Really excited to share this wedding with you guys this afternoon!

I’ve known Ali for the past 6 years- we were former co-workers at the investment firm I was laid off from back in 2009. Ali moved to Cleveland with his fiance right around the time I was laid off, but we kept in touch over the years, so I was super happy when he reached out and inquired about my availability for their December wedding last year!

I traveled to Cleveland to shoot their engagement session in November and Adrian, Nahshon, and I traveled down to Virginia Beach for their wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! The day was PERFECT- it was one of those unusually warm winter days before the polar vortex temps of Winter 2013-2014 set in and we couldn’t have been more thankful!

The day was full of family, love, and a mix of Afghan and Filipino traditions. They had guests from all over to celebrate with them and we enjoyed capturing the goings on of the day.

Ali & Clare’s wedding ceremony was full of both Afghan and Filipino wedding traditions.

So this was a funny moment. The priest wanted the parents to bless the rings but ended up dropping them unintentionally! A brief moment of panic ended in laughter as the rings were located soon after the mishap ;)

Introducing the brand new Mr. & Mrs. Sarwari!

This was the most dancing I’d ever seen at a reception and I love that everyone had such a great time!

There was a beautiful traditional Afghan Knife Dance prior to the cake cutting.

Hear directly from the bride on how her wedding day went!

“Since your wedding is an irreplaceable experience, Danielle wanted us to just soak up the moments and enjoy ourselves. She came with her team and they were flexible, respectful, and prompt. With so much going on that special day, she did not want to add to the stress. I appreciated that. Danielle let my husband and I live in the moment and she quietly captured those priceless memories, which we will always look back fondly.

When we started looking for a wedding photographer, we knew we wanted someone that listened to our requests and let us be ourselves. Not to mention we wanted awesome photos! Danielle definitely exceeded our expectations because she is talented, kind, artistic, intuitive, and a professional photographer – she is a premier photographer! Her work turned out stunning! I would definitely recommend her to someone looking to take beautiful photos, be themselves, and have tons of fun at the same time! We look forward to working with her again when we move on to the next phase of our lives and start a family!”

-Clare Sarwari