Cyclades, Greece
Destination Wedding photography in Mykonos
Private villas above the Aegean, white cubes and hard blue shadow.
Mykonos is a study in three values — white wall, black shadow, blue sea — and the hard Cycladic light that makes it difficult is the same light that makes it spectacular. Shadows here have edges like cut paper. We shoot for the shadow rather than the highlight, which is the opposite of the instinct on a bright day and the reason these photographs hold their whites instead of glowing.
The meltemi is the part nobody puts in a brochure. It blows through July and August, sometimes for days at a time, and on an exposed north-facing terrace it is strong enough that a ceremony there is not enjoyable for anyone in it. Any villa worth its fee has a sheltered alternative; the question worth asking before you sign is whether you have seen it, and whether the photographs you fell in love with were taken on the calm side.
The light
Choosing a month in Mykonos.
May to June
Warm, clear and still relatively quiet, with the wind not yet at its summer strength.
July to August
Hot, extremely busy and often very windy. Hard vertical light through the middle of the day.
September
The best month: warm sea, calmer air, and the island beginning to breathe again.
What has to be planned for
- The meltemi can blow hard for consecutive days in high summer. Outdoor installations, veils and anything light need a genuine plan.
- The old town is pedestrian and the lanes are narrow; vehicles do not enter.
- Ferries and flights from Athens are frequent but the island is small and its roads are not built for the August volume.
- The island is at its most expensive and most crowded in August by a wide margin.
The commission
- Coverage
- Two photographers, on site two days early, for the whole of the wedding day.
- From
- $22,000
Frames
From Mykonos.
Questions
How much is a Mykonos wedding photographer?
From $22,000 for a destination wedding with two photographers, two days on site beforehand and full coverage of the day. Travel is quoted at cost on top.
How bad is the wind?
On the wrong day, strong enough that a ceremony on an exposed north-facing terrace is not enjoyable for anyone. It is not every day and not every year, but it is common enough in July and August that your villa should have a sheltered alternative and you should have seen it.
How does it compare with Santorini?
Flatter, drier and with far more room. Santorini is a caldera rim and a spectacle; Mykonos is villas with space for a guest list. If you want a hundred people seated outdoors, this is the island.
When should we come?
September. Warm sea, calmer air and an island beginning to breathe again. May and June are clear and warm before the wind reaches its summer strength. August is the most expensive and most crowded month by a wide margin.
Can we photograph in the old town?
Yes, and it is worth an hour. The lanes are public, narrow and pedestrian, busy from mid-morning and quiet again in the early evening — which is when we would plan it.
How do guests get there?
Ferries and flights from Athens are frequent. The island is small and its roads are not built for the August volume, so transfers between a villa and a beach club take longer than the map suggests.
Destination Wedding in Mykonos?
Tell us the date and what you are planning. We reply personally, usually within two business days.