I headed to The Hall and Gardens at Landmark in Garner for this wedding ceremony and reception. Ayanna and Adib’s braved foreboding clouds that threatened rain right before they exchanged vows. The dark blue clouds actually complimented their red and gold color scheme and made everything dazzle even more. Ayanna’s beautiful dress was accented by a new pair of red shoes that flashed a hint of attitude with each step she took.
Luckily the rain held off for the most part and everything went off without a hitch! The only snag (that was quickly resolved by a quick thinking wedding coordinator) was the realization that the sand for the sand ceremony had not made it to the venue… Let’s just say that the sand they did use turned out to be “authentic to North Carolina.”
There was a huge variety of mainstream and international music which made for a fun evening of dining and dancing. One of the favorite desserts of the evening was a Baklavah/Chocolate crossbreed called Choclavah! I think at one point the buffet line was totally empty as everyone had detoured to the Choclavah trays at the side of the room.
One other bit of info that is kind of cool is that Adib has a twin brother named Thomas and I’ll be photographing their wedding in May of 2009. I love it when couples refer me to their friends and family! I get the unique chance to REALLY get to know everyone when I see them in each others weddings.
Thanks to everyone for inviting me to photograph this wedding. I had a great time getting to know all of you and congratulations Ayanna and Adib!
Wedding Cake: Sweet Memories Bakery
Music and DJ: Awesome-DJ – Kerry “K” Cameron
Catering: Marina’s Ambrosia (Lebanese and Mediterranean)
Flowers: Fresh Affairs – Lyn Graves
I love this shot of Ayanna. She looks naturally gorgeous even before putting on the wedding gown.
The father of the bride hugs his daughter after seeing her for the first time.
The Landmark has an awesome cigar room for the guys to get ready in. Adib told me that the room was one of the reasons that sold him on the ceremony and reception location. I had to agree that he made an excellent choice!
They chose to see each other before the ceremony.
An emotional bride has a hard time holding back the tears. As you can see at least one made it through though…
We did some “sassy” shots with the girls… There’s those red shoes!
Small wedding lanterns lined the aisle for the processional.
The father daughter dance. The shutter of the camera was dragged a bit to create a sense of motion…
The mother son dance was so fun! Hey mom! What was the reason behind the finger biting? I noticed Adib was doing it too. It reminds me of Austin Powers a bit…
This is one of my favorites of the wedding. Ayanna’s mom and sister look on in anticipation as Ayanna gives Adib a look that I think many brides are probably familiar with… It’s the “don’t you dare think about it… I look awesome the way I am without you smashing cake on me!” look…
Bride and guests “crankin’ the Soulja Boy!”
I guess they were both totally shocked (yet ecstatic) when accidentally bumping butts…
Sharing a last dance surrounded by friends and family…
13 comments
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These pics give me life! The couple and the wedding was gorgeous! Congrats on your wedding, and may you have a prosperous and fulfilling marriage!
What a Beautiful wedding!! The bride and groom are both gorgeous and look so very happy in these photos. Congratulations to you..and many blessings to the couple for many many beautiful years ahead for them!!!
The smiles,…the beaming smiles…what a wonderful day!
Adib and Ayanna
Congratulations and have a Happy Married life together.
Beautiful pictures :) Congratulations Adib and Ayanna!
You guys look wonderful! Beautiful dress. Sorry that we were not able to make it. I got my dates mixed up. Good thing I called Paula this past Saturday or I would have wasted a trip. Adib why was I thinking the 18th? Anyway, We love you guys! Hope to see you soon!
Oh Craig,
These are wonderful pictures. I was so honored to be apart of this special day for Adib and Ayanna… Thank you for including the sand ceremony shot too *wink*
Hey Craig!
Finally, back in the US from our honeymoon and on computer that can load pics faster than one every ten minutes! We LOVED the sneak peek of the photos – looking over them again just reminds us of everything that went well that day, and how happy we were to have everyone celebrate with us. Even though it was a late decision, having you take our photos was definitely one of the best that we made. Thanks again for everything!!
Craig,
Love the shots. It helps that you had such a stunning bride to begin with! I had camera envy all day. Thanks for sharing. The pictures are always a reminder of a very amazing day!
Thank you so very much for sharing your photos with us, I hope you had as much fun as we did. Ayanna is special to her dad and I and we were so happy that you were able to share this special occassion with her. Take care
Kim James
What a fun wedding! Love the “sassy” shot!
The pictures are beautiful! Thanks so much for all you did that day, Craig. I especially love that first shot of Ayanna.