A Cool Modern Persian Reception!

Their Story

Ashkan & Jena first met in school. Both of them went to Harry Ainlay School in Edmonton. Their story started with Askhan’s wardrobe! Askhan would only wear formal clothes to school and Jena would often make fun of him for that. To say the least, this was not the beginning of the lifelong romance but it does offer an interesting start to the story 😛

Their romance actually started with friendship. They reconnected in University due to a similar group of friends. Eventually, they ended up on a trip to Sylvan lake together. Ashkan made the first move and started the conversation that kinda led to this wedding! They were friends for a year before Askhan said to Jena: “I think I could date you”. One week later Jena responded with “I’ll give you one month”. So this trial of 30 days turned into 5 years and now they are married! Clearly, the trial was a massive success!

They got engaged in October of 2015. The proposal was a surprise on top of a mountain near Lake Louise!

Group 1 Getting Ready

The day started off with me and Amanda joining Askhan while he was getting ready. He was getting ready at the couple’s apartment (which btw is super cool and stylish!). We took some photos of his Louis Vuitton Tie and black velvet shoes that looked so classy together. We also took photos of other details including his Bulova watch (very classy!).

After photographing the details, we photographed Askhan as he got ready and dressed up in his tailored suit. He was joined by the rest of his groomsmen who shared a drink with him and helped him get ready for his big day ahead!

Group 2 Getting Ready

After photographing the guys, I went over to Jena’s parent’s house where she was getting ready for her bridesmaids and her family members. We started this part of the day by photographing some of the details including the bride’s jewelry, her beautiful dress (which she designed herself!) and her Manolo Blahnik shoes.

We then photographed some candid moments with Jena as she had fun with her bridesmaids. All the bridesmaids wore Sari’s that complemented Jena’s dress so well! We also photographed some of the family members as they got ready for the ceremonies ahead!

The Creative Formals at University of Alberta, Edmonton

The creative formals for Ashkan & Jena were done at the place where their love story started: The UofA! The Universtiy of Alberta has some of the best locations within the City of Edmonton for taking photos. It is a vast campus that offers so many opportunities for amazing photographs.

We took some classy photos of the couple in the footsteps of the Old Arts Building followed by hilarious photos of the groomsmen hanging the groom by his feet. One of the groomsmen actually fell in the pond at some point during the photos…

Jena switched outfits and she wore this Beauitufl Sari! It was designed by Tinni Kanji and looked absolutely beautiful!

Their Ceremony at Nisku Inn & Conference Center, Nisku

Askhan & Jena had their wedding in France in July! They wanted to do some of the cultural ceremonies during the reception. Here are some of the ceremonies that took place during the wedding:

1. Mandhvo
The Ismaili pineapple ceremony! During this ceremony, four men from the couple’s family accompanied by the bride’s mother place four decorated pineapples on the four corners of the ceremony room. This symbolizes protection from evil entering the couple’s future life together!

2. Sofreyé Aghd
This is considered one of the most important parts of the Persian wedding ceremony. Sofreyé refers to tablecloth in Persian. During the wedding, sofreyé refers to a variety of things put together by the bride’s mom. This includes Mirrors & Candlesticks. The mirror symbolizes eternity while the candles reference Zoroastrianism, in which light and fire play a major role. The fire and light symbolize brightness of future and eternal love. There are quite a few different items set on the tablecloth as well including bowls made of crystallized sugar, a bowl of coins, a basket of fruit, flatbread and finally the canopy!

Ashkan and Jena sat beneath a canopy while happily married members of their families took turns to grind two sugar cones together so that sugar granules fell into the canopy. This symbolized sweetness in the couple’s life ahead together.

The Shoja-Nia’s Reception at Nisku Inn & Conference Centre

The Dinner provided by the Nisku Inn & Conference Centre

Decoration by Priya Mahindru of InVogue Weddings & Events

The Shoja-Nias really know how to pull off an event with class. Their reception was one of the most well designed and thought out reception I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. It combined elements of Jena & Ashkan’s personality with an Arabian nights theme.

Following the wedding ceremonies, the couple was greeted with a dance performance by the Bride’s parents. The performance was a surprise that blew away everyone watching! They danced like seasoned veterans to two Bollywood songs!

Cutting the beautiful cake

Their cake was one of the most unique cakes I have ever seen. It was a triple tier hanging cake that had their logo on the cake itself!

First Dance!

