Giannis Arapakis and Christina Tsourdalakis tied the knot last Saturday at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Paraskevi, Varvara, and John in St Albans, Melbourne. The ceremony was a touching celebration filled with love and emotion, with the elderly grandfathers of the newlyweds taking centre stage.
The four grandfathers, who collectively boast 390 years of life and experience, captivated everyone with their presence.
They are the 90-year-old Giannis Arapakis and the 103-year-old Charalampos Tanos, from the groom’s side, and the 97-year-old Kostas Tsourdalakis and the 100-year-old Ilias Lambropoulos, from the bride’s side.
The oldest of all, Charalampos Tanos, did not hesitate—despite his 103 years—to board a plane and travel from Brisbane to attend his grandson’s wedding, earning admiration for his resilience.
When asked if he could make the journey, he confidently replied, “Why not?”
“It is very special that my children had the luck and blessing to know and experience their grandparents from both my side and my wife’s side. Unfortunately, the grandmothers passed away a few years ago, but the grandfathers are alive and both were at the wedding,” the groom’s father, George Arapakis, told Neos Kosmos.
A moving celebration
The reception at the Vogue Ballroom was filled with happy faces where the grandfathers once again took the spotlight, creating unforgettable moments for all attendees.
The heartwarming event underscored the value of family and the enduring legacy of wisdom and love that grandfathers bring to such special occasions.
Kostas Tsourdalakis, the bride’s 97-year-old grandfather, moved everyone by reading a poem he wrote especially for the newlyweds, while the centenarian grandfather Charalampos danced with the groom, his children, grandchildren, and nephews, proving that age is just a number.
Both grandfathers, despite their years, stayed at the reception until the end.
“The amazing thing was that the wedding and reception gathered 75 people from Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, and Athens. As my wife commented, it was the first time all the cousins were together in one place. My father-in-law was so moved to see all his children together that he cried with joy. And when he couldn’t dance, he clapped his hands in happiness,” said Arapakis.
He further highlighted the importance of family and the corresponding bonds to tradition, with guests unable to stop being moved by the grandfathers’ stories.
Giannis and Christina’s wedding would never have been the same without the presence of their grandfathers.
With their wisdom and love, the grandfathers showed that age is just an opportunity for more celebrations and endless stories.
After all—as some say and others prove spectacularly—life begins at 90!
