Whenever I shoot a luxury & intimate wedding at Minthis Hills, I find myself immersed in the area’s history. According to legend, the beautiful 12th century monastery here was founded after a local villager had a dream. In it, he saw a cross resting in the bushes next to a lit candle. Upon waking, he journeyed into the hills and found the cross, which inspired him to establish a monastery there.

The cross would go on to survive invasions, fires, and the wear of time – as everlasting as love itself. How fitting, then, that Minthis Hills has been the setting for many of my favourite wedding shoots: I first discovered the area (which is now a resort) in 2017, when I photographed the wedding of Joanne and Yinka. I returned again in 2019 for the wedding of Yulia & Gregory, then once more in 2020 with Sara & Scott. Each time, I felt the sacred traditions of the past blend with the promise of tomorrow in these couples’ vows.

You can imagine, then, how excited I was to shoot Nabih and Donya’s luxury & intimate wedding at Minthis Hills. Like a beacon, this holy location called to them because it represented the perfect meeting point: Nabih is Lebanese and Donya is from the UK, so Cyprus is halfway between their homelands. Like all lasting marriages, theirs began with a beautiful act of compromise and a gesture of mutual respect.

Under the sheltering branches of olive trees, I began my work as a luxury wedding photographer in Paphos. Savouring each small detail, I noticed how beautifully the couple’s attire reflected their choice of venue: Nabih’s suit was as deep blue as the clear Cypriot skies, while Donya’s bouquet paired creamy flowers with olive-green leaves. Her bridesmaids were likewise dressed in olive hues, accentuating the glowing warmth of their smiles. When the bridal party congregated under the ancient stone arches of the monastery, it was as though they had always belonged there.

As the ceremony began, Nabih was almost speechless… Overwhelmed by the love around him and by Donya’s beauty, “Wow” was the only word that could convey his emotions. Looking into Donya’s eyes, he told her that his most special memory of her was from that very day: Seeing her walk down the aisle would be etched in his mind forever as the defining moment of his life. Nothing more needed to be said; knowing their heart’s journey was complete, the couple exchanged vows and rings. Then, through smiles and tears, they kissed – united, just as they had bridged the miles between their roots, as one.

Once they were wed, Nabih and Donya became part of the rich history of Minthis Hills: Today, every couple who gets married at Minthis Hills Resort is invited to plant an olive tree bearing their names. As Nabih and Donya placed their seedling in the ground, they smiled in a silent, shared moment of realisation. Even though they would be returning to their home in the UAE, a little part of them would remain behind. Within the swaying branches of their olive tree, the wind would carry a message for future generations:

Love is a journey that always meets in the middle. It’s proof that we can aside our differences to grow something beautiful that nourishes those around us. It’s evidence that within the harmony of two souls, there is the seed of endless renewal… Like the cross of Minthis Hills, true love endures countless hardships to live on as a symbol of hope.

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