Stunning Greece Elopement: Adventurous Destination Wedding on Santorini and Ios

Torin & April’s Greece Elopement: Adventurous Destination Wedding on Santorini and Ios

Sunrise engagement photos in Oia + Intimate Destination Wedding on Ios

Videography + Photography by Montana Diaries

TORIN + APRIL

Torin and April are the best, what can I say!? Their origin story kind of says it all: Years ago, when April was a wedding photographer herself, she met Torin at a wedding she was shooting. In Torin’s own words, he was absolutely hammered, and tore up the dance floor to impress the hot photographer.

Obviously, it worked.

They fell in love quickly — and actually, Torin fell in love twice; once with April, and again with her super cool and hilarious son, Jaemon. When asked about their favorite part about their relationship, April replied: “how compatible we are. We’re a solid blend of old souls, spontaneous adventures, and 5 year old humor.” Torin simply said “how much we make each other laugh everyday.” Their wedding week in Greece reflected those answers every step of the way.

Torin and April’s destination wedding in Greece was all about intentionality — they prioritize travel and their closest loved ones in their regular lives, so a destination wedding with a tight knit group was a no-brainer.

WATCH TORIN + APRIL’S GREECE ELOPEMENT VIDEO:

First Stop: Kamari, Greece

Our first stop was Kamari, Greece — a lovely coastal town on Santorini near the small airport. This was the perfect first location to gather with Torin and April’s family and friends — the streets of Kamari are lined with small cafes and tourist shops full of handmade goods. I highly recommend spending an afternoon shopping before dining at one of the many restaurants along the beach.

Sunrise Engagement Session in Oia, Greece

Before we traveled from Santorini to Ios the next day, we woke up before the sun for Torin and April’s sunrise engagement session in Oia. If you’ve spent any time scrolling Pinterest drooling over Greece couples/wedding photos amongst the most perfect sun-drenched white buildings and cobblestone streets… those were probably taken in Oia.

We met Torin and April for espresso down the street from our room in Kamari before hopping into the car to make our way up the island to Oia for sunrise. This was an exercise in trust while Torin remembered how to drive a stick shift — ha!! (All jokes, he did great.) I’m so glad we had this drive to take in the island while everybody was sleeping.

The session itself was magic — Torin and April have such an easy flow together, and honestly!? The thing about adventure sessions is that it’s just as much about taking in the new experience and beauty around you as it is about getting photos and videos. We walked around, they cuddled, they laughed together, they watched the sunrise in one of the most stunning and iconic towns in the world. What’s not to love!?

(PS — for those wondering, April’s blue maxi dress is from Lulus!)

Travel from Santorini to Ios

Torin and April’s destination wedding was on Ios, Greece — Ios is a about an hour long ferry ride from Santorini and you can snag your tickets online or in person at the harbor. We gathered up Torin and April’s crew from the hotel in Kamari after their engagement photos and we caravanned to the port via taxis— they seriously had the easiest crew to travel with.

Ios itself is one of the most charming places we’ve ever traveled to. We arrived the first week of October,a couple of weeks after their tourist season — so it was a little sleepier than normal, which was honestly so refreshing and perfect for what we were doing. A few restaurants were closed for the season, but what was still open was all delicious ha! Other than that, all of the shops seemed to be open and the weather stayed consistently cool, breezy, and sunny. We lucked out, it was the best time.

April and Torin’s destination wedding on Ios, Greece

Torin and April’s rehearsal dinner was at a seaside restaurant on Ios called Salt. It was the perfect place to dine with their family and friends and unwind before the big day. The food was delicious, and you could hear the waves crashing against the beach through the entire evening.

Island House Hotel

While many of Torin and April’s family and friends opted to stay at their gorgeous villa, many of us ended up at the Island House Hotel at Mylopotas beach of Ios — this place just deserves the biggest shoutout. It was lovely and within walking distance of all of the seaside restaurants and shops on Mylopotas beach, but what made it truly special was the family + crew working and the delicious Greek breakfast we enjoyed every morning of our stay. Highlyyyyy reccomend the Island House Hotel if you visit Ios!!

