Being part of Francesca and Alberto’s Catholic wedding in Santorini was certainly a unique experience for me, as not only did I have the chance to document a wedding at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Fira, but also meet an amazing couple!

They both come from Italy, one of my most beloved countries in the world. Alberto owns a barbershop and the couple met there. They had their first holiday together in Santorini and immediately fell in love with the island and promised that we would try to do a Catholic wedding in Santorini and share their big day with a few relatives and friends.

The Roman Catholic church in Greece is a religious minority compared to the prevailing Orthodox church however, it is encountered in many Greek islands as a reminiscence of the Venetian and Genoese rule from the early 13th until the late 18th century. The Roman Catholic faith has a long history on the island of Santorini in particular, dating back to the year 1204 that the Diocese of Santorini was established. Unfortunately having a Catholic wedding in Santorini is very rare as the local Catholic bishop only permitted very few of them to take place until recently.

The couple prepared for their big day at the amazing Aenaon Villas, a true Cycladic architectural masterpiece. Francesca was stunning in her St. Patrick wedding dress and Alberto was the epitome of the stylish groom in his Corneliani black suit. During the ceremony at the Catholic Cathedral of Fira, we had the pleasure to be accompanied by a chorus from Paris that was visiting the island those days. Aenaon Villas was also the location that the intimate reception dinner took place with beautiful floral decorations by Fabio Zardi.

In Francesca and Alberto’s wedding I had the great pleasure to cooperate once again with world-class cinematographers and friends Danielle di Francesco and Danielle Pelecani of Emotional Movie. I met them in 2013 at a wedding in Florence and I am always happy whenever I have the chance to cooperate with such talented artists.