The Santorini Weddings Scene
An Independent Review
An independent, unbiased review on the Santorini weddings scene. From an English photographer, living on Santorini Island.
"Are You Planning your wedding...?
If so, read on...
Click here to go to my Wedding Photography services page
I am aware of the mistakes couples make in planning for their big day,especially in a foreign country.
You will be spending your money, and lots of it, to be married here on Santorini Island, Greece. You only get one chance at everything, so please, get it right first time.
On this page i have pointed out some of the more common mistakes people make when planning their wedding in Greece.
Have you been married on Santorini?
Are you planning to be married on Santorini?
Tell your story here or ask a question. Did Santorini live up to your expectations as a wedding destination? Share with others here!
I have been working and living on Santorini Island for 4 years, i have first hand information on the Santorini wedding scene.
I work independently, from the agencies. I attract couples from all over the world, through this website and through my portfolio site,www.ashleyjohnsonimages.com.
to my style of photography.
There were over 4,000 Santorini weddings performed here in 2009. That is why; Santorini Island is nicknamed the Wedding capital of the world, and, the romantic Island.
Couples come here from every continent, and country in the world, to be married.
A stunning Island, with a history to match, from the lost city of Atlantis to the ancient Minoan civilization. An active volcano lies dormant, in the largest caldera on the planet.
Hotels, houses, bars and restaurants drip from the volcanic cliff face. The blue skies go on forever and the magical sunsets perform the greatest show on earth.
No wonder Santorini captures the hearts and minds of all who visit her.
The Wedding Planner.
To be married on Santorini is the pinnacle of romantic gestures. Therefore, you will need a first class host to guide you through your plans. There are a few such, Santorini Wedding planners here on the Island, offering you the very best service.
From your initial enquiry, through to your departure as husband and wife, the Santorini wedding planner’s job is to make this journey as smooth and luxurious as possible.
They will arrange it all, legal documentation, transportation, accommodation, flowers, make up, hair, photographer, what ever you want, they will provide, trouble free.
All you have to do is turn up.
All religions are catered for. With the correct documentation, you can have a civil wedding, a catholic or a Greek Orthodox, you can even renew your vows. They have several packages to suit your needs.
They will meet you at the airport and transport you to the hotel. You will have a personal advisor with you discreetly at all times, guiding your timetable, as smoothly as possible.
You could plan everything yourself, but you will need an extra two weeks to recover from the stress.
Most of these wedding planners speak fluent English and Greek perhaps also German, French and Italian. Therefore, there are no barriers with communication for any of the Santorini weddings.
In a nutshell you pick up the phone and tell the wedding planner your date of marriage. Once all the documentation has been forwarded, your next step will be in a small blue domed church overlooking the magnificent Caldera here on Santorini Island.…Perfect.
Well, almost…
Wedding Planner horror!
Would you trust, a perfect stranger, in a foreign land, to arrange everything for the most important day in your life?
I have come across some horror stories in my time. Not just here in Santorini but on other Greek Islands also. I will not go into the gory details, but you must be on your guard and always, always do your research.
Choose your wedding planner with care, ask all the relevant questions and keep on asking.
Did you had a bad experience with your Santorini wedding planner?
Was your Santorini wedding planner fantastic?Tell us about your experience here!
Book Your Santorini Wedding
Through a Reputable Travel Agency.
There are many travel agencies doing wedding packages, this is the route to take for peace of mind.
Ask the travel agency about the wedding planner that will be representing you.
What references does the wedding planner have, how long has the travel agency been representing this particular agency and, god forbid, how do you claim compensation should things go wrong.
The last thing a large travel agency wants is to represent a second rate service. They do all the important research, they know the services they are representing, are first class in their field. Nevertheless, some do slip through their nets.
It only takes one horror story for the travel agency to realize, the service they are representing, is not as it should be.
Do not be the first to get caught out by the one that slipped through their net. Do your own research, ask questions, and look at the wedding planner’s website, their brochure and advertising material. If it is cheap and tacky you can be sure, their services will be also.
Santorini Wedding Websites.
Avoid booking your wedding, direct with the wedding planner, through their website. There are many wedding planner websites claiming to be the best. Anyone can own a website, and anyone can claim to be the best choice for you.
