No matter what industry we operate in, we all have some dreams we want to fulfill. For example, I love to photograph weddings in locations I have never been before. You realize just how happy I was when Dragos told me that they want me to photograph their wedding in Santorini. That’s because Santorini it’s not just any island, it’s one of the most popular destination wedding locations.
Drawn from a volcano, Santorini is characterized by the traditional look carefully kept even by the most luxurious hotels. A walk through Santorini is like using a time machine. Narrow streets, taverns where you will hardly find a table at certain times, and sensational views of the famous sunset contributes to the charm of the island.
As usual, whenever I have to shoot a wedding in a new location, I start researching online. After I find the general stuff, I usually start to virtually walk through that location using Google Maps. Yes, today’s technology allows us to walk wherever we want. However, as advanced technology is, nothing can replace the real experience. I therefore decided to arrive a few days earlier in Santorini. I had the time to walk the winding streets and find suitable locations for the shooting.
The biggest problem with popular locations is exactly their popularity. They are full of tourists about any time, so you’re pretty limited. Santorini is probably the most popular Greek island. The wedding was held in Oia, the most popular resort on the whole island. At the sunset for example, there are some streets where you can hardly walk. There are still a few hours during the day when the streets are less crowded in Santorini. This usually happens after 12 o’clock when the sun is very strong and everyone avoids walks. This matched with the wedding program and everything was ok.
I started photographing the wedding in the morning, starting with the preparations. There was a beautiful day, as well as almost all the days that I spent there. Preparations were completed around 12 o’clock and we began moving from location tolocation in Oia to make some memorable photographs. It was a challenge for me but also for all the wedding guests. Almost everywhere in Santorini you will find stairs. If you’re dressed for the wedding is even more difficult. But we faced all these small problems and we did the photo shoot. After the shoot we headed to the church for the religious ceremony. After this, Daniela and Dragos were pretty exhausted but I insisted to make some shots with the famous sunset of Santorini. They thanked me after when I showed them photos. We then went to the terrace of Aris Caves for the reception and all guests were relieved. They finally could sit down and enjoy the party.
It was a great experience and I sincerely hope to be back for another wedding in Santorini. It still has much to offer and I want to visit other locations on the island. Thank you Daniela and Dragos for this wonderful experience. I hope you will look fondly at pictures taken together in Santorini! Have a nice life together!
O nunta reusita, felicitari pentru ea Ciprian !
Mulţumesc!