Nadia & Kareem Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles gave us everything we could have asked for as photographers — golden light, stunning architecture, and two people deeply in love. Nadia and Kareem's Mehndi evening at Vibiana Cathedral was a riot of color: yellow marigolds, bright pink roses, and Nadia's emerald green outfit against the cathedral's white stone walls.

The Nikah the following day was a more intimate affair, held in the cathedral's smaller chapel. The light streaming through the stained glass windows cast a warm, painterly glow over the ceremony — the kind of light photographers dream about. We barely needed to direct anything; the space did all the work.

Nadia had asked us specifically to capture her grandmother's reaction during the ceremony. We positioned a second photographer to focus solely on the family, and the resulting image — her grandmother pressing her hands to her face in joy — became the most shared photo from the entire wedding.