Dana & Sohail's Lakeside Wedding in Brookfield, CT

2021 has to be the craziest wedding season yet for us. Aside from the normal bustle of summer wedding madness, this year brought a handful of smaller, more intimate last minute weddings our way that came to be simply because of how volatile the state of everything in the world is. We came to meet Dana and Sohail, who currently live in San Francisco, CA, through our dear friend Sarah of Two of Us Photography who photographed Sohail’s brother’s wedding earlier this year. Looking for a similarly chilled out wedding day, these two put together a relaxed ceremony and reception at Sohail’s family home in Brookfield, CT. We arrived in the early afternoon, were met with hugs from parents, and bore witness to a beautiful mixed Muslim/American wedding ceremony that honored each of their different upbringings and an intense mutual love and connection to water. Sohail, born and raised in Connecticut, brought formal elements of his Indian heritage to the ceremony while Dana, a free spirited surfer from San Diego, embraced both sides by wearing the traditional dress and jewelry lent to her by Amina, Sohail’s mom, as well as a more American style white dress for the post-ceremony events. The resulting amalgamation of families, cultures, and mindsets was lovely to witness. Sohail triumphantly arrived at the ceremony via boat driven by Dana’s brother, family and friends blessed the newly weds after they exchanged vows in a Thali ceremony, and a live band capped off the reception while folks danced around the yard. Sometimes you leave a wedding with a sense that the world is a brighter place just knowing that there are people this kind and welcoming in it, which is exactly how we felt leaving Brookfield.

Florals: Pear Tree Flowers
Catering: Minar NYC
Bridal Boutique: Wild Bride SF
Dress: Laure de Sagazan
Band: Neel
Tent: Tents Unlimited