donna & adil, and their vineyard wedding in niagara-on-the-lake
...we're so excited to share this day, i'm smiling huge just looking through the images again. it was quite a task trying to choose which ones to share here.when i think back to this day last summer, so much comes to mind. i think of waves of colour & smiles on so many faces. i can feel that soft rain that spritzed the grape vines at chateau des charmes vineyard, a beautiful spot for a wedding, and then the sun breaking through during dinner. i see the beautiful fabrics as people gathered after the wedding ceremony and the kids who ran amidst their feet and the flower petals being thrown into the air above donna and adil during the chandlo ceremony. i hear the many hearty slaps on the back as people embraced adil. i can feel again that electric energy that surrounded the whole day, the vitality that emanated from donna & adil, two of the most open and personable people i can think of. i can remember our first meeting, choosing a coffeeshop to sit and talk together, except we arrived and there were no seats -- as in, it was take-out only! we walked the streets and adil graciously purchased a very expensive juice so that we could sit inside out of the cold, and it felt like talking to old friends. it was such a joy to create this memory capsule of images for these two.i think what i loved most about this day was witnessing all different traditions that represented both donna & adil's heritage. i loved watching adil's mom's eyes fill as she sat to be served tea, participating in the new-to-her tradition for the first time ever; and then minutes later watching as she performed the traditional ismaili muslim ceremonies to welcome the bride and groom.
one of the most interesting and beautiful parts for me to watch were the punkwa and dukhna ceremonies. the first is said to rid any evil spirits that may interfere with the couple's happiness. adil's mom placed a nut in her hand and encircled donna and adil, then whisked the nut away, four times in all directions north, south, east and west. she then placed her knuckles on either sides of their heads to remove any future suffering from their lives. she then placed her hands on either side of her own head and cracked her knuckles to vanquish it all. it's said that the louder the crack, the greater the happiness.
it reminds me of that leonard cohen line, the famous one about how we all have cracks, and that's how the light gets in. it makes me realize that even though it might appear that things are as different as different can be, that the world is so vast and people are so different with different backgrounds and traditions, that in the end we're all kind of talking about the same thing.this day was truly something great to be a part of. we hope you enjoy the photos and can feel the light and all the cracks that make it so.
