Monday

Karida & Derrell's Surprise Engagement!


The idea of getting engaged at someone's wedding is normally a no-no. You know how it goes: it's the bride's day and all of the attention should be solely on her. While that's true in most cases, I can't help but LOVE the idea of bride's allowing their friends to get engaged during their wedding. It takes a very special bride to share some of the shine with someone else on her special day.  

While everyone was gearing up for Joy and Lateef's destination wedding in San Francisco, Bahia, Joy's daughter, received a phone call from Derrell, Bahia's close friend. He told her that he was going to propose while they were in town. Joy overheard the conversation, grabbed the phone and insisted that he propose during their reception.  She said,"You'll be surrounded by friends and family. That'll be the PERFECT place to do it!" 

After all of the formal pictures had been taken, Joy and Lateef changed into their reception outfits, thanked everyone for coming and gave Derrell the signal, "Thank you all for coming and celebrating this beautiful day with us...but first..." When Karida and Derrell were done with the traditional African dances they had practiced, all of the dancers stayed at the front of the room, swaying from side-to-side. Karida didn't know what dance this was but she stayed up there and swayed with everyone else. As Derrell played the drum, he made his way over to Karida and the rest is history.  It was an honor to have been able to witness it all unfold. For Joy and Lateef, the proposal was the icing on the cake.  


{Photo Credit: Ifanyi Bell}

You can watch the magic unfold below:


Thursday

About the Sofreh Aghd


The sofreh aghd is a traditional wedding ceremony spread where legal marriage + ceremonial traditions are exchanged. The ceremonial traditions have been practiced for thousands of years + sofreh aghd spreads are usually very customary at Persian weddings. Like most, Iranians have diverse religious backgrounds and the sofreh aghd is a chosen cultural ceremony commonly practiced regardless of faith. There are many symbolic items in which make up the sofreh aghd spread, all in which represent an element of the couple’s new life + marriage together. The word “sofreh” means “spread” and “aghd” means “ceremony.

 While most aim to keep the traditional elements of the sofreh design, each sofreh is unique in its own + designed around the bride + groom's style. Every sofreh aghd design has traditional must haves, however based on the taste + budget of the couple some sofreh designs are more elaborate + intricate than others + some may be more simple + understated than others. 


|| AYEENEH {Mirror} ||
Represents bringing light + brightness into the future for the married couple. Traditionally the couple look into the mirror together.

|| SHAMDOON {Candles/candelabras} ||
Symbolize energy + clarity in the couple’s life together.

Shekofe & Joun!


Ashley and Joun’s 10 year love story lead us to their January 10th wedding.  Their wedding day  was a beautiful blend of their Egyptian and Persian cultures beginning with a Persian ceremony called a Sofreh Aghd. The sofreh aghd is a traditional wedding ceremony spread where legal marriage + ceremonial traditions are exchanged. The ceremonial traditions have been practiced for thousands of years + sofreh aghd spreads are usually very customary at Persian weddings. Like most, Iranians have diverse religious backgrounds and the sofreh aghd is a chosen cultural ceremony commonly practiced regardless of faith. There are many symbolic items in which make up the sofreh aghd spread, all in which represent an element of the couple’s new life + marriage together. The word “sofreh” means “spread” and “aghd” means “ceremony.

After the Sofreh Aghd, the guests traveled to Joun’s church for a traditional Coptic Orthodox Ceremony.  Once all of the religious ceremonies were complete, everyone headed to the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Being that Joun is Egyptian, Ashley felt that the Egyptian Ballroom would be the only fitting venue for their reception. Lush floral designs and an impressive and bold wedding cake greeted the guests as they arrived. Traditional Egyptian music welcomed the guests as they all made their way to their seats. During dinner, a belly dancer entertained the guests who joined in the tradition dances between each course. To top off the already fairytale day, Ashley and Joun ended the night with their guests by closing down Peachtree Street in the heart of midtown Atlanta for their sparkler sendoff.  It doesn’t get more magical than that!    

{Photo Credit: Loyall Hart}





Wednesday

Brooke & Ryan!


Brooke and Ryan were married on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega, Georgia. Throughout my time working with Brooke and Ryan, they showed the true meaning of partnership. They've created an intimate community of friends whom they call family who were all there witnessing the union of these two beautiful individuals. It was truly an honor to have been a part of their day!

Adwoa & Haigo!


Adwoa and Haigo were married in Tuscaloosa, AL surrounded by their family and friends. The day was a beautiful mixture of Adwoa's Ghanaian culture and the couple's Bahai religion. The sheer joy and love between Haigo, Adowa and their families was infectious. The blending of cultures and families made for the most perfect day.