I was super lucky to have had the opportunity to head over to Canada for a bit of photo shooting in amongst the incredible scenery on offer in Canmore and Banff! But on the way home I spent a few days in and around North Vancouver with Clancy and Rob!
Clancy and Rob’s Capilano River Couple Shoot began at the top of the canyon area, where we walked over the huge Cleveland Dam. The water was quite low in the gorge below, so we were not only able to make the most of the incredible pine trees on display along the paths, but also the rocky outcrops that would otherwise be under water if it were to be flowing more heavily.
It was a rather hot day for Canada – well from my experience anyway! and as we began at the top,and walked down to the water level – we had to walk all the way to the top again, which was pretty hard going! once we had our fill of photos we head to a local Sushi shop for lunch 🙂
The last few photos in this collection were taken the day after on a short trip up to Whistler, but the majority are from the Capilano River Couple Shoot!
Couple in Vancouver forest
Couple hugs in Vancouver
Capilano river couple choot
COuple standing between pine trees in Capilano river
Couple lift in forest
Capilano river park couple shoot
Couple by Capilao river
Lift by Capilao river
Couple in Capilano river vancouverCouple in Capilano river vancouver
I was just sitting here thinking about some of the more spectacular weddings I have covered in the past, and how excited I am to get out and about again now that travel has opened up and it was about this time of year, several years ago now, I was setting out for Kerri and Tony’s Santorini Wedding.
As far as destination wedding venues go, Santorini and it’s sister islands like Mykonos and Rhodes offer some beautifully stero-typical sights and experiences that just scream oppulence and ‘travel’ in general. It’s not often you can see a picture of the blue-capped churches from any of these places and not think it looks like an awesome place to visit. So I figured I’d put together an article to reminice a bit and perhaps convince you to consider Santorini for your next holiday!
In recent years, Santorini has gained a burgeoning reputation amongst holidaymakers across the globe. Located in the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands, it’s never too far from the top of any list pertaining to the region’s must-see destinations. Whilst it’s gained a reputation primarily as one of the best honeymoon spots, Santorini is far more than just a couple’s retreat. There is something to enjoy for every type of traveller.
Three reasons why you should consider Santorini for your next holiday
It shouldn’t take much convincing to explore this Cycladian jewel. But if you need an extra little nudge in the right direction, here are three reasons why you should consider Santorini for your next holiday.
The sunset
As golden hour arrives, Santorini is transformed by the dying light of the sun as it dips below the Aegean horizon. To get one of the best sunset views in the world, head to the grounds of Oia Castle. You’ll be sure to leave with a breathtaking photo collection of the windmills and blue-domed churches that encapsulate the beauty of the Greek Islands.
On the other side of the camera, however, and what you won’t see on your pictures, are swathes of tourists who had a similar idea in heading to Oia Castle to soak up the last of the day’s rays. People will typically head there long before sunset to secure the best views, so allow plenty of time on your trip to avoid disappointment.
Bride looking out over Santorini’s Caldera
The food and drink
Any visit to Santorini isn’t complete without having sampled the local (and highly recommended) delicacies which headline restaurant menus across the island. Whilst seafood plays a central role in Santorini’s gastronomic scene, the main attractions are grown on land, where the weather conditions and volcanic soil help to produce some truly unique foods. Be sure to try some Santorini tomatoes, which are grown exclusively on the island and hold PDO status. For a true taste of Santorini, try a tomato fritter (tomatokeftedes).
Whilst it can’t claim to rival the global reputation earned by some of its European neighbours, Santorini’s viniculture has been thriving since ancient times, and produces some outstanding wines. Due to the unique makeup of the island’s soil, wines produced in this part of the world have a distinctive taste, and are sure to leave a long-lasting impression.
Santorini Food
The location
On top of its natural beauty and allure, Santorini has been blessed with a central location within the Greek Islands. If you can ever peel yourself away from Santorini’s shores, it’s the perfect set-off point for an island-hopping adventure.
Santorini is one of just a handful of Greek Islands to have its own international airport. This makes it a great place to start or end your adventure. Island hopping is the best way to combine the charm of the region’s more popular islands like Santorini and Mykonos with the more authentic, less commercialised places, like Serifos and Folegandros.
What’s more, this part of the world is blessed with sun-filled days and balmy temperatures throughout much of the year, making it perfect for an off-peak trip.
