Khalid + Sarmila | Glenview Mansion Wedding

April 23, 2014 Khalid + Sarmila | Glenview Mansion Wedding

Last Saturday, friends and family from all over the world gathered for the wedding of Khalid and Sarmila at Glenview Mansion in Rockville, Maryland. You may remember from their engagement session that I had said that Sarmi and Khalid were the coolest most international couple I knew, well, their wedding day was a testament to that. With guests coming from Sri Lanka, Canada, Brazil, London, California, Massachusetts and more, there was no shortage of love and support for these two. I have been looking forward to their wedding for almost a year and it did not disappoint! Such a beautiful day, for such a deserving couple and I’m so happy I was able to be a part of their wedding day! A huge thanks to my dear friend Sameeha for recommending me to them, and of course to Sarmi and Khalid for inviting me into their lives for such an intimate and beautiful celebration. I couldn’t be happier for you two and I am so happy I’ve gotten to know you!

Saturday was the perfect spring day for a wedding. Comfortable temperatures, sunny, with just enough clouds in the sky for that beautiful even light that us photographers get super excited about.

Khalid and his guys got ready inside the mansion prior to his bride’s arrival. He got a kick out of us documenting him putting on his shoes :PI love this tie! So pretty. Sarmi and Khalid chose to write their own vows, and instead of reading directly from a card, Khalid chose to write bullet points instead. Their vows brought me to tears. I don’t know if you can read it here, but he talked about how he’s lived many places in his life, but only with Sarmi has he ever felt at home and how excited he is to have that feeling forever. When Sarmi and her girls arrived, we whisked away the dress for a few shots. Her dress was absolutely stunning and made the trip from London in perfect condition! I’ve seen a lot of wedding dresses, and this one took my breath away.

Sarmi and Khalid’s gorgeous and elegant invitations (and all other paper products!) were designed by Sameeha, Khalid’s cousin, and the talented artist behind The Inked Leaf. They were printed on the most beautiful pearlescent paper, which the photos just don’t do justice!

I knew Sarmi would be an amazingly beautiful bride, but she still blew me away!Khalid wrote all of the text for the program, and it was hilarious. On the back of the program, he mentions the cherry blossom trees lining the property that should be in bloom, but if they aren’t, “What do I know? I’m a program!” Hysterical. For those who were wondering, we missed the cherry blossoms… bummer!Their ceremony was short, sweet, and heartfelt. Starting with a few words from their officiant Michelle, who was there the night they met, and including their sweet personal vows, it was beautiful and a perfect reflection of their relationship.The bridal party recessed down the aisle to Pharrell’s “Happy!” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dance a little while taking these photos.They had such a good looking group of people for their bridal party! It was such a fun group too!While I was photographing the girls, Jen was with the guys. They posed with their “man cards”. That is, everyone but Jon, who was without his. Sad face.For months we’ve joked about Jen having a crayon but no pens in her camera bag. Jen’s purple crayon came in handy when they made Jon’s stand in man card. It even matched the wedding colors!There are a lot of portraits in this post, I just can’t narrow down my favorites! I love all of these.The reception set up was simple and elegant with a subtle travel theme. The placecards were tacked to a world map, with each table the name of a place important in their lives. The lounge was such a fun spot! After dark it transformed into a pretty purple haven with a dessert bar, the real bar, and photobooth, courtesy of Pixilated!Following Sarmi and Khalid’s entrance into the reception we had speeches from two of the bridesmaids and two of the groomsmen.After dinner, the floor was opened up to anyone who wanted to speak. This lead to heartfelt speeches from family and friends as well as a few hilarious speeches. The party was kicked off following the cake cutting and the couple’s first dance.I’ve never seen a dance floor go from 0-60 so fast! As soon as Sarmi and Khalid finished their first dance, the dance floor was packed with guests of all ages, and it didn’t stop!Before departing for the evening, I stole Sarmi and Khalid away for a few night shots, and I am so glad they were up for it! As always, I love to do night shots for variety, and they end up being some of my absolute favorites!

Sarmi and Khalid – Thank you so much for choosing me to be your wedding photographer! You are such an incredible couple and I wish you nothing but the best in your life together. I hope your continued wedding celebration in Sri Lanka is as amazing as your wedding celebration here! Congratulations again!

Vendors
Photography: Photography by Brea
Second Shooter: Jennifer Smutek
Cinematography: Clickspark
Wedding Coordinator: Events by C – Chandani Chandekar
Venue: Glenview Mansion
Caterer: Indique Heights
Bakery: Creative Cakes
Stationery: The Inked Leaf
DJ: DJ Kaser
Photobooth: Pixilated
Hair + Makeup: Up Do’s for I Do’s
Rentals: Capital Party Rentals
Florist: Partyland Flowers

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