Johanna & Chris: Beach Wedding in Cyprus

25/10/2016

Their big day took place on one of the beautiful beaches in Cyprus, the Mediterranean island of love. Not only was the weather amazing (as always), but the sand was warm and the sea a dazzling, brilliant azure. I had never met Johanna and Chris before their wedding day, but I am happy to report that they turned out as charming, wonderful, and inspiring as they had appeared through text. Johanna in particular had one of the most amazing smiles – one I could have captured for days.

Before the wedding ceremony, I was able to capture both Chris and Johanna individually. You can see that I have featured them both in white, Chris among various nature shots, while Johanna chose to be inside with her children. The ones with her seemingly unaware of the shot, like when she is looking out the window and imagining moments to come, are some of my favorites. She is introspective, nostalgic, and charismatic.
The purity of their romance is only enhanced when I have them reading their letters to each other, as if recounting their love moments before they are to declare it.

Johanna’s children also add a beautiful effect to the shots, really portraying her undying love in all aspects. There is a sense of timeless beauty and an irrevocable, youthful love. From the shots of holding a bouquet, to her jumping on the couch with her daughter, and finally, to her getting zipped up in her dress. These moments are precious, happening so fast that they cannot be replicated exactly again.

Then came the wedding itself. Words alone cannot express the flawlessness of this ceremony – (of course, that’s why we have pictures, isn’t it?) – and I enjoyed it immensely. If I could do it again, I would.
The setting: beyond beautiful. The people: infectiously cheerful. The love: pure and contagious. One of my favorite moments is when Johanna is caught on the beach with her son, kneeling down as if to give him the bouquet. The murmuring ocean is behind her, the sand under her feet, and her son looks down on her with a smile of surprise and love. He was then the one to walk her down the sandy aisle. Everyone smiles as Chris waits impatiently for his bride to arrive at his side.

But as soon as she’s there, he’s smiling wider than anyone else. Their kiss conveys one of promise and irrevocability – their joy stark on their faces as they hold each other’s cheeks. Later, their first dance is intimate and private – then silly and free-flowing. I not only took shots of Chris and Johanna’s obvious love, but also of them with their friends and family members present. Johanna’s smile conveyed its incessant call for fun, happiness, and connection, her hands clutched tight around her bouquet, while Chris and his boys all wear the familiar smile of joviality – their arms tight around each other with loving support.

This wedding was one I was glad to photograph, but happier I was able to partake in. And not just as a photographer of the event, but as the lovers’ newest friend.