note: their wedding is completely edited in Timeless.
I want to start off by saying: I have a soul-connection with Soraya – she is witty + stands up for everything that I believe in. Through out the entire process of getting to know her (and Michael), we created a ground of familiarity and social-consciousness that I absolutely adore. While Soraya is a fiery woman, Michael is the calming element to their relationship – creating balance in its entirety.
pre-wedding
let’s meet.
Like most people nowadays, they met in a pretty conventional way: bumble. After chatting for a bit, it was mutually agreed that meeting for coffee was the next step. While at the coffee shop, Roast, Michael confessed that he is from New Jersey, in which Soraya responded: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear”. Obviously, this set off fireworks for Micheal and this was the beginning of their love story.
my person.
Falling in love is usually the easiest part of a relationship. Out of nowhere, you no longer imagine a life without your partner. Cupid struck Michael with his arrow when Soraya was able to get him out of doing a social outing with a friend (using her fake “period struggles” as an excuse). That type of teamwork? He was ready for forever. Whereas Soraya did not have the exact moment, but really when she was *actually* not feeling well, he took care of her. Sometimes, it is as simple as grabbing your partner their favorite drink from Starbucks (in this case, Soraya’s go-to is a Strawberry Acai with Lemonade).
Every day Soraya + Michael look forward to their daily television binge – a current favorite being: What We Do In The Shadows – and having some much needed quality time. Spending moments together in their favorite spot, their one-bedroom apartment. Moving in together was a complete success, even though it was in March of 2020, which eventually house-bound them due to the COVID quarantine. But being locked in a small apartment together has it’s perks: finding ways to enjoy each other and have fun without leaving the front door.
engagement session
To have an engagement session means that there had to be a proposal, right? Michael tricked Soraya to do the one activity she is super good at (this is a lie) – ice skating! He played it off as if it were a double date, but instead he asked her to marry him while the rest of their friends spied on them – obviously, she said yes!
for their engagement session, we went to Old Westbury Gardens in Long Island, New York. This place was an absolute dream – romantic and lush, totally recommend.
Wedding Day!
pre-ceremony
getting ready.
details.
final touches.
first look.
I fell in love with the idea of photographing their first look on the actual dock. I prepped Michael by positioning him alllllllll the way at the end so he had to listen to Soraya walk towards him. This is usually the biggest moment of build up during anyone’s wedding day. I also want to note – i have never had a couple regret doing a first look – whether its to free up their timeline or to just reduce stress!
The moment he turned around he was beaming – ear to ear! I always encourage taking as much time as you need in these moments, to really embrace it + live in the moment.
Soraya + Michael agree that this was the best part of the entire day. There were so many nerves + anxieties brewing that having a moment to see each other, earlier on, was tops. They were both able to alleviate their anxiety and bask in how great the other looks!
ceremony.
having an intimate wedding means that everyone who loves + supports the couple on a regular basis, is usually the ones present. I was able to witness the absolute joy on Michael’s face as his future-wife walked towards him. Even though they had an incredible first look, it did not take any of the “specialness” from her actually walking down the aisle.
and like the conclusion of most ceremonies, the newlyweds were swarmed by everyone for congratulations (and drinks!).
portraits.
groups.
soraya + micheal
literally obsessed. literally obsessed. like how gorgeous are these two?
post-ceremony.
details.
Sofreh Aghd:
traditions.
post-ceremony and after portraits, the newly-weds are ready to celebrate with their favorite people. Following Persian wedding traditions, the couple is sat at the Sofreh Aghd – the wedding table – which is filled with items that hold rich symbolism to bless the couple. They then are placed underneath a sheer blanket and everyone who wants to wish the couple “luck” + “good fortune” come up and crack sugar together, sprinkling onto the couple. While some are more eccentric about it than others, it is a beautiful tradition for both sides of the family to merge their cultures together. The sugar rubbing ceremony was their second highlight of the day – especially seeing how everyone really embraced it.
Future.
Michael dreams of being completely financially free and traveling the world, with Soraya by his side. She also dreams of this, with an addition of excelling in an HR career and buying a home. I am so excited to see what the future brings them – whether its moving across the world or becoming everything they ever wanted to be. Either way, they will spend their days looking forward to binging their next favorite television series.
Vendors:
venue/vatering/dessert: North Shore House
hair: Nidiyah Salahuddin
mua: Brittany Mims
florist: Karen Langenbach
invitations: zola
dress: Melissa Sweet
dress shop: David’s Bridal of Lake Grove
party’s dresses: Azazie
suits: The Black Tux
celebrant: Kenneth Roberts
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