An Indian Princess Bride

     When I first met Farooq and Samreen, they looked like most other college students, dressed for comfort in jeans and sweatshirts. They were busy with work and school. Samreen was kind of quiet. She wore glasses. I couldn't really see what she would look like as a bride. Some weeks later when she stepped out of the car for our Portrait Session, I did a double take, you know the kind you see in the movies when a  woman slowly exits a car with her long elegant leg leading the way and then the slow unveiling of the beautiful being attached to that leg. It was kind of like that with Samreen.  She had been transformed into a beautiful Indian Princess. Farooq cleaned up pretty well, too, but Samreen stole the show. (I don't think Farooq minded one bit. She was his new bride and he loved her loveliness) Samreen is from India and Farooq's family is from Pakistan. They held their marriage in Chicago around Christmas time and one week later had their reception here in Phoenix.

     This is my second Muslim wedding celebration. I thoroughly enjoyed the culture, the people and the food. I could go on and on about the food.  It was Indian Cuisine and I think I have to vote it "Best Reception Food". Lynn, my second shooter, and I both are big food fans and adventurous eaters. In our enthusiasm over the dinner, we forgot to get a beautiful shot of the food. But, even without a visual reminder, I will not soon forget it. The Naan was oh so yummy. I could have eaten an embarrassingly huge amount, but I used restraint and besides had to get back to work!

     Before their reception, Farooq, Samreen and I spent some time on the beautiful grounds of the LDS Temple. We picked the right day and had the place to ourselves. Samreen had the ability to be both elegant and cute. Her beautiful traditional Indian dress and veil were sent to her by her grandmother from India. The color was perfect and was a hint at the dress colors I would be seeing later that night.

Isn't she just stunning?

They are very cute together. Refreshingly innocent.

With the beadwork on the veil weighing it down, the veil needed some managing, which Samreen did beautifully.

The Henna tattoes on her hands and feet took about 5 hours to apply.

I couldn't decide between these two, so I'm including them both.

Before the reception started Samreen's mom helped her properly attach the veil so she wouldn't have to worry about it all evening. Her mom was also beautiful. I think you can pick up on her elegance just by her hands.

Friends of the Bride and Groom.

Close friends and family accompanied the couple into the reception hall for their Grand Entrance.

It was at this point that I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I think I really like Indian music!" I need to find out what song they were playing. I loved it.

These girls are just an example of the beauty of the people and the colors of their dresses. If I didn't stick out like a sore thumb in these clothes, I would seriously love to wear them.

In American wedding tradition, the Bride and the Groom cut the cake and feed each other a small piece of it. In Samreen's culture, they not only feed each other a piece of the cake, but it is also shared in like manner with various family members, so to these children watching this happening, they must have thought, "Everyone is getting cake except us!" I just thought the look on their faces was priceless. They did eventually get some cake, which, again, was delicious.

I have added to my circle of friends and feel that my life has been enriched by these new friendships. It was fun to be a part of Farooq and Samreen's wedding celebration and once again, I feel joy and hope in the commitment that marriage brings and wish them a life together that is, "Happily Ever After".