This was followed by some toasts and then the first dance as the newlyweds showed off their choreographed moves! This was followed by an all-out party as the couple’s friends and family joined them on the dance floor.

https://vimeo.com/244284694

The Shoja-Nia’s Wedding Day Slideshow

Above is the beautiful Wedding Slideshow that came with Jena & Ashkan’s wedding package. It was created from a selection of their best photos.

It was amazing to work with BRIDE & GROOM on their wedding day and we can’t be more excited to share their final images with them in the coming weeks! You can check out the rest of our work on our blog!

Want to share the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!

Edmonton Wedding Photography by Box Cube Photography © 2017

Some of my Favourite Photos from Jena & Ashkan Wedding

The Shoja-Nia’s Wedding Credits:

Date: 09.02.17
Ceremony Location: Nisku Inn and Conference Centre
Reception Venue: Nisku Inn and Conference Centre
Hair and Makeup: Sheba Levoir
Dress: Tinni Kanji
Decor: InVogue Weddings by Priya Mahindru
DJ: Pure Entertainment
Photography by Sharyar Memon & Amanda

Would you like to find out more about our Box Cube Wedding experience? Contact us ?

Box Cube Photography provides Edmonton brides with a unique experience in Wedding Photography. This experience starts at the time you have your first consultation with us where we help you decide what photography features fit your wedding requirements. We also help you figure out the schedule of the wedding day ensuring that your day goes as smoothly as possible. Our clients’ wedding is treated with extreme care and love and thus some beautiful images result. These images become heirlooms for generations to come.

Book your consultation today!

One of the top studios in Canada, servicing the Edmonton area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.

A Beautiful Summer Wedding!

Their Story

We had the fortunate opportunity to photograph this amazing couple’s engagement session. Be sure to check out their entire engagement session post where we share their personal love story here:

Wyatt & Groomsmen Getting Ready

We started the day off at Wyatt’s family home in Hay Lakes, Alberta. Here Wyatt was joined by his handsome groomsmen and the rest of his immediate family. When we arrived, we were greeted by a underwearclad groom and groomsmen. We photographed them having coffee in their underwear. FYI, those pictures are epic and hilarious!

Following that, we photographed the details at the groom’s house including the shoes, the suits the guys were gonna wear as well as the Movado watch that Wyatt received as a gift. We concluded the photos here with some emotional photos of Wyatt sharing moments with his mom and dad!

At the very end of the photos, we photographed Wyatt with his cousins where they held him in a plank position that is a family tradition at every wedding for the Warawa’s. We then headed towards Ferrintosh where Samantha was getting ready with her Family!

Samantha & Her Family Getting Ready

Upon arrival at Samantha’s family home, we were greeted with a house full of activity and emotions! All of Samantha’s immediate family were there including her adorable niece’s and nephews! Regan had just finished up Samantha’s makeup and she looked absolutely beautiful!

We photographed the details of Samantha’s dress, her gorgeous shoes, her Jewellery as well as some of the gifts Samantha had recieved from her family. Samantha then got in her dress. Samantha’s mom helped her with the dress and jewellery. They shared a moment then when both of them couldn’t hold back tears. Both kep telling each other not to cry so as not to ruin the makeup! It was absolutely adorable!

Her father hadn’t seen her yet so we setup a reveal for them. Samantha walked up to her dad and tapped him on the shoulder. Her father saw her as a bride and immediately teared up! They shared an adorable moment together with lots of tears and emotions.

We finished with some photos of Samantha with her bridal party. Following that, we headed out to the ceremony venue, St Francis Xavier Church, in Camrose.

Their Ceremony at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church

Samantha & Wyatt had a beautiful and soulful ceremony at the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Camrose. Their ceremony was directed by Deacon Doug Tiens who did a fabulous job! The ceremony included several prayers, songs and blessings from the couple’s family members.

When Samantha walked down the aisle, neither Wyatt nor Samantha could hold back their tears. At one point, I noticed moisture in the eye piece of the camera. I am sure it was because something got in my eye and not because I was crying with the couple!

The beautiful ceremony was concluded with Deacon Doug giving a blessing and the couple walking out with the cheers of their friends and family!

The Family Photos at Rosehaven Care Centre Grand Entrance

We did family photos right after the ceremony at the Rosehaven Car Centre. They have a beautiful grand entrance with multiple staircases. This made for an ideal location for the family photos! Mathea & Sharla did a really good job of rallying and organizing the family members to make the family portraits efficient!

The Creative Formals at Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

After concluding the family formals, we moved on to the creative formals for the couple and the bridal party. During the creative formals, we create some epic photos for Samantha & Wyatt. These photos often become printed pieces of artwork in our client’s homes.

