Troy & Cheryl — Eloping and renewing vows

The place

The Peloponnese

Nafplio on its bay, Monemvasia on its rock in the sea, the stone towers of the Mani and Messinia’s long beaches — the south of mainland Greece, a few hours’ drive from Athens.

September is one of the easiest months to marry here.

The light

How the light falls there

The light is clear and warm over the sea and the olive groves. The coasts of Messinia and the Mani face west, so the sun sets over the water; in Nafplio it goes down behind the mountains across the gulf, and the old walls turn gold. At midsummer the sun sets just before nine. Middays are harsh, so portraits belong to the first and last hours of the day.