Lavina & Youssef

Before any celebration, I love sitting down with the couple and hearing how they picture their day. I am a calm and quiet person, but those conversations always fill me with energy, because there is nothing better than listening to two people talk about something they are so excited for. With Lavina and Youssef we talked through the decor, the details they had planned, the moments they didn’t want to miss and the overall feeling they hoped their guests would walk away with. By the time the day arrived, I knew exactly what mattered to them, from the engraved mirror welcoming their guests to the gold monogram on their cake.

An engagement celebration has a different feeling from a wedding. There is less pressure and less of a schedule, and so much more room for everyone to simply be happy, and you could feel that the moment you walked in. Lavina and Youssef were relaxed and joyful, greeting their guests and soaking in every bit of it, which made it easy for me to do what I love most, staying close, keeping things light and capturing the moments as they happen.

A short ceremony and touching speeches in Hampton

The ceremony was short and beautiful. It didn’t need to be long, because everyone in the room already understood how much it meant to make that promise in front of the people who raised you and grew up beside you. Then friends and family took turns speaking, and that is when the day really found its heart. One after another, people shared what Lavina and Youssef meant to them. During speeches I spend most of my time watching the couple rather than the microphone, because the way two people take in that kind of love is where the pure, raw emotion is, and Lavina and Youssef held on to every word.

When they finally cut the cake, the whole room lifted into celebration, full of laughter and teasing and forks held out for the first bite. I treat every couple and every family I work with with love and respect, and my goal is always the same, to make the day feel magical while it is happening and to give them photos that bring that feeling right back for years to come.