We finished up the portraits at the Augustana Campus of University of Alberta in Camrose. Both of these locations combined with the day’s weather made for perfect combination for the formal photos!

The Warawa’s Reception at Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

The Dinner provided by the staff at Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

The reception for Samantha & Wyatt’s wedding was held at the Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre in Camrose. The staff at the venue had done an amazing job of making the venue looked absolutely beautiful for the couple’s wedding.

The guests enjoyed some cocktails before the couple and the bridal party made their entrance to loud applause and cheers! They started the dinner following a prayer. The dinner itself was a buffet that was delicious! Following the dinner, the family members and loved ones of the couple gave several emotional and hilarious toasts!

One memorable toast was that from Wyatt’s brother where he told everyone about his first meeting with Samantha. One of the first things she said to him was “I can do a split, wanna see?” and immediately followed that statement up with a true two-legged split. That was met with hilarious applause and un-ending laughter from the bride and groom.

We love capturing moments like this at the reception and you will see below in the photos, how real and un-posed they are!

We then photos the couple as they cut their adorable custome made cake! The was followed by our signature reception slideshow where we showed the couple photos form their wedding day. Check out the link below to their reception slideshow:

First Dance!

We concluded the evening with their first dance where Samantha & Wyatt wowed their guests with their amazing dance moves! We captured this in a cinematic manner so the couple could remember the highlights of their wedding day in epic detail. As the rest of the guests joined the couple on the dance floor, we photographed some highlight moments of the celebrations. The evening ended with a bouquet toss!

The Warawa Wedding Day Slideshow

Above is the beautiful Wedding Slideshow that came with BRIDE & GROOM’s wedding package. It was created from a selection of their best photos.

It was amazing to work with BRIDE & GROOM on their wedding day and we can’t be more excited to share their final images with them in the coming weeks! You can check out the rest of our work at our blog!

Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!

Edmonton Wedding Photography by Box Cube Photography © 2017

Some of my Favourite Photos from Samantha & Wyatt’s Wedding

The Warawa’s Wedding Credits:

Date: 07.15.2017
Officiant: Deacon Doug Tiens
Ceremony Location: St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Camrose, Alberta
Reception Venue: Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, University of Alberta Augustana Campus, Camrose
Hair and Makeup: Regan Opinko
Dress: Bailando Bridal
Photography by Sharyar Memon & Amanda

Would you like to find out more about our Box Cube Wedding experience? Contact us ?

Box Cube Photography provides Edmonton brides with unique experience for Wedding Photography. This experience starts at the time you have your first consultation with us where we help you decide what photography features fit your wedding requirements. We also help you figure out the schedule of the wedding day ensuring that your day goes as smoothly as possible. Our clients’ wedding are treated with extreme care and love and thus some beautiful images result. These images become heirlooms for generations to come.

Book your consultation today!

One of the top studios in Canada, servicing the Edmonton area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.

The Schlamp’s Wedding at Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society

A Cute Chinese Western Fusion Wedding!

Group 1 Getting Ready

We started the day off with a visit to Jordan’s best man’s (Arnold) house in the morning. Here we photographed Jordan getting ready for the rest of his groomsman. Jordan also had some groomsmaids but they joined us later during the day.

We photographed Jordan as he put on his Fraternity pin and his cool funky socks that he had bought specifically for his wedding. To top it all off, all the groomsmen wore matching socks as well! The groom and the groomsmen wore jackets with their named embroidered on the inside of the stylish jacket. The Jackets were made by Indochino, a custom men’s Suit maker!

The groomsmen had also arranged for some amazing Habana Cigars and a bottle of 12-year-old Macallan whiskey that we photographed as part of the details for the couple!

Following the Groom and Groomsmen portraits, we went to join the bride and her family to photograph them.

Group 2 Getting Ready

Zhaoyi was getting ready with her parents and cousins who had joined her from China for her wedding. The talented Maggie Li was working on Zhaoyi’s hair and makeup when we arrived. We proceeded to photograph the details of her wardrobe for the day including the jewelry she was gonna wear, the shoes and of course the dress!

We then photographed Zhaoyi as her Yun (Zhaoyi’s mother) helped her with her dress. We photographed them as they shared a tender moment together and then proceeded to laugh together. We also photographed Zhaoyi as her bridesmaids helped her put on her shoes, the veil, and the garter as well!

