I was absolutely thrilled that B&U asked me to photograph their intimate, in-home Nikah here in Louisville Kentucky. This Nikah ceremony was held as a separate event from the traditional three-day wedding, which will take place next year. It was held in the couple’s home in Kentucky, with a close-knit group of family and friends there to witness the ceremony. I have dreamt of photographing a celebration like this, with all of the color and sparkle, the henna details and the meaningful traditions – it was as breathtaking as I imagined. It was a joy to capture U and B and I am so thankful that they brought me into their home to be a part of it!

Out of my 10 years of experience photographing weddings, the thing I am most proud of is the number of diverse, multicultural weddings I have had the honor of photographing. I can now add a Pakistani-American wedding to my list, which includes a Brazilian-American wedding, Chinese-American, Cuban-American, Bengali-American, German-American, British-American, Honduran-American, and Mexican-American. It’s such a joy to learn about new (to me) traditions and ceremonies and to experience the full color and spectrum of joy that different customs bring. I cherish the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and I especially love learning about the different expectations of a wedding photographer depending on cultural tradition. So thank you, thank you to all of the couples who have trusted me to photograph this most important day – it’s truly an honor.

For recent weddings by Leslie, see this wedding in Cape Cod or this wedding in Old Louisville. To read more about Nikah ceremonies, check out this article from BRIDES magazine.