By Dimitris Alexandrakis, destination wedding photographer, Alexandrakis Photography

You do not have to choose between black and white and colour wedding photography, because most couples receive both. Black and white strips away distraction to heighten emotion, while colour captures the joy, florals, and setting of your day.

I am Dimitris Alexandrakis, and I deliver galleries where colour tells the story of the place and black and white holds the quiet, emotional in-between moments. The two work together, not against each other.

This guide explains when each style works and how you get both. For the bigger picture, see my complete guide to wedding photography in Greece.

The short answer: which to choose

Choose colour when you want to remember exactly how the day looked, from your flowers to the blue Aegean. Choose black and white when you want to feel a moment rather than catalogue it.

You almost never have to pick one, because a good gallery blends both. Colour carries the celebration, and black and white carries the emotion.

The sections below show what each does best, which moments suit monochrome, and how I deliver the balance in your final collection.

What black-and-white wedding photography does best

Black and white photography removes colour so your eye rests on emotion, light, shadow, and texture. With fewer distractions, an image becomes cleaner and more direct.

That is why monochrome shines in moments of pure feeling and dramatic light. A first kiss, a tear during a speech, or a candlelit church all gain intensity in black and white.

It also has a practical advantage. Converting to monochrome softens redness and blotchiness that colour can emphasise, so emotional close-ups look their best.

Finally, black and white feels timeless. By removing dated colour casts and trends, it keeps attention on the people and the moment, which is why these images age so well.

What color wedding photography does best

Colour photography records the true palette of your day. Your florals, your décor, your dress, skin tones, and the setting all live in colour, and losing them would lose part of the story.

It is unbeatable for outdoor ceremonies and vibrant venues. The blue domes of Santorini, a lush Athens Riviera garden, or a sunset over the Aegean simply must be seen in colour.

Colour also brings energy and joy. The bold details, the confetti, the celebration, all carry more life when the hues are intact.

For destination weddings especially, colour is how you show where you married. My guide to golden-hour photography in Greece explains how that warm light makes colour glow.

Which moments to render in black and white

Some moments almost always look stronger in monochrome. As a rule, reach for black and white when emotion or dramatic light leads the frame.

• The first kiss and the first dance.

• Tears and raw emotion during the vows and speeches.

• Quiet getting-ready moments, hands, rings, and textures.

• Dramatic backlight, strong shadow, and high contrast.

• Candlelit church and interior ceremonies.

• Movement, such as confetti exits and dancing.

Colour, meanwhile, belongs to your florals, your décor, the landscape, and the details you spent months choosing. Chapel interiors are a special case, and my Greek chapel wedding photo ideas show how both styles play there.

Black and white, color, or both? Why most couples get both

The honest answer to the black and white or colour question is both, delivered thoughtfully. Neither style alone tells the full story of a wedding day.

Colour captures the celebration, the vibrance, and the details. Black and white captures the raw, quiet, emotional in-between moments. Together they document your day with more balance and beauty than either could alone.

This is not about converting every second image to monochrome. It is about choosing the right treatment for each moment, so the gallery flows naturally.

When you review full galleries while choosing your wedding photographer, look for exactly this balance, rather than a wall of one style.

Black-and-white and color at a Greek destination wedding

Greece makes this decision easy in the best way. The colour is extraordinary, from whitewashed walls and blue domes to the deep blue of the sea, so most of your landscape images stay in colour.

Yet the emotion of a destination wedding is just as strong, and that is where black and white earns its place. A quiet embrace above the caldera can be more powerful without a single colour.

Candlelit Orthodox and chapel ceremonies are natural homes for monochrome, where warm interior light and shadow become the subject. A caldera-view portrait, by contrast, usually sings in colour.

With 20 or more years photographing weddings across Santorini, Mykonos, and the Peloponnese, I choose each treatment to match the moment and the place, so your gallery feels true to Greece.

How I deliver black-and-white and color in your gallery

Your wedding gallery is delivered as a collection of around 700 edited, retouched 4K photos through a private online gallery. It arrives in colour, with black and white conversions where they strengthen a moment.

You receive a sneak peek within seven days of the wedding, then the full gallery in six to eight weeks. Everything sits in one cohesive collection, not two separate sets you have to merge.

If you have a strong preference either way, tell me before the day and I will shape the edit around it. To understand the full delivery process, see my guide to how many photos you get from your wedding.

Curious about the editing itself? My guide on how long wedding photo editing takes explains what happens between the day and your finished gallery.

A short history of black-and-white wedding photography

Black and white was not always a choice; for decades it was the only option. Early wedding photography was monochrome by necessity, which is why we associate it with timeless, classic images.

When colour film became affordable in the mid twentieth century, couples embraced it for its realism. Colour quickly became the default for capturing the full look of a wedding day.

Black and white then returned as a deliberate artistic choice rather than a limitation. Photographers used it to strip a scene back to emotion, light, and form.

Today, digital editing lets a single frame be finished either way. That freedom is what makes the modern gallery a thoughtful blend rather than a single fixed style.

The craft: how black-and-white conversions are made

A good black and white image is not simply a colour photo with the colour removed. The conversion is a craft, balancing contrast, tone, and texture to make the frame sing.

I decide during editing which images become monochrome, based on the emotion and the light in each frame. A soft, tonal treatment suits tenderness, while higher contrast suits drama.

The goal is always to serve the moment, never to hide a weak photo. A strong black and white image would still be strong in colour; monochrome simply makes it stronger.

This is why the treatment is chosen image by image. It is a creative decision, made with care, not a filter applied across the whole gallery. My guide to the difference between RAW and JPEG explains why this flexibility exists.

Common myths about black-and-white wedding photos

One myth is that black and white photos are used to disguise mistakes. In truth, the best monochrome images come from the best moments, chosen because emotion leads the frame.

