Folegandros is a small, steep island with a character all its own. The Chora stands on a cliff above the sea, set within the walls of a Venetian castle, with three central squares and the church of Panagia perched on the rock above. There are no cars in Chora. The paths are cobbled, the houses whitewashed, and the scale of everything is human.

Virginia and Neoklis spent several days here.

This wedding commission started well before the wedding day. Neoklis signed his certificate of single status and we photographed the moment. There was a suit fitting at Hugo Boss that became an editorial in its own right. Virginia rehearsed in her gown. The couple chose their wedding rings. They held a prewedding party at Rakentia in the Chora. Later, we went to Agios Nikolaos beach and staged a backgammon game between Virginia and Neoklis. They played for the wedding rings. Neoklis lost.

Virginia's family travelled from South Africa for the wedding. The group that gathered in Folegandros came from different continents and made their way to one of the smallest islands in the Cyclades.

The ceremony took place at Panagia, the church built on the rock above the Chora, reached by a zigzag stone path from the square below. The reception moved to the three squares in Chora, where the tavernas stopped their regular service and the party welcomed everyone on the island. The celebration continued until daybreak.

The next day we climbed back up to Panagia. Virginia and Neoklis stood on the rooftop of the church in their wedding clothes, overlooking the Aegean.

The pre-wedding sessions, the certificate, the suit, the gown, the rings, the backgammon game at Agios Nikolaos, were not a checklist. Each was a distinct piece of work, photographed with the same attention as the wedding day itself.
The backgammon sequence required staging and direction. The ring stakes, the outcome, the expressions all depended on a scenario and a couple who trusted the process and played along. Before any session began, we had learned enough about Virginia and Neoklis to understand what each one needed.
The rooftop of Panagia the day after is a location that does not repeat. The church above the cliff, the Aegean below, two people in wedding clothes with the island to themselves. We knew before arriving that this was where the commission would end.

For our work across the Greek islands visit our dedicated page Wedding photography in Greece. You can also see a second Folegandros wedding in our story for Maria & Martin.