a little bit more…
January 14, 2010 | Filed Under wedding posts | Leave a Comment
i’ve been finishing up the processing for sam and sanjana’s two events and just wanted to share a random selection of a few more favorites from both events!
one of these images – the horizontal of the chandelier, was taken by my assistant-for-the-day, fasiha khan – loved the image, thought i would share it here too! thanks so much, fasiha, for all your help 
sam & sanjana II
January 10, 2010 | Filed Under wedding posts | 11 Comments
samjana’s walima (reception given by the groom’s side) was held on a blustery, bright yet bitterly cold day at the gorgeous westfields marriott in chantilly, virginia at the start of the new year, a week after the rukhsathi, or bride’s-side reception, held in sanjana’s hometown of knoxville, tennessee.
i’ll say again how excited i was to be able to photograph both of sam and sanjana’s events; it was so much fun to see so many familiar faces at the walima, and to realize how many connections we had in common! but the most memorable aspect of the day, for me, was the diversity and the unity altogether of the guests, and how much that clearly meant to both the bride and groom. watching and listening to those of varying religious traditions who have all known and loved sam on his spiritual journey was beautifully moving – to know that the witnessing guests were comprised of muslims, christians, jews, hindus and more, all unified in their embrace of this passionately muslim boy and his bride. i truly hope some of that comes through in the pictures, because it certainly is part of what i tried to capture!
sam and sanjana, thank you once again for allowing me to take and share these images, and thanks so much for your patience with my portrait experiments i’m publishing this on jan. 10 which is the date you are supposed to be leaving – so i hope you guys do get to see this soon, inshallah! all my prayers and best wishes for a safe journey and a fruitful, blessed experience… ameen
sam & sanjana I
January 4, 2010 | Filed Under wedding posts | 15 Comments
i’ve been blessed with the opportunity to share two of samjana’s… i mean… sam and sanjana’s important wedding occasions with them, over the past two weeks, and i can’t say enough how thankful i am to both their families and friends for welcoming me so warmly, taking care of me, trusting me and being patient with me. sam and sanjana are one of those couples with a truly meant-to-be story, from the fact that sanjana’s family were present at his shahada (conversion to islam) six years ago with no idea he would one day join their family, to the way each one’s abiding faith and devotion to God draws them toward the same goals. i felt almost wistful watching them proclaim their union (their actual vows were exchanged back in august) and take this first step of their lives together, because their journey ahead – working and studying abroad, coming back home for graduate study – is SO the young american muslim dream, and i’m, like, past that stage now and so, i can’t help but feel tremendous excitement for them!
the following images are from the first of the two wedding events, on dec. 26, 2009 at the knoxville convention center, given by the bride’s side of the family, who are from bangladesh. one note: if anyone’s confused by the one particularly blurry picture, with what appears to be (and actually is) the groom upside down in the air in the process of being bodyslammed to the ground, let me just clarify that while this is NOT a traditional or recommended method of regaining one’s shoes after the shoe-stealing ritual, it WAS possibly the most exciting moment of the wedding and i had JUST inserted a brand new card into my camera and just barely managed to get this shot – so even though it’s not top-notch, i had to include it!
sam and sanjana, thank you again – jazakumullahu khairan – for letting me be a part of your celebrations! i hope you enjoy these images… there’s plenty more… and inshallah i truly hope we get a chance to meet up again soon, either abroad (one can always dream…) or when you guys get back!
farhana and asif
September 17, 2009 | Filed Under wedding posts | 7 Comments
here’s a wedding i shot earlier in august but didn’t get a chance to blog. farhana was referred to me by a mutual dear friend, but i didn’t actually get a chance to meet her until right before she walked into the wedding hall! but, she was pretty easy to spot and so was i, with my equipment! anyway… farhana’s wedding was a beautifully emotional affair: i think what i remember most strongly is the love of the bride’s family for their daughter and sister; their joy in seeing her happily married to a good man, and their sadness in her parting. farhana, thank you so much for letting me share in this experience with you and your family – and for trusting me to capture it as best i could – and i pray God blesses you and asif in your new life together!
a little explanation of some of the pictures below: at the groom’s arrival, there’s a tradition called the “gate dhora,” in which the bride’s family refuses the groom’s entry to the hall without considerable payment. the wedding ceremony itself was conducted seated on the stage, and is followed by traditional gifts to the bride of gold, the draping of flower-laden necklaces, and the cake cutting…