Another myth is that black and white looks old-fashioned. Handled well, it looks timeless rather than dated, precisely because it removes the colour trends that age other images.

Some couples fear black and white means losing their florals and décor. It does not, because those details stay in colour; only the emotional frames shift to monochrome.

Finally, people assume more black and white means a better photographer. Balance is the real sign of skill, matching the right treatment to each moment.

How to decide as a couple and brief your photographer

Deciding together is easy once you separate the two jobs colour and monochrome do. Colour records how the day looked, while black and white records how it felt.

Talk about the moments that matter most to you emotionally, such as the vows, the first dance, or a parent’s reaction. Those are natural candidates for black and white.

Then think about what you spent months choosing, from florals to the venue view. Those belong in colour, so their beauty is preserved exactly.

Share any strong preference with your photographer before the day. My list of questions to ask your wedding photographer includes how they approach editing and style.

Black and white for albums and wall art

Black and white truly comes into its own in print. A monochrome image on a wall or across an album spread carries a quiet, gallery-like elegance that colour sometimes cannot.

Many couples choose a black and white cover or opening spread, then let colour carry the story inside. The contrast gives the album rhythm and a sense of occasion.

For wall art, a single dramatic monochrome portrait often works better than a busy colour one. It draws the eye to emotion and sits comfortably in almost any interior.

If you plan to print, tell me, and I will keep album and wall pieces in mind while editing. Thinking about the finished object improves the choices along the way.

Keeping color consistent across your gallery

Colour photography is only as good as its consistency, so a professional edit matters. Skin tones, whites, and the blues of the Aegean should feel natural and even across the whole gallery.

I grade each wedding to a consistent look, so images from morning prep to evening reception belong together. A cohesive gallery feels intentional and calm to look through.

This consistency is part of why colour and black and white sit so well side by side. Both are finished to the same standard, with the same care.

A balanced, well-graded gallery is also easy to share and print. My guide to how to share and print your wedding photos covers the final steps.

Which Greek settings suit color, and which suit black and white

Greece offers both extremes in a single day, which is part of its magic. The blue domes, whitewashed walls, and turquoise sea are made for colour, and losing them would lose the place.

Candlelit Orthodox ceremonies, stone chapels, and shadowed interiors, by contrast, are natural homes for black and white. There, warm light and texture become the subject.

Golden-hour caldera portraits usually shine in colour, while a quiet embrace in the same spot can be more powerful in monochrome. The moment, not the location, decides.

After many seasons across Santorini, Mykonos, and the Peloponnese, I read each setting and each moment, then choose the treatment that honours both.

Timeless by design, not by trend

The word couples use most about black and white is timeless, and it is earned. By removing colour, monochrome sidesteps the trends that can make images feel tied to a year.

Yet colour is timeless too when it is edited with restraint, avoiding heavy filters that date quickly. A classic, natural colour grade will look right decades from now.

This is the real promise of a balanced gallery: images you will love as much at your fortieth anniversary as on the day. Both styles, finished with care, get you there.

That is how I approach every wedding, so your collection feels like an heirloom rather than a moment in a passing style.

Should the whole gallery be one style?

Some couples ask for an entirely black and white gallery, drawn to its mood and consistency. It can be beautiful, but it usually means losing the colours you worked hard to choose.

An all-colour gallery, on the other hand, can miss the quiet emotional frames that monochrome renders so well. Each extreme gives up something the other does best.

This is why I recommend a considered blend for almost every couple. You keep the full look of your day and the deepest feeling of it, side by side.

If you still want a strong lean one way, tell me early, and I will shape the edit around your taste while protecting the moments that need the other treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Should wedding photos be black and white or color?

Both. Colour captures your florals, décor, setting, and skin tones, while black and white heightens emotion and works beautifully in dramatic or low light. Most couples receive a gallery that thoughtfully combines the two.

Why are some wedding photos in black and white?

Removing colour focuses the eye on emotion, light, shadow, and texture. That is why moments like the first kiss, tears during speeches, and candlelit ceremonies often look strongest in black and white.

Which moments look best in black and white?

Emotional and high-contrast moments: the first kiss, the first dance, tears during vows, quiet getting-ready moments, dramatic backlight, and candlelit church ceremonies.

Do I get both black-and-white and color photos?

Yes. Your gallery of around 700 edited, retouched 4K photos is delivered in colour, with tasteful black and white conversions where they strengthen a moment. You receive both, in one cohesive collection.

Is black-and-white photography more timeless?

Black and white can feel timeless because it removes dated colour casts and trends, keeping attention on emotion and composition. Colour, however, preserves the true palette of your day, which is why a balanced gallery serves you best.

Does black-and-white hide skin imperfections?

To a degree. Converting to monochrome softens redness and blotchiness that colour can emphasise, which is one reason emotional close-ups often look their best in black and white.

Can I ask for more black-and-white photos in my gallery?

Yes. If you love monochrome, tell me before the day and I will lean into it during editing, while still keeping your florals, décor, and landscape in colour so nothing is lost.

Do black-and-white photos cost more?

No. Black and white conversions are part of the same editing process, delivered within your gallery of around 700 edited 4K photos at no extra cost.

Will my black-and-white and color photos match each other?

Yes. Every image is finished to the same standard and grading, so colour and black and white sit together naturally in one cohesive gallery, whether you view them on screen or in a printed album.

Plan your gallery: book a consultation

If you love the mood of black and white or the vibrance of colour, tell me, and I will build your gallery to match. Most couples are delighted to discover they do not have to choose.

Reach me at +30 693 7303 591 or info@alexandrakisphotography.gr, or send your date through the contact page to plan a timeless, balanced wedding gallery.