How to Elope in Greece

Eloping in Greece and making your dreams come true

You probably have been browsing Pinterest and now have ended up searching: How to Elope in Greece!

Well, you’ve made it to a blog that can show you exactly why you should, and how it can happen. Weddings now a days are upwards of $50-100k without even batting an eye. You want the dream day but don’t realize that it might cost you an entire down payment on a house when you initially start planning. The wedding industry has changed and luxury now comes with a very hefty price tag sometimes.

I would like to give you a real life example of someone I know that was planning to have a 200 person wedding in Downtown Seattle (Washington state) in 2023. They narrowed down venues, looked at catering, photography, and alcohol costs and the budget before any add ons such as florals, video, or dress cost rounded out to close to $160k. This is when they sat down and talked and realized they wanted to elope in the first place. They began going over dream locations, looking at costs, and realized they could fly their ENTIRE immediate family (grooms side and brides side) to Oia, Greece and have the elopement of their dreams for nearly half of that. WHILE STILL FLYING THEIR ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHER out to enjoy and document the week with them.

This is not a made up story, this is about me and two of my clients that are now having their DREAM elopement in Greece and I will be heading back with them to photograph it. I just wanted to put into perspective that eloping somewhere like Greece can be a luxury and still keep you within your budget while celebrating with family and friends.

How to make your Greece elopement special and unique

It’s simple, you are already choosing a Destination wedding so you are clearly up for an adventure! Wherever you choose to go, know that it is just like a normal wedding day where weather, time of day, and people can play a factor into how it is going to go. Below are some ideas and tips I have gathered over the years of photographing elopements that have really stood out to me and made it special for my couples.

Have a slow morning together. YES, that means seeing each other on your wedding day. The way to look at it is, you are still going to get ready and have a first look. Why not have a cup of coffee or make a champagne tower and have some private time completely in your element where I can still document your story?
Get up early. I know this sounds so lame but when you are in a destination during peak season there will always be a crowd at golden hour & sunset. Rising before the crowds and doing a sunrise or morning session still gets you these types of photos but then you can really show off all of the landscape or buildings without people in every inch of them.
Do a day after session with just the two of you or an activity with your family. Going out and getting all dressed back up or having a second outfit is SO much fun. I also have done excursions like a sailboat ride where I just documented everyone celebrating the both of them and those are some of my favorite images i’ve ever taken.

I don’t even know where to start? Help me Elope in Greece!

That is where I come in! I am a planner and I love the feeling of knowing my clients are ecstatic about their plans. Whether it’s finding a venue abroad or scouting out the perfect places to say your vows let me help you. I from start to finish want your experience of eloping unstressful and full of joy.

So what makes your heart skip a beat? Is there a place you’ve both travelled that is special to you? Do you want to bring mom & dad along? Let’s do something that feels like you. Leave the epic photography up to me!

So you’ve decided on eloping in Greece and want to know what the next steps are? Here is a little rundown of what my experience has been like traveling & photographing there.

Decide where you want to go! There are so many beautiful places from Athens to Santorini to Crete. Picking the location in Greece that really speaks to you is the first step.
Align our travel. I am pretty savvy when it comes to booking international trips so if you want help with flights, hotels to stay in, areas to visit… I’m your girl! I use Skyscanner & Hopper to monitor flights and get the best deal.
If you are wanting an actual venue, decide what is important to you. Do you love the windmills in Santorini, do you love being on the cliffside? Do you want a pink sand beach in Crete? Research your vision and then we can narrow down your favorite place!
Lodging is important. I have stayed in both Airbnbs and at Villa resorts in Athens & on the islands. Hands down it has been my favorite place to travel because it is safe, the hosts & staff have gone above and beyond to make me feel so comfortable and welcome. Picking what you want to see and do will help you determine what makes the most sense for your stay!