Ian Labennett is my friend. Correction, Ian Labennett is one of my best friends. I met the guy back in college, and we’ve been very close friends ever since. Our passion for all things videogames, movies, black comedians, lack of sports knowledge, outdoor Man trips, creative arts, and general goofing-offness led to a great friendship that will last a lifetime to come. Ian had told me earlier this year that this was the year he would get married. Next thing I know, he was engaged to one of my other friends named Hagar… literally 3 months after our discussion. I was not only super happy for him, but I was ecstatic for the beautiful relationship they would soon form. Though I didn’t know Hagar as well, I still knew that she was a wonderful girl, and it made perfect sense for them to be a couple. The chemistry between Ian and Hagar is just incredible. Spending 5 minutes with them together will make you realize that they not only compliment each other perfectly, but can spend the rest of their lives being their goofy selves… and be perfectly happy together. Nothing in this world makes me happier than seeing the people I care about be truly happy. I believe with Hagar, Ian has finally found his true happiness.

Oh man, I got all sentimental there… let’s get back to the topic of this post. Below you will find some images from an E-session we did on a very hot and humid day. By the end of this session, we were all drenched… so it’s a good thing we got some nice shots early on. I personally think these are some of the best images I have gotten to date, so I’m very excited to share them with everyone. I think it’s pretty apparent how natural these two are with each other once you see some of these shots. After the E-session, there are also a few images of the actual Katab Kitab ceremony. The Katab Kitab is an Egyptian ceremony where the couple signs the marriage contract, and is legally married under the Islamic laws. The Katab Kitab’s are usually a small ceremony, so it’s not usually very large scale or extravagant as the actual wedding (which will take place later in the year). Anyway, without further ado, here are the images:

E-Session

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Hello everyone. Here’s a quick little update for a Holud and Wedding ceremony for Syed and Nadia. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, a Holud is a traditional Bengali ceremony where a turmeric paste is applied to the skin of the bride and groom. Henna is also applied to their hands often, and sweets are always fed to symbolize the sweet times the couple will spend in their lifetime. I came a bit early and was able to get some shots of Syed and his relatives setting up the stage area. Now Nadia was a bit shy and wouldn’t smile for the camera much, but I worked my magic and was able to capture some of the smiles… and she didn’t even know it 😀 All in all, we all had fun, and got some great images in the process. You can check out all of the details, colors, and full emotions below. Just a heads up though, it’s two sessions in one post, so lots of images to load.

Holud Ceremony

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I met Yasmin back in 2004 through a friend while I was still at ECU.  She’s a very smart girl, very organized, a natural leader, yet still quite down to earth.  She is the person who single handedly organized everything for her friend Nadia’s Nikkah… which can be seen just 2 posts back.  I asked Yasmin when it would be her turn, and I also jokingly told her that if she and her friends book me in the next two months, they would get a discount.  She just said “Mannn… I don’t know if I’ll ever get married, so don’t get your hopes up.”  Literally 2 weeks later, I get a call from Yasmin… “Sahid, I need a photographer for my Nikkah” 🙂  I was stunned but happy for her as well! Although Yasmin won’t admit it, I know the real reason she got married that quick is because of my discount 😉

Following are some images of their Nikkah ceremony, as well as a Couples session the next day.  Now I have to say, I have never laughed soo much while editing picture.  The reaction between these 2 was very playful, but hilarious.  Check them out for yourself and feel free to leave some comments at the bottom if you dig em:

Nikkah Ceremony

Box of Chocolate from her man… Awww

I love the randomness of this shot

I tell Yasmin to hug Tyseer. She walks up to him, and shakes his hand instead ???

Tyseer tries to use his Jedi Force to repel the new wife

Again… Tyseer tries to apply some Jedi Mind Tricks

Fun Group shots? Yes please.

The Couples Session

My favorite shot.  I love the expressions on both of their faces.