I was super excited to cover Geri and Ashwin’s Santorini Couple Shoot as I happened to be on the Greek island of Santorini for Kerri and Tony’s wedding for which they were guests to! Geri’s choice of dress was amazing as the red of her dress really stood out amongst the typical blue and white for which the island of Santorini is famous for. Both Geri and Ashwin were quite natural in front of a camera also, making for some wonderful scenes without much effort, and while surrounded by the sun parched surrounds of Thera on Santorini, it made for some lovely scenes.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, shooting in Santorini and expecting to be surrounded by pristine stairways and white buildings is fine, but you also need to be prepared for throngs of tourists also getting in the way! Leading up to Kerri and Tony’s wedding photo shoot I had scouted out certain spots around the city that seemed to have fewer tourists than others, while still looking awesome, so I took Geri and Ashwin to all the same spots as I took Kerri and Tony, with a few other spots thrown in. As the time of the day was very different between Kerri and Tony’s shoot and Geri and Ashwins, it was quite interesting to visit the same areas and work with the different light.
Heading over to the Greek islands to cover Kerri and Tony’s Santorini wedding has got to be one of the highlights in my wedding photography career so far! The picturesque sights available in the town of Thera, nestled high amongst the cliffs surrounding the caldera of Santorini is an absolute dream to photograph, and it makes it so much easier when I have and amazing couple as Kerri and Tony as subjects! Both Kerri and Tony live in Adelaide, South Australia, but chose to hold a destination Santorini wedding in order to head around Europe on honeymoon. Another reason was that Kerri and Tony met in Canada, where Tony lived, so in order to make the wedding fair to both families they held it somewhere in between the two countries!
Preparation
While shooting a Santorini wedding is an absolute blast and pretty much a wedding photographer’s dream location to shoot at, walking inbetween locations in the height of the Greek summer was no easy task! Thera is a town located right at the top of the cliffs, so walking anywhere really takes it’s toll on your thighs! I mention this as Tony and Kerri were both prepared at different locations a good walk away form one another – good thing I’m fit! 😛
I started the day with Tony and his family, with his groomsmen who all travelled out from Canada for the big day. After getting in a bit of trouble splashing a bit of water out from the pool in order to get a shot of the boys jumping in, I took photos of them all getting ready. It was a fairly laid back affair with Tony showing little to no signs of nerves, and more keen on having a good time with his mates.
Jumping int he pool
Swimming
Bow Tie
Wedding Shoes
Putting on shirt
Putting on shirt
Doing up tie
Doing up tie
Groom and his groomsmen
Walking down the road
Kerri and her bridal party were the same, laughing and joking about whilst occasionally doing little dances all around the rooms and making funny faces in front of the camera. Perhaps the only difference was that everyone got ready inside so as to avoid the beating heat of the lovely sunny day. Kerri’s paresnts and flower girl dropped in for a visit just as she was about to leave which was nice as we got to have some family photos done before walking up to the ceremony at Dana Villas.
Wedding dress
Looking in mirror
Getting dressed
Getting dressed
Putting on bracelet
Engagement ring
Laughing in mirror
Standing in doorway
Getting ready
Dancing about
Dad looking on
Flower girl
Walking up stairs
Playing with flowers
Bridal crew
Dana Villas, Santorini Wedding Ceremony
The Dana Villas wedding ceremony location is a wonderul vantage point, overlooking the entirety of the Santorini caldera – caused by an ancient volcanic eruption. There is a purpose built wooden arbour that covers where the bride and groom stand while having a stunning viewpoint to the waters below. It’s conveniently located amongst some of the more upper scale hotel accomodations available on the island, and also withing short walking distance to the center of the town of Thera.
Kerri and Tony’s wedding ceremony was officiated by a friend of theirs using some personal injokes and personalised vows that made sure their congregation were chuckling throughout. They even went as far as incororate their mutal love of board games by having the rule book of ‘Settlers of Catan‘ as their marriage registry book. As everyopne had travelled, both from Canada and Australia the congregation was a rather intimate affair with no more than 40-50 people in attandance.
Groom looking for bride
Bridal arrival
Bridal arrival
Smiling bride
Smiling bride
Dana Villas Wedding Ceremony Location
Santorini Wedding Ceremony
Standing together
Reading vows
Smiling bride
Exchaning vows
Laughing
Smiling groom
Santorini wedding ceremony
Exchaning rings
First kiss
Smiles
Exit
Thera, Santorini Wedding Glamour Photos
As Kerri and Tony werent overly keen on the idea of spending too long having glamour photos taken, I had spent the previous few days I had in the island scouting out spots on the walk in between Dana Villas and the Apelos cafe – where their reception was taking place. The aim being that I could utilise the wonderous views of Thera on Santorini, without taking up too much time before entering their reception and starting the party 🙂 A goal of mine before heading out to Santorini was to find a spot to capture the iconic blue domed church and three bell arch that’s symbolic of the Greek isles – luckily I found a spot in Thera for just that purpose and it wasn’t too crowded with tourists for us to use. For other shots I simply used the stairways and wonderful vistas the island naturally provides.
Just a tip for anyone out there planning a Santorini Wedding – try to book your day during a period where there are few cruise ships in port, as the island tends to fill up with tourists in no time when there are 3-5 cruise ships in town and some of the best spots for photo taking just get swamped!
