Pilio is a mountain peninsula in Thessaly, about four and a half hours by road from Athens. It rises steeply between the Pagasetic Gulf on the west and the Aegean on the east, its forested slopes running down to the sea on both sides. Chestnut, plane and oak trees cover the higher ground. Stone paths, old bridges and running water from the mountain springs define the landscape of the villages. Tsagarada sits near the top, at around 500 metres, with views across the Aegean through the trees.

The village square has a plane tree that is over a thousand years old. It stands at the centre of the square and has been there longer than almost anything else in the region.

Carly and George came from Britain. Among their guests was Paul Smith, the designer and the bride's uncle, who travelled to Greece for the wedding.

Preparations and the reception were held at The Lost Unicorn, a hotel in Tsagarada with the particular quality that old stone Pilio houses have when they are done well. The ceremony took place at the church of Agia Paraskevi in the village square, a short walk from the hotel. The palette for the day was drawn from the landscape around it — green, burgundy and white against the forest and the stone.

The day after, we moved through Tsagarada on foot. The village square and the old school yard, then down to the Old Arched Bridge, an 18th-century stone bridge spanning the Mylopotamos gorge inside the chestnut forest. It is one of the most distinctive locations in Pilio and one of the quietest.

Tsagarada is compact enough to scout on foot but dense enough to require it. The square, the church, the school yard and the bridge are all within reach of each other, and the light under the trees moves differently from anything on a Greek island. We arrived the day before and walked the locations.

Before arriving we had learned enough about Carly and George to know what kind of wedding this would be. Their testimonial describes something precise, two photographers who were present when needed and invisible the rest of the time. That is the standard we work to on every commission.

For our work in Pilio and mainland Greece visit our dedicated page Wedding photography in Greece