The final day of their wedding is known as the Rukhsati held at the iconic Roostertail right next to the river. The ceremony involves the family members and close guests walking out with Ambereen. This signifies her offically leaving her parents and moving on to the next step of life with Sameem.

Epic Motion did a fantastic job as videographers and you can check out their trailer for the wedding here. I honestly can’t wait to see the rest of it.

I told this to Ambereen and Sameem in my last e-mail but we never thought that we would be sad leaving Michigan. Their families were so accommodating and and we really felt at home.

To watch the slideshow, please press the play button below or click here

After I shot Ambereen and Sameem’s engagement in Chicago I knew their wedding in Detroit was going to be a lot more fun than actual work. Well, don’t get me wrong shooting three days in a row is never an easy task but Katrina and I honestly enjoyed every minute of it. This blog post includes the Nikah and the Mendhi. The Nikah is the more serious ceremony where the marriage contract is signed and is usually held at the bride’s house which was decorated beautifully.

The Mendhi (henna ceremony) was more of a celebration filled with great food along with amazing and sometimes hilarious dance performances. Ambereen used to be part of a dance team so the choreography was something really out of this world. Afterwards a dance party ensued that topped everything I had ever seen before. These guys really knew how to get down!

Stay tuned for the second blog post which will include some portraits and a massive slideshow. For now here’s a little preview of what’s to come.

Elizabeth Lloyd flew me down to her hometown in Puerto Vallarta to second shoot this beautiful cliffside wedding in Sayulita with her. After the wedding we went to some local spots to listen to live music and really absorb the small surfer city. On top of that, Carol and Dan’s intimate wedding really made the trip worth it. I had a great time and I can’t wait to go back.

Please let me introduce Alissa and Ari who are the winners of the engagement session contest I held last December. Their story moved me so much that I had to meet them in person to learn all about their adventures, and it just so turned out they were also engaged. Here is what Alissa’s e-mail read:

“HELLO!!!
My name is Alissa Chapman and my fiance is Ari Olgun!
We met in 2003 at UC, Santa Cruz when we moved into the same house for our senior year of college.
We became fast friends and always kept in touch, even after Ari moved to San Jose and I moved to Spain.
In the Autum of 2005, I moved back to the Bay Area and our close friendship eventually evolved into Ari saying “Is it weird that I like you?” and me responding “Only if it’s weird that I like you back.” Ever since then we have been inseperable. Well, theoretically. For the first two years of our relationship, Ari contiued to live in San Jose and I lived in San Francisco.
In 2008, we embarked on a journey to escape from reality as we traveled and lived in the stunning country of New Zealand. We purchased a van, turned it into a bed in the back and we traveled the country living in our van. We worked in hostels, kiwifruit factories, ski fields, and anywhere else we could find a job. We simply just worked enough to live and lived a lot.
During our last month abroad we ventured out to Australia, just after our 4 year dating anniversary, we went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef on a 3-day dive trip. On our last dive of the trip, as we were underwater taking in the beauty around us, Ari handed Alissa his writing slate that said “Will You Marry Me?” with a tick box for “Yes” and “No.” I, overcome with excitement, checked the box “Yes” as Ari flashed an “o” Ring for me to wear until we found a real ring”

Their wedding was just as insane! I felt like my finger was glued to the camera since there was so much going on. If Katrina and I bet money on who had better shots this wedding she probably would have won. I was jealous of more than a few of her shots to say the least. The Victorian was an absolutely intimate and gorgeous venue as well and I loved the warm tones that it gave. Alissa and Ari are now diving in the Bermuda Triangle for their honeymoon living life to its fullest. Keep an eye out on the blog for their engagement session coming up soon.

Out of the many venues I have worked at, The Parker Palm Springs always impresses me. Every detail of this chic boutique hotel is perfected and you really feel like you took a step back in time. Flowers and event planning were done by Artisan. Laleh’s beautiful dress is by Vera Wang and Hossein’s suit is compliments (literally) of Marc Jacobs himself.

I second shot this wedding for my good friend Farhad Samari.