A Villa Delenia Wedding in Evia: Abby & Justin
Abby and Justin flew in from Canada, to marry at Villa Delenia, on the quiet coast of Evia, surrounded by a small circle of family and close friends. Having me as their Villa Delenia wedding photographer, it was an honor being there and capturing every moment of the day. The morning began under heavy cloud, rain coming and going in waves. The kind of sky that makes everyone nervously check their phone. By evening, the same sky had turned into one of the most extraordinary sunsets I have photographed all year. This is their day, exactly as it unfolded.
A Morning of Changing Light
Weddings rarely go exactly to plan, and this one didn’t pretend to. Rain moved in early, then broke, then returned, the light shifting constantly between flat grey and sudden shafts of sun breaking through the clouds over the water. For a documentary photographer, mornings like this are actually a gift rather than a setback. The light never sits still, which means neither do the photographs.
I shot this day on both digital and 35mm film. And mornings like this are exactly where film earns its keep. It handles that shifting, inconsistent light with a warmth and grain that digital alone doesn’t quite capture. Especially once the sun started breaking through in short bursts.
Abby got ready with her mother and two close friends in one of the villa’s rooms. The sea visible through the window whenever the clouds briefly parted. Justin prepared with his friends, the mood relaxed despite the weather, more laughter than nerves.
Right after the two sets of preparations, Abby and Justin chose to have a first look. A quiet, private moment together before the ceremony, away from the gathering crowd of family and friends.
A Small Ceremony by the Sea
With around nine guests, the ceremony had the kind of intimacy that gets lost at larger weddings. Villa Delenia’s terrace, right at the edge of the property with the Aegean stretched out behind it, gave the day its backdrop regardless of what the sky was doing. Between two rain showers, Abby and Justin exchanged their vows with the sea audibly moving behind them. Close family gathered in a tight half-circle rather than formal rows. As they exchanged their vows, Abby’s father played guitar. A small, personal touch that made the ceremony feel entirely their own rather than borrowed from anyone else’s wedding.
The Sunset That Changed Everything
By early evening, the clouds that had threatened the whole day finally broke apart completely. What followed was one of those Greek sunsets that seems almost unfair in its beauty. Deep orange and pink spilling across the water. The same sky that had been grey all day suddenly doing everything right at once. We used the last of that light for portraits along the coastline. Abby and Justin completely unaware of the camera for long stretches, simply enjoying the fact that the weather had turned in their favour exactly when it mattered most.
There is a lesson in this day that I try to pass on to every couple worried about weather: some of the most memorable wedding photographs come from days that didn’t go as planned. A perfectly sunny day is beautiful, but it rarely surprises you. This one did, more than once.
Some of my favourite frames from that final hour are on film. There’s something about the way it holds onto warm, fading light that felt exactly right for how the day had gone.
About Villa Delenia
Villa Delenia sits on the coast near Nea Styra, on the island of Evia, a genuine alternative to the more commonly chosen wedding islands for couples who want privacy, sea views, and a real villa setting rather than a hotel function room. The property overlooks the Aegean directly, with outdoor space suited to both an intimate ceremony and a relaxed reception afterwards.
What makes it particularly well suited to smaller weddings is exactly what Abby and Justin were looking for: the ability to host the entire day, preparations, ceremony, dinner, and celebration, in one setting, without moving guests between locations. For couples flying in from abroad with a smaller guest list, that simplicity matters enormously.
Evia itself is often overlooked by couples fixated on the Cyclades, but it offers something genuinely different. It’s reachable by road from Athens rather than requiring a ferry or flight, which makes logistics considerably easier for international guests, while still delivering the sea, the light, and the sense of being somewhere away from it all.
Abby and Justin’s day is exactly the kind of wedding I love being part of. Small, unhurried, and honest about its own weather rather than fighting it. If you’re planning a wedding at Villa Delenia, or anywhere on Evia, I would love to hear from you.
Explore more real weddings across Greece in my → full gallery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Villa Delenia is located near Nea Styra, on the island of Evia, on Greece’s east coast. It is reachable by car from Athens, without needing a ferry, which makes it considerably easier for international guests than most Greek island venues.
Villa Delenia suits intimate to mid-sized weddings well, particularly celebrations of thirty to sixty guests who want the ceremony, dinner, and reception to take place in one setting rather than moving between venues.
Coastal weather on Evia can shift quickly, as it did for Abby and Justin’s April wedding. I always plan for changing conditions rather than assuming a clear sky, and some of the most memorable images often come from days when the weather does something unexpected.
Yes. Evia offers genuine sea views and privacy without the ferry or flight logistics that come with islands like Santorini or Mykonos, making it an easier option for couples with international guests while still delivering an authentic island feel.
Yes. I shoot both digital and 35mm film on weddings, when I’m asked, and Abby and Justin’s day is a good example of where film adds something real, capturing the warmth of shifting, unpredictable light in a way digital alone doesn’t.
Yes, I travel throughout Evia and the rest of Greece for weddings, and I’m always happy to discuss other venues on the island.