I Booked The Social Media Popular Santorini Flying Dress Photoshoot In Greece

If you have been keeping up with the travel trends on social media, then I’m certain you’ve been flooded with the photos of women in a long, colorful flying dress in some of the most beautiful destinations, most specifically, Greece! 

Of course, I had to join the ranks and give a try myself.

I traveled to Greece in July of 2023, and one of the things on my to do list when arriving to Santorini, was getting one of these photos!

I know, I’m being a follower, but I really loved the feminine beauty of the photos and had to do it.

Deciding on a Company

When looking for the right photoshoot company, there were a few things that I was looking for.  Before making my selection, I did shop around first with multiple vendors that I found online.  Looking at reviews on Google as well as directly on social media were a huge help.

Here’s a few other things that helped me to decide as well.

Availability of Shooting Dates

I began looking for open availability only about 1 month before our scheduled arrival.  Once we knew exactly what we would be doing in Santorini, we could better solidify the date to book.

We were only spending 2 days in Santorini before catching a ferry to Mykonos, so the only day available for us was July 3^rd.  This helped to narrow down the selection. Some companies were already booked for that date and were unable to accommodate.

Also, the availability of the date allowed for 2 open time slots for most companies, morning for sunrise and evening for sunset shoots.

Make sure you keep this in mind as you also begin to choose your company.

Package Options!

Another thing that remained important for me were the number of options that were available with the packages.  I wanted to know what dress styles and the types of photos that were included with the shoot.

Some places only offered the common dress style, which is the yellow dress that I am wearing.  This style can most definitely be found with most, if not all vendors.

However, I also wanted the option to have a dress in one of the styles that I hadn’t seen blasted all over social media.  So, the lavender dress that I am wearing is the Cinderella dress.

Additionally, I also wanted to know was other things were included with the photoshoot.  Things that some packages offered were a slow-motion video, footage for social media, flying dress assistant, multiple dresses, couples shooting, family photoshoots and more!

Price Comparisons

Shop around for the pricing and the packages that work with what you want and your budget.  You can find some of the most basic packages for $300 all the way up to $2,000+!

Most places will also require some sort of deposit as well to hold the date.

If you go with the least expensive option, you will most likely have to supply your own dress and not rent one of the provided dresses.  If you have room in your luggage, go for it! I didn’t want the hassle of carrying a large dress around for the duration of my 10-day European vacation as we were going to multiple countries.  I also didn’t want to purchase a dress that I would only wear for this photoshoot.

Locations Around Santorini

Make sure to have an idea of where you want to take your photos at.  Many vendors will accommodate where you want to shoot, but some locations are further away than others.  Some vendors will also charge more for locations that are further away.

The company I went with provided private transportation from the hotel to the shooting location.  If that’s not included in your package, see if you can negotiate a ride!

SantoriniDress.com

Ultimately, when it came down to all the options, I went with Santorinidress.com.

I went with the VIP package which came to 1,350 Euros, or about $1477.82 USD. 

Expensive? Absolutely!

However, my photos would also serve a second purpose… 

My boyfriend proposed to me during the photoshoot, and we were able to capture that moment in photos! So, for that price, it was worth it for us.

Additionally, the VIP package gave us 2 hours of shooting time, 2 dress styles, a flying assistant, slow-motion videos, and hair and makeup. 

We did negotiate instead of hair and makeup, could we receive transportation.  I’ll note, transportation is not included in the VIP package.  I knew I did not want to take the chance of someone doing my hair and makeup the day of, so my fiancé negotiated this trade off so that it would still be the same price.  Santorini Dress was more than willing to compromise!

Communication with Company

Santorini Dress was very responsive to all of our questions, and we were able to communicate via email without any issues.  They provided detailed information and instructions on what to expect.

Preparations for Photoshoot

A few days before the photoshoot, they sent us an email explaining how to prepare and what to expect.

This included what to wear, what not to do, and extra things to bring with you.  My shoot was also during the heat wave that Europe was experiencing, so it was encouraged to bring extra water, sunglasses, and a towel.

Day of Photoshoot

The morning of the shoot, we did have to change locations and ended up shooting in Oia because the weather was initially a bit hazy.  This was not an issue for me as pretty much all of Santorini and surrounding cities are beautiful!

I got up early to do my hair and makeup. We then met transportation outside of our hotel at 9AM.

I went in a tank top with no bra and some shorts.  For this location, we did have to change outside in a secluded spot in public so if that is something you are not comfortable with, I would try to find a location that may be able to accommodate a public restroom.  However, I had no issues and felt comfortable.

We met the photographer and his assistant on location and got to shooting!

My photographer was amazing and made me feel very comfortable. Also, I didn’t have to worry about how to pose as he provided clear instructions on what to do.

Halfway through the photoshoot, I changed into my second dress, and we kept going.

It’s also important to note that the photos are in the public and there’s crowds walking around, eating in restaurants, and shops open for business while you’re getting your pictures taken.  I am a shy person, so I had to tap in to my inner “Sasha Fierce.”   I tuned the public out and focused on getting my photos.

There were other people around trying to take their own photos while enjoying their vacation and you will more than likely draw a crowd and on-lookers. Just embrace it.

How My Photos Turned Out

About 10 days after my photoshoot, I received a box link with all of my photos.  There were exactly 995 photos that I received.

So, did I like how my photoshoot turned out?

Yes! My photos turned out exactly how I imagined.  Not only that, but I also got some great couples’ photos.

I do wish, however, if the weather was more desirable, I would have liked to maybe go to another location to capture some different images. 

For what it’s worth, my photos reflect Santorini, Greece and that’s what I wanted.

Was it Worth it?

For me, the photoshoot was worth it.  Again, this photoshoot also captured my proposal so I am grateful that this will forever be captured on film.

On the contrary, had that not been the case, we may have opted for a cheaper, or more basic package. My fiancé handled the booking and sneakily went with the more expensive package since he knew he was going to propose.

I knew I wanted to do the popular photos, but if I were travelling solo, I would’ve taken the cheapest route possible just so I had some photos to remember.

I think depending on the purpose of your photoshoot and your plans with the photos should determine how much you spend.

If you’re going with a group of friends, I think you could also do this photoshoot on your own! Grab your phone or a nice DSLR camera, bring your own dresses (which you can purchased on Etsy), and have fun throwing the dress train and getting your own photos for a fraction of the cost!