Ellie and Javed were married at The Columbia Edgewater Club in Portland on a beautiful, hot August day. They met at Reed College here in Portland. Ellie’s family is from Bulgaria, Javed’s is from Jamaica, and many of their friends also traveled internationally to come to the event.

When I first met these two, they immediately enchanted me with all the traditions they planned to incorporate into their wedding. For example, Bulgarian weddings are usually held on Sundays, the mothers feed the bride and groom bread and salt and honey, and many details symbolize good luck. During their sand ceremony, both families had brought sand from Bulgaria and Jamaica to combine. Traditional Bulgarian folk dancing and some absolutely fantastic Jamaican dancing finished out the evening.

Columbia Edgewater has such beautiful grounds, and photographing on this hill at sunset was perfect. Lights from the airport glistened in the background, and the moon rose as the evening went on.

I love events like these–seeing cultures come together to create something completely unique to a couple is so special.

Congratulations, Ellie & Javed! I'll never forget your beautiful wedding!