Cycladic Gem Luxury Villa

…AKA, the most stunning wedding venue on Ios

Torin and April hosted their wedding at the Cycladic Gem Luxury Villa, an incredible cliffside villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. How do I even describe this property!? Think traditional Greek architecture bursting with flowers everywhere, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a bar on the patio where we danced our asses off all night, and private access to a rocky beach.

Getting ready together

I’ve known April for years — we used to spend many Saturdays shooting traditional weddings together when she was still crushing it as one of the top wedding photographers in Billings, MT and I was still just doing video. The weddings we were doing were lovely and we both loved our work, but they were definitely very traditional and formulaic — more about photos and sticking to a strict schedule than feeling the day. One moment that always stuck out to me so clearly is when April turned to me and said: “If I ever get married again, if I find my person…I’m not doing it like this. We’re running away to some amazing location and we’re going to spend the whole day together, he’ll zip me up into my dress.”

It was an “aha” moment for me — it rang so true, everything about her vision resonated with me in my soul. Aanndddd weirdly, it was a permission slip of sorts for me. You see, earlier that year, my husband and I scrapped our big traditional Montana wedding in favor of a tiny backyard hometown wedding before going swimming and dancing at a dirty dive bar, and he zipped me into MY dress. Hearing that 1. the wedding we had that felt so right to us could be someone else’s ideal and 2. there were more people out there who wanted what we wanted — it changed my life and career, I just didn’t know it yet.

Soooo — needless to say, getting hired to film Torin and April’s destination wedding was a full circle moment, and you bet he zipped her into her wedding dress that day.

It was the most chill morning ever — everyone was running around taking photos and playing while April got her hair and makeup done by Bubble Toes Beauty and was, like, holding crystals and saging and shit — which is very April, ha! Torin and April hung out all morning, and it was beautiful. They helped each other get dressed in their stunning fits from After 5 and Weddings and Plume Bridal, two of my favorite Bozeman based vendors. April’s finishing touch was gorgeous jewelry from Ananda Soul Creations.

Mediterranean Seaside Ceremony on Ios

The Cycladic Gem boasts an incredible private trail down to their rocky beach on the Mediterranean sea — everyone descended together and took seats on the red rock overlooking the sea. Torin played ukulele while April walked with her son J down the trail last, holding a stunning simple bouquet from Moustakis Flower Company. It was straight out of a movie — in fact, I made a movie about it that you can watch above hahahaa! The ceremony was officiated by Maddie Nichole, a mutual friend and an incredible photographer in her own right. She CRUSHED it, you guys. You’ll just have to watch the film yourself to take in how personal and hilarious and touching she made this moment for them.

Dinner + Dancing at the Villa

And thennnnn…we danced our pants off. All night. Korres Catering crushed it with dinner and donuts, everything they served was INCREDIBLE. We listened to the most amazing speeches both in person and over the phone from the States, and Torin wowed us with his wicked dance moves that won April over in the first place. 10/10, would film this wedding again.

Be like Torin & April: Bring us with you!

I’m Shay, and I’m here to curate your dream destination wedding & elopement photo/video experience. Let’s capture the beginning of your marriage, your story, your dream trip, the real deal — not some cheesy photo op for IG.

VENDORS

PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOGRAPHY: MONTANA DIARIES

Associate Photography: Tracy Moore, Andy Austin, Maddie Nichole, Melissa Lynn, Montana Diaries

Venue: Cycladic Gem Luxury Villa

Wedding Dress: Plume Bridal

Tuxes: After 5 and Weddings

Jewelry: Ananda Soul Creations

Hair + MUA: Bubble Toes Beauty

Bouquet: Moustakis Flower Company

Catering: Korres Catering

DJ: Timothy J Bender

TORIN + APRIL’S GREECE ELOPEMENT PHOTOS: