Greek Wedding Photographers in Upstate New York

Greek Wedding Traditions | Upstate New York Weddings and Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers

Planning a wedding can be a big, elaborate affair but when you come from a big Greek family, the traditions and expectations can really pile on! In a good way, of course, but Greek weddings can be a real to-do! We love them because of how dynamic everything is and the energy level can really escalade into a good party, which always makes our job that much more fun and the photos come out so energetic.

The morning of Paris and Dayna’s wedding was buzzing with friends and family and each other’s houses. Paris got dressed with his groomsmen and participated in a Greek tradition where his Best Man will shave him and then friends and family will take turns afterwards. This symbolizes trust on your wedding day, because OBVIOUSLY things could go very wrong with an untrustworthy person— from a bad job to cutting your face— it’s important that you have a good crew there!

The wedding ceremony took place in a church where the rings were blessed three times by the priest before officially exchanged, in addition to their personalized vows that were read aloud (this isn’t as traditional, but was a fun way for this couple to give their own personal and modern take on the ceremony). One of my favorite elements of Greek ceremonies is the crowns that symbolize the union of two people into a singular entity. They are connected and worn by both partners, which I think is so sweet but also meaningful.

I loved the large wedding parties that they had and they were certainly ready to have a good time! Those portraits were probably some of my favorites, with exception of the bride and groom shots, because everyone was having so much fun together despite the hot summer day. We were able to find some shade and a nice big white wall which was a double whammy for us because the reflector that naturally occurs with all that white!

One of the most recognizable parts of a Greek wedding is the money throwing at the dancing part of the evening and it never disappoints! It feels so surreal to be out on the dance floor with tons of cash just flying in every direction! The older guests always seem to have a blast with this tradition, as well as the kids who love to dance around in all the piles of money. It always cracks me up when you see one of the staff members come up with a big sweep broom and just push the money into a big pile. It makes me think about where any dollar bill could have been— you might not imagine on a dance floor but who knows!?