Best of Wedding Photography

An intimate wedding anniversary photography session at Santorini island – Greece, renowned as one of the top 5 wedding destinations worldwide!

I received an email from Jon and Jen asked me to be their wedding photographer or more precisely their anniversary photographer.

Even their names match of this lovely and still in love (after a decade!!) couple from the USA!!

Now that I met them, I feel glad that I was available and undertook their photography project.

We started from their hotel at Oia village, I peaked them up from there, and we continued strolling within the graphical alleys of Oia.

My first impression was that they were a beautiful couple and my impressions were enriched by the quality of their personalities and the cooperative spirit they had!

Most of all, what impressed me was the feeling they share with each other after a decade of marriage. I was looking through the lens while photographing them and they were whispering to each other words of love and their body language was “shouting” these words!!

As I found out later, the guitarist and the planner had the same thoughts with me, and we all commented that it is extremely rare to find people feeling like that after a ten years marriage!!

After Oia, we moved to Imerovigli area and continued with the photo session. It seems that we got carried away as we enjoyed it very much and we realized it after receiving a phone call from the wedding planner who got a bit worried about the time plan.

We headed back to Oia and found somewhere park, a parking space that Jon characterized it as “creative” parking, just inches separated our car from other vehicles and the main road (I guess you need to be “creative” in such manner when parking at Santorini and Greek islands 🙂

I changed my clothes and wore something more appropriate for the ceremony that I was about to attend. (oh, there is no way to photograph at Santorini under the hot sun and sometimes extreme temperatures wearing a suit!)

And what an intimate ceremony that was!!

The hotel is called Mystique and not by chance! The balcony was just ideal for their vows renewal; the ceremony was intimate, simple and sentimental! In the company of the guitarist’s beautiful melodies, Jon and Jen danced for at least an hour non stop, enjoying the scenery and the nights refreshing breeze!

I was there to record that and here are the photographic results!

We arranged a new photo session of vows renewal with Jon and Jen after ten years!

It’s hard –if not impossible– to visit Mykonos and not fall in love with it. And Kara and Anthony, a lovely, perfectly matched couple, were no exception to the rule! The legendary island of the winds, world famous both for its timeless Cycladic beauty and for its vibrant never-ending parties, has rightly won the title of one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece; no wonder it eventually evolved into one of the most popular wedding destinations as well.

Rarely have I come across a more relaxed, easygoing couple – or a more determined one, as they had been carefully planning their dream wedding for almost a year to make sure it would be exactly that. And it was. Because, you know what they say, when you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it, as Paulo Coelho would assure you…So, Kara and Anthony’s wedding had it all: beauty and love, amazing friends and relatives eager to share their happiness, a breathtakingly beautiful landscape and, of course, glorious sunny weather!

The pre-wedding party included a sailing trip around the island, with lots of fun, dancing, and spectacular jumping into the crystal blue waters, and dinner at one of the best restaurants in Mykonos, Avli tou Thodori, which specializes in high quality traditional Greek cuisine. There was a nice breezy atmosphere at the preparation of the beautiful blonde bride, who was stunning in her exquisite lace wedding dress, while the bridesmaids looked very chic in their elegant blue dresses. The ceremony took place literally by the sea in Pasaji, where Caterina Vogli and her talented Mood Effects team had decorated the Jewish wedding canopy with fresh white, pink and pale yellow flowers. This was my first Jewish wedding, and I was impressed by the meaningful rituals and age-old customs such as the breaking of the glass and the chair dance at the reception. The day culminated in the wedding party, where an awesome saxophonist, a great singer and a fantastic DJ had the guests dancing all night long. The wedding celebrations went on the following day with another party at the beach restaurant Kuzina, which offers an eclectic menu inspired both by European and Eastern tastes.

The final chapter of this beautiful wedding story was written with the couple’s photoshoot at the windmills, the trademark of Mykonos. Dear Kara and Anthony, thank you so much for your trust and friendship. May the sun of love always shine upon your life!

Photography by Thanasis Kaiafas

More than anything else, a wedding should be a celebration of true love between two people eager to join their lives and declare their commitment to each other. Holly and Jeremy’s wedding was precisely that. And they chose the perfect place for it: Santorini, one of the most enchanting and romantic islands in the world.

Holly and Jeremy are indeed one of my favorite couples. They were so friendly, warm and honest that from the very first moment I felt that I had known them for years! About two years ago they visited the volcanic island of Santorini and instantly fell in love with its timeless, out-of-this-world beauty and magic. So, they traveled all the way from California to tie the knot here, in sunny Greece.

The first look took place on a balcony overlooking the sparkling Aegean blue, and the ceremony was held on a spacious terrace with unobstructed views, under a beautiful arch decorated with green branches. It was a very touching scene when the couple read their vows. Everybody was moved. Emotion filled the air, and there were tears of joy and happy smiles. I must admit that I almost forgot the reason I was there and enjoyed every single minute, every single word! And I remembered once again what a great honor and privilege it is to capture such precious moments with your camera and record them forever.

Maria and the whole awesome team of Tie the Knot in Santorini had created a dream atmosphere for the ceremony with their simple but elegant decoration and floral arrangements, including the beautiful bridal bouquet plus the sweetest and quietest little donkey wearing the colors of the wedding!

The reception was held in Santorini Mou, an amazing local restaurant that the newlyweds –and all their guests– absolutely loved. Fantastic food, fiesta lights and live Greek music played by the owner himself –with no microphones but with lots of enthusiasm– made the evening truly unforgettable.

Dear Holly and Jeremy, thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer. I wish you all the happiness in the world and a wonderful life together!

Photography by Thanasis Kaiafas

Most of the weddings that people see in Greece are in our islands by the sea and have a unique perspective. This is a typical wedding happening in Greece. The traditional way, so I can give you a view of how a wedding goes, and not only show you beautiful scenery of my country.

Santorini is well known for its bright light and the white and blue colors. The architecture is also unique.

Sanna and Henri have been married for ten years now, and they decided to have an escape to this unique Greek island to celebrate it.

Part of their celebration was a photography session that would capture their feelings, the landscape and the colors of the island, realistic and also metaphorical.

That is the reason they contacted me and their anniversary “portraits” photo session was set.

It seems that Sanna got inspired from the white and blue colors of Santorini and decided that their clothes styling should be matching the environment.

After sending the images, I received a beautiful email from the couple which I would like to share

“Oh my, Athanasios, I just love the pictures! Images are gorgeous, and you so capture the love and happiness we had and feel! We have talked about you a lot for we also had a great experience at the harbor and in Imerovigli with you. The pictures are all 5-star pictures all the way round: great quality, setting, light, feeling! Everybody has admired your talent…This is a life long memory, thank you.”

This is a small sample of the images captured on that day…..