Details from H and H's Wedding!

Hello! Welcome to another blog post! This one features a wedding with stunningly beautiful stage decor that is certainly Pinterest worthy! Unfortunately due to client privacy requests however I am unable to share any identifying images, but the details are so beautiful!

I have to say this bride certainly had lovely taste, from her dress to her shoes and down to the welcome board featuring amazing calligraphy! It was the first time I got to see laser cut paper panels as part of the backdrop design at a wedding and I was impressed by the super intricate design by Sultana Wedding decor! It truly was all amazing MashAllah! 

Wedding Venue: The Markham Convention Centre

Cake and Dessert Table: Frecious Catering

Wedding Decor: Sultana Wedding Decor

Bride's bouquet: Zuhoor Designs

Videography: Naoma Khan  

Calligraphy: Mandy Calligraphy

Finally I should mention that if you are still looking for a wedding photographer for your summer 2017 wedding then get in touch with me today to find out about the special promotions I am offering alongside other wedding vendors including FREE event planning services by MandZ Events and and half off Bridal Henna Services by Umm.Kareem! Now who would not want that!  ***terms and conditions apply***

If you would like to book me for your wedding or special event then get in touch HERE!

Details from S + K's Wedding

Hi Hi Hi! Welcome to another blog entry! Today's post features details from a beautiful Somali wedding I covered back in December right here in Toronto! Yes December weddings are a thing now! In fact I have been covering weddings in December for the past 3 years now Alhamdulilah! The bride wore two beautiful dresses for this wedding. One being a traditional Dirac (a traditional Somali outfit) in the colour green, and the other a stunning off white dress which she managed to find in record time just a few days before her wedding! Due to client privacy I can only share details from this wedding but I enjoyed covering the wedding and I wish the married couple a wonderful marriage ahead filled with blessings from Allah (S.W.T)!

Vendor Information:

Location: Brighton Convention Centre

Decor: Laila Decor

Bride's Henna: Umm-Kareem

Bride's Bouquet: Zuhoor Designs

If you would like to book me for your wedding or special event then get in touch HERE!

Bia-SHE-ara: Anique Jordan

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Hello! Today I am sharing another instalment of the Bia-SHE-ara portrait series. Today's feature is on Anique Jordan who is a Toronto based artist. Anique's work has been featured on many platforms including the Art Gallery of Ontario. These portraits of Anique were taken back in the summer hence the sunny skies (much different from the cold windy weather we are having here in Toronto at the moment).

Tell us a little about yourself?

I am an artist that is still trying to understand what it means to be an artist. I am a community organizer. I am a daughter, sister and niece.

How did you become an entrepreneur?

I was always an entrepreneur by nature but entrepreneurship is what brought me to art because of an obsession in understanding how we survive and all the different ways we can survive. 

What are your ultimate career aspirations or dream project?

I want to work with little black girls in Scarborough to create a massive intervention into the city scape.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the little people inside of us because I think they remind us of our humanity and why survival is important.

Tell us about the work  that you are currently doing and the work that you had going on at the Art Gallery Of Ontario in the summer?

Currently I am the director of the Whippersnapper Gallery. It is a gallery for emerging artists. It provides them with resources and development opportunities to create public programming that starts conversations.

Over the summer I was invited by the Art Gallery of Ontario to take part in an exhibition about one of the Group of Seven members; The Canadian painter Lawren Harris. While Lawren Harris was famous for his paintings of snow capped mountains and blue skies I chose to explore his paintings of a once complex and culturally diverse neighbourhood called The Ward. My contribution to the exhibition consisted of two photo based pieces and one live performance. 

What are some of the challenges that you have faced as an entrepreneur and artist?

The hustle is real! I never lose the hustle but it is definitely a real thing!

How have you dealt with those challenges?

I find my Island. As the RZA (of Wu-Tang Clan) would say I find my island and sometimes a little isolation can jumpstart and give you the space to think it through and reaffirm your direction and purpose.

