“The speeches were very moving and the local food was excellent, the staff of restaurants who catered for us did a wonderful job. So, it couldn’t have been a better night.”
So, how did Marina and Soren meet? A wedding story without a glimpse into the newlyweds’ love story could not be complete.
Mr Pappas shared the basics:
“They met in San Francisco when then they were on exchange, they’re both lawyers. They have a long romance actually, they’ve known each other for many years now.
“Now, they’re going to return to Australia after their honeymoon and settle there and continue their legal careers.”
Marina is named after Mr Pappas’ late mother, whose parents were among the earliest families to migrate from Kastellorizo, settling in Australia in 1924.
“It’s deeply emotional staging the wedding in this Cathedral. I feel proud, filled with emotions, thinking of my parents of course who both came from the island.
“So returning here is sort of full circle if you like, coming back to where it all started. Almost like rediscovering the place for the first time.”