First Look for Zhaoyi & Jordan

Zhaoyi and Jordan opted for a first look instead of the traditional reveal at the ceremony. We helped set up the first look for them where Jordan waited outside the house for Zhaoyi. Once Zhaoyi was ready, she walked up to Jordan and tapped him on the shoulder. We photographed as Jordan looked at his beautiful bride in her wedding dress for the first time.

They shared a tender moment together that we captured! The bridesmaids and groomsman (and groomsmaids) were all there to witness this adorable display of affection and love between the couple.

Creative Formals at University of Alberta and Alberta Legislature Building

Following the first look, the couple and the rest of the wedding party drove over to the University of Alberta. This is the school both the groom and bride had studied and was also the place where they first met. It was an important location that held a lot of meaning to the couple.

We photographed Zhaoyi & Jordan near the Old Arts Building which is an iconic University of Alberta location. We had 4 other couples that day who were also getting their wedding photos taken at the same location!

After creating some beautiful artwork for the couple, we then went to the second location for the formals: The Alberta Legislature Building. Due to heavy rain, we improvised and used umbrella’s to create some cool portraits for the couple!

Their Ceremony at Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society

Zhaoyi & Jordan had their ceremony at the Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society. They had transformed the space with beautiful Chinese decorations and a gorgeous red backdrop! The venue looked completely different to what it had first looked like when I had visited it before the wedding.

The Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society is a very large and cool venue for events like weddings, meetings and trade fairs. The venue is surrounded by wonderful grassy areas and a huge deck for outdoor activities.

This part of the couple’s day was composed of two ceremonies: The Western Ceremony and The Chinese Tea Ceremony. This honored the different cultures that both Zhaoyi and Jordan brought to this wonderful wedding!

Officiant Bruce Gritter did a fantastic job for the couple’s western ceremony where the couple said their vows and kissed in front of all of their friends and family. They followed this with the Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony where they honored their parents by offering each of them a cup of tea in traditional China and received their blessing in return.

The Family Photos at Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society

Right after the ceremony, we took family photos for the couple and their family to ensure we captured all the memories that were important to the couple. The family photos were done right in front of the giant red backdrop that the couple and their loved ones had handmade for the wedding.

The family photos were also complemented with some photos of Jordan & Zhaoyi’s friends who joined them for the photos.

The Schlamp’s Reception at Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society

Decoration by Jordan & Zhaoyi’s Family

Following the family formals, we immediately joined the couple for their reception at the Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society. The reception started off with a cocktail hour for the couple and their guests.

The couple made their entrance to the applause of their guests. Their entrance was shortly followed by a delicious buffet dinner.

After the dinner, the couple’s friends and family toasted them with lovely speeches and emotional toasts. After the toasts, the couple cute their beautiful multi-tiered cake. We photographed the couple as they fed each other bites of the cake. This was followed by a special video that Jordan has asked us to put together. The video was a series of special messages that Zhaoyi’s relatives from China had recorded as a video. This included well wishes for the couple’s future married life! This video was followed by our signature reception slideshow. The reception slideshow was put together from their wedding day photos on their wedding day!

The couple then dazzled everyone with their amazing choreographed dance performance!

The Schlamp’s Wedding Day Slideshow

Above is the beautiful Wedding Slideshow that came with BRIDE & GROOM’s wedding package. It was created from a selection of their best photos.

It was amazing to work with BRIDE & GROOM on their wedding day and we can’t be more excited to share their final images with them in the coming weeks! You can check out the rest of our work at our blog!

Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!

Edmonton Wedding Photography by Box Cube Photography © 2017

Some of my Favourite Photos from Zhaoyi & Jordan’s Wedding

The Schlamp’s Wedding Credits:

Date: 08.05.2017
Ceremony Location: Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society, Alberta
Reception Venue: Edmonton Oilfield Technical Society, Alberta
Hair & Makeup Artist: Maggie Li
Photography by Sharyar Memon & Aaron
Catering: El Euro Catering
Officiant: Bruce Gritter
DJ: Joses Martin

Would you like to find out more about our Box Cube Wedding experience? Contact us ?

Box Cube Photography provides Edmonton brides with a unique experience for Wedding Photography. This experience starts at the time you have your first consultation with us where we help you decide what photography features fit your wedding requirements. We also help you figure out the schedule of the wedding day ensuring that your day goes as smoothly as possible. Our clients’ wedding is treated with extreme care and love and thus some beautiful images result. These images become heirlooms for generations to come.

Book your consultation today!

One of the top studios in Canada, servicing the Edmonton area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.