Seaside Imerovigli Elopement in Santorini, Greece

santorini island greece sunset elopement wedding

“We wanted it to be stress-free and adventurous… The idea of it just being us two in a stunning location felt right.”

This couple’s only regret was not eloping sooner. After a three-year engagement, they finally put aside their ideas of what a wedding “should be” and chose instead to follow their hearts. Defying expectations can be daunting, but together, Lindsay and Michael felt certain of their decision. “For Greeks, every wedding is of great importance and [is] considered to be a big and very important event,” Greek photographer Teo Frantzanas shares. “[It’s] a family celebration where you must invite hundreds of people.” Deeply tied to his Greek heritage, Michael and his bride wondered how this break from tradition would be received. To their surprise, they were met with support from all sides, and it wasn’t long before they were Santorini-bound!

They trusted Teo to help bring their vision to life, relying upon his knowledge as both a local and a professional. “Santorini perfectly [combined] all they were looking for,” he says. “White houses, countless little chapels, rocky cliffs… right in front of the Caldera, with the sun’s reflection on the sea as their background, Michael and Lindsay exchanged their vows – words of love, faith, and commitment… Pictures came so effortlessly to us. Working with such a beautiful couple, so madly in love, was definitely a blessing for us.”

We feel blessed just witnessing the beauty of these images!

Photography by Lighthouse Photography

CHOOSING AN ELOPEMENT:

“This may sound funny but neither of us could picture ourselves in a traditional wedding. It just didn’t feel like us! We’d been together almost 10 years and already felt very committed to our life together. As soon as I let go of the idea of what a wedding was ‘supposed to be’ it was so easy for me to picture how we would get married. We wanted it to be stress-free and adventurous. It was important to me that we write and speak our own vows to one another and that that was the central focus… We wanted to be abroad and wanted to exchange vows somewhere that would have been difficult to pull off with guests. The idea of it just being us two in a stunning location felt right.”

[Lindsay, The Bride]

CHOOSING AN ELOPEMENT LOCATION:

“We knew we wanted to get married in the Mediterranean. We love the culture and have ties to Spain. My husband is Greek and from very early on in our relationship, we talked about getting married abroad. Santorini just felt like the natural choice! All I could imagine when I pictured us getting married was us standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. We wanted to be in nature, near the water, and somewhere that the landscape was so grand that it felt spiritual. Our photographer, Teo, was truly a godsend for us. I described to him what we were imagining and hoping for, and he did the rest! I will never forget exchanging vows on a cliffside overlooking the sparkling sea or standing on top of a white church building watching the sun go down. Magic!”

[Lindsay]

PLANNING AN ELOPEMENT:

“Very little planning for the actual wedding day was involved. We were engaged for three years and couldn’t wait to be married once we had decided to elope! We booked our tickets about a month and a half before our trip and told our families what we were planning on doing. I found a photographer that we liked online, [and] we explained what we were thinking, and he found the perfect spots… Both of us wrote our vows that morning, and while I was getting ready, Michael got a bouquet and flower crown that he surprised me with. We headed to a cliffside to exchange vows and popped some champagne. The rest of the day just flowed and was not really planned out. Teo had some ideas, and it was so fun exploring the island together!”

[Lindsay]

ELOPEMENT ADVICE:

“Michael and I knew early on in our relationship that we wouldn’t have a traditional wedding but for some reason had difficulty with the idea that we were letting people down. We wish we would have had the courage to do what we wanted from the very beginning, and our only regret is that we didn’t elope sooner! Our families were incredibly supportive, and making this epic, adventurous choice that was ours brought us so much closer... I think that any way you choose to honor and celebrate your marriage is beautiful, and it shouldn’t look the same for everyone.”

[Lindsay]