A surreal but wonderful wedding photography experience in Cyprus
[singlepic id=1835 w=320 h=240 float=left]Olga and Stas – 19 May 2012
Anassa Hotel
Latchi, Cyprus
Stunning Wedding Photography
Having been booked by a friend of the bride and groom, I wasn’t sure what to expect as the natural wedding photographer for Olga and Stas. I was, however, fully prepared to photograph the beauty and grace of the island of Cyprus. (I do not normally include Cyprus weddings here on my UK blog, but this one was particularly out of the ordinary.) Upon arrival on the island, I was whisked away to the premier venue, the Anassa Hotel; a five star accommodation offering breathtaking views of the shining blue and silver waves of the Mediterranean Sea.
I made my way to the celebration and found the most opulent and lavish ceremony I have ever had the opportunity to photograph. The bride and groom, bathed in Mediterranean sunshine, walked the flower petal-covered purple carpet toward the chapel where they would become man and wife. Although I did capture many wonderfully stunning shots, I missed some as the videographers crowded the way. There were one or two expletives running through my mind at the time, but they were doing their job and I was trying to do mine. Never-the-less, the ceremony provided more than adequate opportunities for any natural wedding photographer to appreciate.
The reception at the Anassa Hotel was filled with Russian dignitaries, big business men and women, and politicians. I was a little taken aback to realise the Armenian President was also in attendance. My shutters clicked wildly as the party began. Amazing fireworks filled the sky overhead as the couple danced and their guests helped themselves to a catered feast. I felt a little like a paparazzi/photojournalistic wedding photographer, snapping pictures of the famous and infamous.
The party raged on, growing more and more wild. The stage, complete with full lighting and smoke effects, gave venue for a famous Russian rock band. The crowd went completely insane and the reception kicked up to a state of frenzy I had never experienced in a wedding celebration. As the reportage wedding photographer, my camera in hand, I tried to shoot every nuance of the reception, only to be asked later to delete some of the more embarrassing/compromising photographs I had shot.
By far, Olga and Stas provided the most wonderful and surreal wedding and reception I have ever had the opportunity to photograph. I am very thankful to have been a part of the celebration as their natural wedding photographer, and I wish the happy couple nothing but the very best in their new life together.
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