THE MORNING OF THE WEDDING DAY
When I first received their inquiry I was confused about the location. Little did I realize that this wedding day was going to be one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been a part of, and not just because the venue itself, surprisingly to me, was an absolute stunning space. This DTLA Union Station Wedding will have a place in my heart forever. The people, the details, the colors, and the absolute joy that filled the day, it all made it so sentimental and it all so perfectly fit the couple. Jacob and Amanda are such special and beautiful humans inside and out. I am SO lucky to have met them through this process.
A beautiful and slow start to the morning set the tone for the day at the Conrad Hotel. Close friends and family surrounded Amanda as she prepped for her wedding day. It was a treat to witness the love around her and even more special to capture it all for her. At the same time, Jacob was getting ready elsewhere with his group of close guy friends and family with my second photographer capturing it all. An absolute love-filled kind of day.
A CLASSIC AND TRADITIONAL CHURCH CEREMONY
The ceremony took place in the stunning church of The Holy Virgin Mary and Saint Pishoy where Amanda’s uncles lead the ceremony. About 100 of their guests joined to witness. It was so special, beautiful, and emotional. The church itself is adorned with yellows and beautiful lively colors as well as religious images. All the guests either had a huge smile on their face or tear-filled eyes, all so excited and eager for the bride and groom to be wed. It’s an understatement to say that it was a pure honor to photograph it all and memorialize this special moment of J+A’s lives. Due to privacy reasons, I will not be sharing too many images of the church ceremony in this blog post but will give you the essence of the space and the event.
DTLA UNION STATION WEDDING, A MULTICULTURAL EVENING
After the ceremony, everyone headed to the DTLA Union Station for cocktail hour. The Patio “Waiting Room” area is where cocktail hour stood. This time the guest list was a tad larger than the ceremony, with about 275 loved ones ready and eager to celebrate the couple. The reception was held indoors in a large space to the left of the entrance of the Union Station. The space in itself is an awe-factor. Literally everyone walking in from cocktail hour had their mouths open in awe. The table scape and the flowers and the light seeping through were all bonus and all elevated it to an entirely different level. It was a grand and utterly beautiful scene.
This is also where the party BEGAN!! Amanda is Egyptian, and I just have to say, my beautiful Arabs know how to get on the dance floor! For their grand entrance, they had a zaffe. “The word “zaffe” is an Arabic word that means “procession” or “march”. It refers to a wedding tradition in which the newlyweds make a grand entrance into their reception hall, accompanied by music, dance, and a chorus of guests.” – thank you Google. EVERYONE joined the bride and groom on the dance floor and welcomed them in. A group of drummers in traditional wear lead. It was beautiful, it was contagious, it was such an absolute joy-filled moment in the middle of the day before dinner began. This DTLA Union Station Wedding stole my heart and made my mouth ache from my permanent cheek to cheek smile.
THE INCREDIBLE VENDORS THAT MADE THIS DAY POSSIBLE
planner: @hellogemevents // photo: @fatimaelredaphoto // video: @boy.brooklyn // makeup: @dominique_lerma // hair: @_cortneyajamian_ // florals: @nuleafdesign // venue: Union Station in DTLA // dj: @chrisberry_soundwave // catering: @24carrotscatering // zaffa: @famousstagedance // dress: @inesdisanto // shoes: @gucci
This wedding day was featured on Together Journal !!
Enough of my explanation of this day, images say a million words? Is that the saying? Anyway, enjoy a snippet of this incredible multicultural Los Angeles wedding day through this beautiful gallery of photos, from my perspective. Scroll through. And if you’d like me to photograph your beautiful Station Wedding please reach out and let’s talk!
The end. Don’t ask me how long it took me to narrow down their fully wedding gallery into this tiny blog post. These two, and this day, will always hold such a special place in my heart. Hope you love the images! If you’d like me to photograph your DTLA Union Station wedding, please reach out and let’s talk. I would love nothing more!