Looking over the caldera of Santorini
Walking through the streets of Thera
Putting on jacket
Skipping down the steps
Kisses
Sitting together
Bride and her girls
Kiss on the cheek
Bridal party
Santorini Wedding
Santorini Wedding
Under a lamp post
Silly faces
Lovey dovey
Bridal party walking together in Thera, Santorini
Bride and her bridal aprty
Bride and groom in front of blue domed church
Santorini wedding photography
infront of flowers
Walk ways of Thera, Santorini
Thera, Santorini Wedding
Apelos Wedding Reception
The Ampelos cafe in the middle of the city of Thera is a wonderful little cafe situated on the rooftop overlooking the caldera of Santorini. It’s located right on the main pedestrian strip of the city where at sunset it gets super crowded with tourists, so being above everyone in the rooftop space was great for uninterrupted views of the world-reknowned sunset.
On one side of the reception space theres a magnificent white domed church which made for a beautiful backdrop for Kerri and Tony’s head table, while the guests tables were situated under the roofing, surrounding the dance floor. It was a beautiful spot to end what was an absolutely stunning day!
Travelling with Your Wedding Gown to your Destination Wedding
A destination wedding is a fabulous way to start married life and is a great excuse to have a holiday. When you look back at your wedding photos, you will have a lovely time remembering how you spent time with the people closest to you and your fiancé in an amazing destination!
I realise that not many people are heading overseas at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I do know that many of your are still planning on having a destination wedding, and it may well be at a location you can still travel to! Like within Australia! I’ve covered many weddings in Darwin, Hobart, Canberra and Rural South Australia that beat many international destinations easily!
Before you jet off, though, you have to figure out one important thing—how to get your wedding dress to your destination.
5 Tips for Travelling with Your Wedding Gown
Avoid checking it in luggage
Whatever you do, avoid checking your wedding dress as luggage. It will get battered in transit, and there is always a risk of it getting lost. As much as possible, fly with your wedding dress as a carry-on item.
Check with your airline about their policies on carrying wedding dresses – as it may be an exempt item when it comes to the number of pieces of luggage you’re allowed. Also. label the bag containing it with your name, e-mail address, and the contact details of your destination.
Bride hanging her dress
Buy or recycle a garment bag
The bridal shop will likely use a garment bag when sending you your wedding dress. However, check if this is strong enough to stand up to travelling with your wedding gown. If you have your doubts, invest in a tougher garment bag. Ask your bridal shop to show you how to fold your wedding dress as well.
When you get to the gate, arrange for the attendant to hang your dress in a closet. Some airlines will preload your dress if you call ahead, so explore this option as well. Sometimes, though, there is no hanging space since surfboards and wheelchairs are the priority for closets.
In this case, you might lay your dress over bags in the overhead, but be considerate of the other passengers and ask permission. If you have the money to spare, you can resort to buying an extra seat just for your dress, or upgrade to business class – this allows you to have an additional carry-on bag!
Wedding dress
Invest in a vacuum bag
For brides with voluminous wedding gowns, a vacuum bag is almost mandatory when travelling with your wedding gown. Pack your dress while inside its garment bag into a similarly-sized vacuum bag and suck the air out, which will make the carry on much smaller – and if you’re lucky the checkin gate wont weigh it! Just dont try and fly with an airline known for being sticklers on weight.
You can then pack this into a tri-fold carry-on case, and store it in the luggage just like you would another bag. Remember to pack a garment steamer or request for one at your hotel or resort to iron out the creases. You do not want to memorialise the wrinkles in your wedding photos!
Putting on dress
Use a carry-on suitcase
A regulation-size carry-on suitcase is an excellent storage place for a wedding dress. For this to work, you need to pack your gown carefully. Use a hard shell suitcase; this protects your clothing from rain or other fluids. When packing, turn your dress inside out.
Turning your dress inside out will protect things like lace details, needlework, and other delicate embellishments. You can also put tissue paper in between the folds, to preserve the garment better.
Santorini destination wedding
Have your dress professionally packed
Your bridal shop can pack your dress to fit in your carry-on suitcase. You can specifically ask them to pack it for travel; this should be part of their services. You can also get a specially-designed box that meets carry-on size requirements for airlines or chartered planes. These boxes also have acid-free tissue paper which you can put in between folds.
Taking the wedding dress for a spin
You can pack a wedding dress for your destination wedding, but it will require a bit of planning from you. Travelling with your wedding gown can be tricky, but don’t let the hassles of travel prevent you from having a picture-perfect day!
Ensure that you have photos that will last a lifetime with Sven Studios. We are experienced destination wedding photographers super keen to travel and dedicated to perfectly capturing one of the most special days in a couple’s life. Browse our previous work or get in touch with us for more information!
