Greek Wedding at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

As a wedding photographer there are just certain weddings that you dream of – Indian Weddings (amazing color), weddings on the beach (gorgeous), and Greek Weddings (amazing dancing/receptions) have always made my top 3 list.  All weddings are beautiful, because frankly, the love is just addicting to capture, but certain weddings get the “oh, COOL!” reaction.  So, when Ashley Gillett contacted me about 2nd shooting this Greek wedding with her I JUMPED at the chance.  A Greek Orthodox wedding and a reception at The Fillmore?  Um, yes please, sign me up!  HUGE thanks to Ashley for letting me shoot with her at this awesome wedding!

As the 2nd shooter, one of my primary duties was to be the groom’s personal paparazzi.   Guys always amaze me with their ability to get ready for the most important day of their life in 5 minutes.  Literally – they were running about 20 minutes late and managed to get ready and be downstairs for transportation ahead of schedule.  That just doesn’t happen with girls!

A few last minute touches on the groom and we’re good to go.

The groom’s men gifts were a big hit – each guy got their own personal pre-stocked mini bar!
Stella was clearly the beverage of choice for the men that day.
One quick call to transportation to let them know we’re on schedule, and a quick adjustment by the Groom’s Dad and we’re off to the church!
In Charlotte there’s one festival each year that tops all other festivals, and that’s the yearly Greek Festival hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on East Blvd.  It lasts for a week and has THE BEST Greek food you’ve ever eaten.  I think my favorite feature is the drive-thru, and it’s worth going just for the baklava in my opinion.  But here’s the weird part – I’ve been to the Greek festival many times but I’ve never actually been inside the sanctuary of the church until this wedding.  WOW – I was blown away!  The details inside the church are AMAZING – from the stained glass windows to the painted walls and ceilings, it’s literally bursting with color.
Sean and Christina chose to have a first look before the ceremony, and I love it when couples make that decision!  Yes ladies, I promise he will still tear up when he sees you coming down the aisle.
LOVE, love, love Christina’s dress!!!
One of my other duties as the 2nd shooter was to get to the reception asap after the ceremony to get some shots of the details before guests arrived.  This reception was like detail overload!  The Bride’s Mom owns Economos Flowers and WOW, she knocked it out of the park.  The flowers were beautiful, and every single detail of the reception was just perfect.  I believe this was the first wedding reception they’ve had at the Fillmore, but I’m sure it won’t be the last, the space was just perfect!  Now y’all know how much I love a detail shot, so here are just a few of my favorites.
The dancing did not disappoint!  I LOVE Greek dancing!  Huge smiles from everyone and all ages participate – awesome!
Soul Function band from Myrtle Beach, SC was awesome!  And according to the lead singer, this guy on the right is the best pianist in the Southeast.
Huge thanks again to Ashley for letting me shoot with her, I had a great time!  All images photographed for Ashley Gillett Photography.