When Larissa and Anthony approached me to photograph their wedding I couldn’t help but be enamored with the idea of photographing my first Coptic Orthodox wedding. Having been raised in the Greek Orthodox Church, I spent many afternoons watching friends and relatives get married in traditional Greek ceremonies. The crowns, the chanting, the incense—it’s an incredibly beautiful and moving ceremony that isn’t often replicated in other religions.

Photographing Larissa and Anthony’s wedding was so surreal. Through my lens, I got to see a wedding that was so much like the Greek nuptials I was accustomed to, but with just enough differences to make it exciting and new. The service was performed in Arabic, but peppered with Greek verses and hymns. Unlike the Greek ceremony, Anthony and Larissa were adorned in the priest’s own cloak and garb and the crowns placed on the couples’ heads were the fancy ones that belonged to the church. Larissa and Anthony looked like a king and queen in the priests’ attire and the two smiled endlessly during the course of the ceremony.

The reception took place at Nanina’s in the Park, a gorgeous wedding hall located in Belleville, NJ—a stones throw from our home base in Bloomfield. Blaire Reinhard and her band of merry rockers kept the tunes flowing as friends and family celebrated Larissa and Anthony’s big day. Another first for me: I got to photograph my first belly dancer performance. Just after dinner, the floor cleared for a mesmerizing performance teeming with swords, scarves, and PG debauchery. Before the performance, Larissa and Anthony made it clear to me that they wouldn’t be partaking in the show, but five minutes in and the two were dancing and laughing it up as friends and family were caught in the excitement. Larissa’s smile never faded as Anthony swept her into his arms for the first time as man and wife. It was truly a sight to behold, and I am so happy for the two of them. This was a wedding that none of us were going to forget any time soon. Below are a few of my favorite images from the wedding.

VENDORS

Band
Blaire Reinhard Band
www.blaireband.com

Flowers
Katarina Florist & Gift
Hackettstown NJ
www.katarinaflorist.com

Hair & Makeup
Pink Comb Salon
Nutley, NJ
www.pinkcombsalon.com

Cake
A Little Cake
Park Ridge, NJ
www.alittlecake.com

Reception Hall
Nanina’s in the Park
Belleville, NJ
www.naninasinthepark.com

Ceremony
St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church
East Brunswick, NJ
www.saint-mary.net

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