Intimate weddings might be of smaller proportions but they are mighty all right! Mini dosage of extra strong feelings all tied up in beauty and the sparkle of love in the eyes of everyone involved.
This particular civil wedding in Athens holds a special part in my heart as they beautiful bride is my sister Iliana.
Intimate wedding
An intimate or micro wedding is a wonderful opportunity for the couple to mingle better with their guests and enjoy their unique day with their loved ones. Having a small number of guests at you wedding does not mean less emotions or fun. If nothing else, it can be exactly the opposite! Having the freedom to be yourself between your family and friends can work wonders during you wedding day. Celebrating one of the most important days in your life with people who matters the most to you is the secret for creating memories to hold on forever!
A micro wedding is the perfect occasion to be on budget and at the same time splurge. Few guests allow for your budget to breathe, but why not think outside the box and give your wedding a dash of luxury for few? Be creative with your venue, customize, leave the impression you want!
Iliana & Panayotis
Two people that are very dear to me for a couple of important reasons. Apart from the fact that Iliana is my sister, they both are survivors in life. Each one of them, like many people, has a very special story proving that life is not fair at all. Nevertheless, they both found the strength in them to survive and continue with their lives and being the amazing human beings I know they are. Always using every opportunity to help other people in need and share every bit of love they have in them. I was never the one looking for idols but I can admit that Iliana is my hero. A cancer survivor that made her mission in life to help children in the spectrum and educate them how to better communicate with their families and the rest of the world.
Finding each other in this life is a blessing for them and I could not but be their photographer when they decided to get married. I knew that as a photographer I might not enjoy the day as part of the family at this intimate wedding, but I also knew that my feelings would be a strong motivation for beautiful images that they can hold on forever.
A civil wedding in Athens
Their beautiful day started with both of them enjoying the services of professionals: Panayotis with his group of pals was offered a nice gentleman make over at DON, while Iliana let herself in the experiences hands of Elina Trantou.
As they’re both born and raised in the city of Athens, they love and enjoy every inch of this beautiful town. This is why they decided to have their civil wedding at the heart of their city, the Athens Town Hall. It’s an austere neoclassical building that was completed on May 1872 under Mayor P. Kyriakou. Originally a two-floor building, in 1937 one more floor was added and the building was modified due to the increased space requirements of the Municipality. In the interior one will find the paintings of known Greek painters of the 19th century, and murals of Fotis Kontoglou with representations of mythological and historic themes (1937-1940).
It was the perfect backdrop for their intimate civil wedding.
Wedding details
Florals were taken care of by the talented Kostas from Red Box Days. Earthy neutral shades developed in floral design by mixing preserved and fresh flowers, such as pampas grass, orchids, roses and other dried flowers. The signature bouquet was gently bound with a vintage pendant showing images of our father, who is no longer with us. A loving reminder of our family’s strong bond. This amazing palette was a striking supplementary on the bride’s long baby blue dress. The perfect combination for an outstanding appearance at a civil wedding.
The delectable wedding cake was prepared by the brilliant pastry chef Alex and his Pavlov’s Lab. Luscious chocolate cake layers with velvety vanilla cream in between them and at the top abundant fresh fruits to remind us the sweetness of summer time.
The elegant wedding favors were made by Amimoni, an organisation that cares for multiply disabled visually impaired children and adults.
The day was full of sentiments, dances, good food and beauty over-all. All the feelings were there: happiness, love, affection… every one of the guests surrounded this lovely couple with adoration and tenderness that will accompany them for the rest of their life…
Emotions
Feelings are a motivation for better photographs for me as a wedding photographer. They run freely between the front and the back of the camera, as couples, friends and family are living amazing moments and creating memories and the photographer depicts the finest of them. This is why I make sure to meet beforehand the couples I work with: to get to know each other and for them to feel free in front of my camera, to be themselves and have fun. I am honored when a bride or groom looks at me while holding my camera and offers me a smile, which is for me! I cherish these moments and they keep me grounded and humble to my cause: to offer them an heirloom of memories to look on and share on the years to come…
Iliana & Panagiotis all my wishes for you are sheltered with love and affection. I will remember your astounding wedding day forever…