Family Business
The Greek people are very, very family orientated; it is in their culture, which is a good thing. That is how it should be. In business however, it may not serve your best interests.
Let me explain…the Greeks keep everything, within their family, whether it be a poor service or not, they are family, so they will be included.
Therefore, for instance, mother has a wedding planner business.
She will need support services to help her business.
Yiorgo (second cousin twice removed) has a hotel, not a good hotel, by any means. Yiorgo does his best with the hotel but he has lost interest so it is run down and third rate.
Matters not to mother who will happily house her wedding clients in Yiorgos hotel because, he is family.
And that goes for all mothers support services, if they are not in the family, then they are very, very close friends of the family.
It is a sad, but true fact. That is how business operates most of the time, here in Greece.
So, what is the answer? Your first and only port of call should be with a reputable travel Agency. They will only deal with first-rate services.
However, this should not deter you from the all-important rule, which is ask and ask again. Remember it is your day and your money. Get it right.
Relax and enjoy your Santorini Wedding day.
Overall, once you choose a wedding planner to oversee all your arrangements, they will do a fantastic job for you.
They will go the extra mile to ensure your day, even your whole stay, here in Santorini goes as smooth as possible.
With such a huge amount of couples choosing Santorini Island as their wedding destination,
you can rest assured the planner for your Santorini Wedding, has the experience to, “pull it off”, without breaking sweat.
Go with the flow, and allow your wedding planner to do their job. You have nothing to worry about if you get it right.
Santorini Wedding Photographers.
Many couples who come here to be married use my services as a Santorini wedding photographer.
Click here to go to my Wedding Photography services page
There is one thing you will keep forever, as a memory of your wedding day and that is your photographs.
You will show them to your children, and to your grandchildren, and they will show them to their children. Therefore, needless to say, your photographs have to stand the test of time.
Countless times, I have heard from couples who have been married abroad. Their one big regret was, they wished they had better photographs, memories of their wedding day.
You may choose to go through a wedding agency, planner, to arrange everything for you and they will do a very good job for you.
Bear in mind though, many of the photographers they use in their packages have no experience or are poorly trained as wedding photographers. With over 4,000 Santorini weddings a year, it is BIG! Business, and as such, attracts all sorts of people wanting a piece of the action.
Which photographer did you use for your wedding day?
Were you pleased with the photographers service, and your pictures?Share with Others, Tell us your Story Here!
If you only want a record of your wedding day,then,by all means use the agency photographer.If you are wanting something different then you need to use a professional.
www.ashleyjohnsonimages.com.
A good wedding photographer is like everything in life; in that, you get what you pay for. If you want a professional shoot, then you must be prepared to spend a little more, to ensure your images are great images, and not just snaps of your day.
If your photographer has only worked with the many seasonal, Santorini weddings, then his experience is limited and his photographs will show below average content.
Here is a guide to help you choose the correct photographer for your wedding day.
Experience.
Good Wedding Photography is a special skill, learned through many years of practice. Ask how long the photographer has been doing weddings. He or she, may have years of experience as a portrait, or pet photographer. However, wedding photography is a completely different ball game.
Portfolio
Does he or she, have a website displaying their work? If not why not? An experienced professional, will always want to show their portfolio off to the world. It attracts business!
Ask your wedding planner, how long the photographer will be hired for. A normal day here, for an agency photographer is to do 60 photographs in one hour. Avoid this. The photographer is a snapper. The images he produces will be below average. “Sixty Photos in one hour”. Whew!
If this is the case, then please take my advice, let someone in your party do the photos, it will be a lot cheaper, and they will most likely do a better job.
Meet With Your Photographer.
Another good pointer is, will you meet your photographer before your wedding day?
To a seasoned professional, this is very important for producing great images.
Your photographer’s job is to keep you relaxed, if you are relaxed and enjoying the experience of being photographed, you will have fantastic images.
Therefore, your photographer will want to meet you, to break the ice, and to form a bond with you. It works.
Remember, you only get one chance for your photographer to produce some great, memorable, artistic and creative images of your day, so hire a professional to shoot your Santorini weddings.
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