When cultures and families come together to celebrate a wedding, there’s this electricity in the room that you can’t describe. There was an incredible amount of love, tradition, and respect for both the bride and groom’s culture on this gorgeous day. It was such an honor to be a part of each moment of this event- and it was just that, an event! It was grand and beautiful and full of rich colors and tender moments of love between the bride and groom and between the families. We’re so excited to show you these pictures and looking forward to their wedding video that will be out soon! If you can imagine how much fun this wedding was to relive through pictures, it’s so epic through video. When you have a photographer and videographer that work well together, it’s like they’re one and the whole process goes so smoothly.

Thank you Shaoli + Alex for letting us be a part of your wedding day. It was definitely a day we will never forget!

First, the video, then the pictures!  🙂

The morning of the wedding day started with the Gaye Holud. This was a turmeric ceremony where the couple was blessed by the family. Everyone wore yellow and it was an awesome event. Ok, everything was awesome, but this was such a fun, vibrant, special way to start the day’s festivities and give the couple blessings for the day and their future together.

Hilton Norfolk the MAIN was an incredible location for the wedding. The detail and care that went into Shaoli’s hair, makeup, and clothing was so intricate and meaningful. It was so interesting and exciting to watch!

The couple’s first look was in the Varia restaurant and it was such a tender moment.

Experiencing the Baraat, the parade of the groom down the street through Selden Market, was so much fun! Then they went up the escalators to the 4th floor of the Hilton. The mother of the bride and aunts welcomed him and then they led the groom into the ceremony with all the guests behind him.

The ceremony was a mix between Jewish and Hindu traditions.  The flooring was hand painted by the mother of the bride!

And then there was the reception! After a grand entrance, the guests participated in the Hora, a Jewish celebratory dance! There were special performances and toasts, along with an amazing party!

We ended the day by sneaking outside for a few more late night pictures.

Venue: Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN  |  Videographer: Fowler Studios  |  Flowers: Isha Foss Events |  DJ: DJ Valente with Astro Entertainment  |  Hair + Makeup: The Makeup School by Sarah Rillon  |  Rentals: Mad Hatter Vintage  |  Cake: Hummingbird  |  Photo: Fowler Studios  |  Planner: Cherry Blossom Planning Factory  |  Childcare: A Helping Hand  |  Stationary: PaperDolls Design  |  Accomodations: Norfolk Waterside Marriott & Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel  |  Travel: Smithfield Horse & Carriage, LTD