Στον αρραβώνα τους δεν είχαν φωτογράφο, αλλά τώρα θέλουν να κρατήσουν πολλές φωτογραφίες.

Στον is the contracted form of σε τον.

• σε = to / in / at
• τον = the for a masculine noun in the accusative

In Modern Greek, σε + τον normally becomes στον.

So στον αρραβώνα literally means at the engagement. With events, Greek often uses σε / στον where English would say at.

The dictionary form is ο αρραβώνας = engagement.

Here it appears after στον, so it must be in the accusative singular:

• nominative: ο αρραβώνας
• accusative: τον αρραβώνα

This is a common pattern for masculine nouns ending in -ας: they often become -α in the accusative singular.

Here τους means their.

So:

• ο αρραβώνας τους = their engagement
• στον αρραβώνα τους = at their engagement

This is one of the Greek unstressed possessive forms, and it usually comes after the noun.

A learner should also know that τους can mean other things in other contexts, such as them or to them, but here it is clearly possessive: their.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order. Starting with Στον αρραβώνα τους puts the setting first:

• At their engagement, they didn’t have a photographer...

This is very natural in Greek. It gives the time/place/context before the main statement.

δεν is the normal word for not before an indicative verb.

So:

• είχαν = they had
• δεν είχαν = they did not have

A useful contrast is:

• δεν is used with ordinary statements
• μη(ν) is usually used with commands or να-clauses

So δεν είχαν is exactly what you expect in a normal past-tense negative statement.

Είχαν is the past form of έχω = to have, here meaning they had.

In Modern Greek, this form is used for past possession:

• είχαν = they had
• δεν είχαν = they didn’t have

With a verb like έχω, this form is the normal way to talk about having something in the past.

Because the meaning is a photographer, not the photographer.

Greek often leaves out the article after έχω when it means having something in an indefinite sense:

• είχαν φωτογράφο = they had a photographer
• δεν είχαν φωτογράφο = they didn’t have a photographer

If you said τον φωτογράφο, that would sound like a specific photographer already known from the context.

Greek does not use an infinitive the way English does. After θέλω = I want, Greek normally uses:

θέλω + να + verb

So:

• θέλουν = they want
• να κρατήσουν = roughly to keep / that they keep

Together:

• θέλουν να κρατήσουν = they want to keep

This is one of the most important Greek patterns to learn.

Because after να, Greek often chooses between two aspects:

• να κρατήσουν = perfective, viewing the action as a whole or as a result
• να κρατούν / να κρατάνε = imperfective, viewing it as ongoing or repeated

Here να κρατήσουν suggests the idea of ending up keeping/saving many photos as a complete result.

So the choice is not really about present vs past. It is about aspect: whole/completed action versus ongoing action.

Not usually.

κρατώ normally means keep, hold, or save, not take a photo.

So να κρατήσουν πολλές φωτογραφίες most naturally means something like:

• to keep many photos
• to save many photos
• to have many photos kept from the event

If the intended meaning is take many photos, Greek more commonly uses:

• να βγάλουν πολλές φωτογραφίες
• να τραβήξουν πολλές φωτογραφίες

So this is a good sentence to question, because the verb choice is a little unusual if the idea is taking photos.

Because φωτογραφίες is a feminine plural noun, and πολλές must agree with it.

• singular: φωτογραφία = photo
• plural: φωτογραφίες = photos

So:

• πολλές φωτογραφίες = many photos

Here it is the direct object of κρατήσουν, so it is in the accusative plural. In this noun, the nominative plural and accusative plural look the same: φωτογραφίες.