I find myself, as a photographer, saying certain things over and over again. I’ve been in this industry long enough that it becomes a joke with my team – we all have phrases we default to. Things to get people to laugh, or pose a certain way, that kind of stuff.
What I found myself saying at this wedding, over and over again, was telling the bride that she needed to stop worrying about other people. The number of times M asked if we wanted something to eat, if we needed water, or if we wanted to sit down was too many to count. Caring about other people’s needs in the room comes so second nature to her, and her husband M is right there with her. The two of them are truly one of the most caring couples I think I’ve ever met.
It almost became laughable. At one point, we were teasing her that she might not realize it, but this was actually her wedding day, and today it was our turn to take care of her. She needed to stop taking care of us.
How They Met (Sort of Twice)
M and M have been together for three years, but their story goes back further than that. They both grew up in Cleveland, in the same neighborhood, and went to the same high school – but somehow never crossed paths. It wasn’t until Ohio State, where she was in grad school and he was finishing his fifth year of undergrad, that they finally met through friends.
She texted her sister right after they met: “He’s easy to like and really lovely to be around.” Which, after getting to know both of them, I can confirm is an understatement.
The Zeffe, Leaving Home With Joy
One of the most meaningful moments of the day happened before the ceremony even began. The zeffe is one of the best parts of Arab weddings. Being of Syrian heritage, M celebrated her first zeffe to mark leaving her parents’ home, surrounded by music, movement, and celebration.
A zeffe is joyful by nature, but I knew this was one of the things she was most excited about during her celebration, so this one felt especially emotional. It carried pride, love, and that bittersweet feeling of transition. This tradition set the tone for the entire day. It reminded everyone present that weddings aren’t just about two people. They’re about families, histories, and the communities that raised them.
An Orthodox Ceremony and Downtown Cleveland
From there, the day moved to a traditional Orthodox church ceremony, followed by portraits downtown Cleveland. Some of my favorite moments happened during those portraits with M and M and their friends. So much laughter. So much fun. Especially between the two of them.
The way the groom looked at his bride is everything fairy tales and Hollywood are made of. The two of them are very clearly in love, and if you’d never met them before and saw them for five minutes, you would pick up on that immediately.
They could be in a room with hundreds of people, and I’m pretty sure once they were done making sure everybody had water, they would only see each other.
