Tucked away on the outskirts of Chania, Crete lies a magical estate. Enchanting gardens invite you to gaze around in wonder at the beauty of the natural world – lush palm trees stand high above the exquisitely cared for grounds. Trees dripping with violet wisteria flowers, and punctuated by pops of magenta bougainvillea, adorn the ancient stone structures like jewels.
In reconfiguring the grounds to serve as a luxury accommodation and wedding estate Metohi Kindelis did not compromise in preserving the historical character of the original family estate. What you see and feel when you enter this beguiling place speaks to all five of the senses. It was only fitting then that a couple as in love, and living with all five senses engaged, would have their wedding here. On this most traditionally beautiful of Greek Islands – Crete.
Back in 2013, on a trip from their then residence in the Netherlands, the couple spent eight wonderful languid days basking under the Cretan sun. They decided then that Crete would be the perfect place to have their destination wedding – the perfect meeting point for their friends and family scattered across the globe.
The details of Marie and Seyavash’s elegant wedding are numerous and touching and as photographers, kind of keepers of the truth, we wanted to include everything!
Our photographs during the wedding preparations addressed the distinct characters of the bride & groom. Marie’s series is accented with feminine qualities and a soft muted color palette.
Our photography on the wedding day started at Metohi Kindelis for the preparations. Inside the bridal suite, stirred among the curlers and champagne, was the palpable sense of joy emanating from the bride and her bridesmaids. Laughter and giggles floated on the gentle Cretan breeze wafting through the open windows.
Wedding photography allows us a unique and intimate view inside the lives of our subjects – it is important not to overlook the details. Many of the specifics were bespoke like the hand painted wedding invitations, floral bouquets handpicked by the bridesmaids on the grounds of Metohi Kindelis and assembled by Kassi Matlack, a wedding guest and floral designer.
Seyavash’s preparations, on the other hand, employ stronger blues and grays contrasted against large swaths of white. These instances of color reflecting personality are no coincidence, and for us as wedding photographer duo they play an important role in the retelling of the bride & groom’s unique story.
As a nod to Marie’s Greek roots, the couple were married in a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony. Held at the exquisite and charming Profitis Ilias church.
Outside of the church, the air filled with the rich earthy aroma of pine and cypress trees, the priest conducted the mystical ancient ceremony. Cretan wedding photography is special in that we are always outdoors photographing in the incredible natural light. Additionally, the set up of the ceremony typically allows us 360 degree views of the bride and groom and their guests letting us capture the candid emotion time begs to revisit again and again.
The wedding portraits were a stunning mix of subdued hues – grays, whites, and pastels – and bolder images that included strong whites, blacks and pantheon greens (so absolutely on this wedding season) from the gardens. Wonderful toned variety imitating the natural ebb and flow of any human relationship.
Marie & Seyavash’s wedding reception, held in the gardens of the wedding estate, was a posh affair with delicate twinkling candles, gorgeous raw silk ribbons and the intimacy of being amongst your closest friends and family. The deep cerulean night sky, alive with thousands of stars, keeping us company long into the night.
Fine art wedding photography is layered with textures and tones selected to enhance the genuine emotion of the subjects. Telling a unique human story through photographs and anchoring it in a time is a challenge and an honor.
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