Barefoot Elopement in Mykonos
This year has been so amazing that I still can’t believe some of the incredible experiences it has offered me… There have been moments during some photoshoots when I felt like embracing everybody around me and shouting “Thank you!” at the top of my lungs!
There is always something magical about a wedding. This public pledge of lifelong love and devotion is awe-inspiring and touching in itself; but a wedding story becomes really unique when it is woven around a fascinating concept… such as a Barefoot Elopement in Mykonos! This was the case with Bilal & Cydney’s wedding. And I couldn’t wait to capture their fairytale come true on a dream island that has a very special place in my heart.
This was actually my second photoshoot in Mykonos this year. It’s no secret that I’m in love with this island. Mykonos has it all: pure white little chapels and traditional houses, superb Cycladic architecture with clean, austere lines, turquoise seas and blue skies, magnificent sunsets, and a cosmopolitan aura. My favourite combination ever!
Bilal & η Cydney, one of the sweetest couples I have been fortunate to meet in my professional life as a wedding photographer, travelled all the way from New York to Mykonos to ‘stage’ their elopement and surprise their families and friends after the wedding photoshoot. When I first heard what they were planning to do, I was overwhelmed with excitement and enthusiasm. What an original choice! Ok, Ok, I admit it: I am a romantic at heart and I can’t help finding such ideas deeply moving…
I had the ideal material for a perfect wedding photoshoot: a couple so much in love, the stunning background of Mykonos, a golden beach, the Aegean sunshine and sea breeze… And if you add the awesome creativity of Vana Efkleidou from White Ribbon, you know why the result was bound to be sheer perfection. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more!
This was the very first time that I had the chance to spend one whole day with a couple and take photos centered exclusively on them. Please, don’t get me wrong; what I mean is that it was fantastic that I had so many time at my disposal for the photoshoot. You see, as a rule, on the wedding day I capture the story and have only a couple of minutes at most for portraits. This can be challenging most... I have been to many wonderful places and have had the chance to take fabulous pictures, but so far I had always wished I had some more time to devote to portraits. Well, thank God, it seems that my prayers have been answered at last!
The beautiful couple got married on a sandy beach with nobody else around. Bilal & Cyndy, sitting at a table with wonderful wedding decoration details set off by the vibrant colour of plentiful bougainvillea flowers, against a backdrop of foam-crested waves, were a picture of love and serenity. The footbath that followed, apart from its practical desanding use, added a symbolical note to the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. The wedding photos taken at the famous windmills of Mykonos and the picturesque neighbourhood of Little Venice reflected the newlyweds’ joy and happiness.
Bilal & Cydney, thank you from my heart for making a big dream of mine come true!!! I enjoyed tremendously your Mykonos elopement and my wish for you is that you add many more pages of happiness to the fairytale of your life!!!