If you can leave the readers of this blog with one inspirational message what would you say?

There is a drum shop in Kensington Market run by Saikou Saho and he once said these very compelling words; " Step in the Shadow of those who came before you. They will help to shield the sun

 

l would like to thank Anique for making the time to be a part of this blog series and I hope you will check out and support her work at www.aniquejjordan.com

BiaSHEara is a group founded by Christina Muia and Karimah Gheddai that works on promoting women in Business.

Wedding Details from H and A's wedding

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Salaam Everyone! So today's blog post features details from the wedding of a pair of doctors who came all the way from England to have their beautiful wedding in Toronto (where the bride is from)! Purple was the main colour here and everything was fab! From the gorgeous backdrop and canopy created by Dream Wedding Decor to the lovely floral centrepieces crafted by Zuhoor Designs (she also did the bride's bouquet). Guys trust me if you ever need a florist Zuhoor Designs is the way to go! Her creativity knows no boundaries when it comes to floral arrangements and If you haven't already checked out the blog post before this one to see the wonderful floral crown she created for a portrait shoot I did then please do so!

I cannot share the actual outdoor portraits of the bride and groom that we took due to client privacy but let me tell you it was a super cold and windy fall day so I have to give kudos to the bride and groom for sticking it out as long as possible during our outdoor wedding portrait session. Enjoy the blog post!

VENDORS

Florist: Zuhoor Designs

Decor: Dream Wedding Decor 

Wedding Venue: Scarborough Convention Centre

If you would like to book me for your 2017 wedding then get in touch HERE!

Beautiful Halima Jama!

Hey Beautiful people! Happy Friday! Welcome to another entry on my blog!  Today I am sharing images from a portrait session I did with a fellow photographer! I really could not wait to post this one!

Halima Jama is a well known wedding photographer in Toronto, Canada who has also worked nationally and Internationally! I was so delighted when she contacted me to take some images of her to celebrate her reaching the milestone of having over 25,000 followers on Instagram! How amazing is that! It is nice to see another Black, Muslimah and East African Canadian Photographer excel in her craft and she truly is an inspiration MashAllah.

It was freezing on this day and I can't for the life of me remember why I suggested Scarborough Bluffs as a location for the shoot fully knowing we would be by the lake and it would probably be windy and crazy cold! Which it most definitely was! Oh wait....... I remember now! It is because it is my absolute favourite place in the Greater Toronto Area! 

Bilqees of Zuhoor Designs who created the beautiful floral crown that Halima wore joined us for the shoot and I can't say enough great things about her! She made sure the crown stayed in place during the shoot and accompanied us on our crazy trek through the woods, trying to get to the other side of the bluffs including stepping over rocks to pass through a stream. Actually she almost ended up in the stream herself when she stepped on a patch of snow that was just hiding a hole close to the stream. Pretty dangerous stuff. 

I have to say however that even in the winter this location did not disappoint! I wish you could have seen the hues of the sky when we were by the water. It's too bad it was just too cold to stay by the water long enough to get some decent photos that would do it justice but alas check out the image of Halima jumping by the water in one of the shots below. Absolutely fantastic!

All in all even though it was crazy cold and I definitely started to feel like I was catching something when I got home (shoutout to Ginger tea though for rarely letting me down when it comes to zapping that just getting sick feeling hehe) I really enjoyed this portrait session and I am going to suggest that everyone wear a floral crown at least once in their lives! Then call me to take a photo of you wearing it! Go Ahead! You deserve it! :P

Enjoy the blog post!

Floral Crown designed and created by Zuhoor Designs www.zuhoordesigns.com

Halima's Hijab (Head Covering/ Scarf) is by www.amalscloset.co

If you would like to book me for a portrait session then get in touch HERE!

And now for some Behind The Scenes Images.......

Here is Bilqees of Zuhoor Designs Fixing Halima's Floral Crown

I just love these two very talented ladies MashAllah!