Beach & Vineyard Trips | Wedding Day | Trash The Dress
This is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting my favorite images from Candice & Jason destination wedding to Tasgarada, Greece in 2019.
Photographing a destination wedding in Greece
Lately I’ve been reviewing photos from Candice & Jason’s wedding, and it’s making me miss international travel. Once we’re past the pandemic, I can’t wait to jump on a plane and go somewhere new. I rarely go to an overseas destination twice, but I have admit I would absolutely go back to Tasgarada. Might even be one of the first places I go, and I’m incredibly grateful the couple brought me along to document their trip!
One of the things I love about destination weddings is the couple bringing together family and friends for shared experiences. It’s rarely just about the wedding itself, but really involves learning about another part of the world. Tasgarada is a village on the eastern slope of the Pelion Mountains that lead into the Aegean Sea. It is incredibly lush and picturesque, with rolling groves of olive trees above secluded beaches surrounded by cliffs. Honestly it is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and that’s saying a lot.
The couple lined up some truly amazing pre-wedding excursions for their guests. Day one after everyone arrived, we took a very steep hike down the mountains to Damouchari, a quaint little beach town. Fun fact, it was also one of the filming locations for the movie “Mama Mia.” On the way we got to meander through forests and past other small towns. You really get a feel for how the locals carve out a life there. Eventually the path traces along the edge of the cliffs and the views are unbelievable.
For day two we took an hour drive south to Paltsi Beach for lunch. Both the views and seafood were phenomenal. You may not be able to tell from the photos, but this was a fall trip. The weather was near perfect; warm and sunny, but not oppressively hot. After enjoying the meal and spending some time on the beach, we traveled west to Patistis Vineyards, a local organic winery. Guests were treated to a tasting of the vineyard’s portfolio of wines, and as you can imagine, every bottle was delicious and full of character.
During this portion of the trip, the couple and their families welcomed me as one their guest. My job was to simply document everyone having a great time. That said, with the sunset setting over the grapevines, Candice & Jason were up for an impromptu pre-wedding photo session. I wasn’t able to photograph their engagement session back in the states, so this worked out amazingly well.
Next post: the wedding day!
