A vibrant, joyful, multicultural wedding celebration at the Farm at Eagles Ridge in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This ceremony was rich in cultural traditions and so much fun to be a part of! Their first look, has to be one of my favorites of all time and the party is beyond incredible— talk about a packed dance floor, wow!! Check it out:
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Zeena shares, “Lisa won me over with her positive vibe and her personality. I initially was drawn due to her way that she captures moments and had also “vogue” looking photos, but her friendly personality is what set her apart most of all.”
She continues, “I didn’t realize how much a photographer is with you on your special day and it felt so easy having you around, you made it feel natural like you were a friend.”
I love this shot of Zeena holding the wedding invitation in her hand. The simple color palette of white and gold they used is so elegant!
Finding the Dress
Zeena shares, “My mom and I probably went to six bridal dress shops and were going to settle for one because they all start looking the same at some point. Then I asked my mom to go to one last store and the owner helped us try on a few and I found the one for me.”
How stunning is Zeena in her dress?! That lace detail is everything.
Felix’s Attire
Zeena says, “Felix wanted to wear a white jacket. He actually wore all white to his prom. I wanted him to wear a white shirt and he actually bought both white and black and decided the day of to go with a black inner shirt…..I was, to say, surprised.”
Getting Ready
Felix says, “It was very funny getting ready with my boys. My nephew, Elijah, didn’t know how to put on his suit and when he put it on, it was all wrinkled. One of the groomsmen actually taught Elijah to iron his clothes that day!
So handsome together!
First Look
Zeena tapping Felix on the shoulder before he turned around was such a sweet moment. The scenery at Farm at Eagles Ridge is so beautiful during the early summer months too. Keep reading to see Felix’s reaction.
An Emotional Moment
Zeena says, “I had never seen Felix cry in my life before so it was quite touching and actually shocking how quickly the tears came out!”
Zeena’s Shock
Zeena shares, “When I first saw him, I was like I can’t believe this is happening. I sometimes still am in shock that we’re married.
Zeena rolls her eyes and says, “I also thought…I told him to wear a white shirt and he wore black.”
Haha! . I think the black shirt looks great under the white jacket!
Best First Look Ever
Felix shares, “I was trying to hold back my tears because I didn’t want to be a punk even before I saw her.”
Trying to hold back tears didn’t work for Felix seeing his bride for the first time. Look how beautiful she is!
Checking out the Bride
Felix shares, “I was like ‘oh wow she did a good job with the dress’.”
It fit her like a glove and was stunning!
So Much Happiness
Felix says, “When I first saw Zeena in her wedding dress I thought that was the most beautiful she had ever looked so far. She was happy, which made me happy. It’s my life goal to make her happy.”
One of the Best Parts
Zeena says, “We had a few favorite parts of the wedding, one was the first look because it was just the two of us.”
Falling for Felix
Zeena smiles, “I fell for him because he was kind, radiated positive energy, and was humble. Felix’s character is quiet, calm, non-judgmental, selfless, and loving. I honestly don’t know anyone who can give someone so much love.”
She continues, “From the time I met Felix, I knew he was special but we grew as friends and then became partners. When we traveled, the challenges we endured I knew he had to be the one. He always puts me first, is caring, supportive, and is family-oriented.”
Falling for Zeena
Felix smiles, “I fell for Zeena when I noticed how she treated others, her family and friends. I mean I thought she was beautiful but I was just as attracted to her inner beauty. I love the way she loves me.”
He continues, “Zeena is caring and has a big heart. She is fierce and smart but most of all loving to others and family-oriented. Her best quality is her loving nature and her curiosity. In other words, she’s nosey but in a cute way.”
Looking Toward the Future
Felix shares, “I look forward to traveling the world together, building our home into a dream home and yes a kid or two.”
Zeena shares, “I’m looking forward to our growth in our relationship, how we will evolve with each other, traveling together, the challenges that will come, fixing our home and one day growing our family.”
One Location, So Many Perspectives
There’s such a variety of locations and nature at the Farm at Eagles Ridge. Such a gorgeous wedding venue.
Rain? No Worries!
Zeena says, “When I saw the rain, I was like ‘oh no, just great’ but I had to remember the rain is a blessing and the sun came through for our ceremony.”
Life Partners
Felix shares, “Zeena is my life partner because she is what I am not. She is a social, free-spirited character, and friends with the world. She will be there for you at the worst of times.”
Always Prepared
Zeena shares, ” I even had my bridesmaids buy clear umbrellas to be prepared.”
These cute umbrellas came in handy. Here I lit the rain and silhouetted them against the bright blue sky.
The Girls are Ready!
Zeena shares, “I wanted neutral colors. Honestly, my personality is more bolder colors so when figuring out colors, I went back and forth and decided to go with neutral whites as flowers and gold.”
I love the simplicity of the neutral color palette for flowers. They highlight the bride and her bridesmaids!
Unplugged Ceremony
Here I got down behind the musicians to be able to silhouette them against the sky. If you look closely, you can see their welcome sign shares about an unplugged ceremony. An unplugged ceremony is an amazing option to make sure all attention is on the bride and groom and no one’s phone will ring during the ceremony.
Here Comes the Bride!
Second Look
Felix’s reaction to seeing Zeena walking down the aisle was just as emotional as their first look!
All the Emotions
I love this photo of Felix wiping tears away while getting emotional greeting Zeena and her parents at the wedding altar.
This one will look stunning printed in their wedding album, the way the light touches the tears in his eyes…
Smiles all Around
Everyone was so happy to be a part of Zeena & Felix’s wedding day. I love seeing all the wedding party smiling while listening to the ceremony.
Unique Perspectives
You can see me in the background capturing a unique perspective of their wedding ceremony. My second photographer always takes the traditional shots so I can get more creative. See below for my angle.
Another Angle
Here I shot through Zeena and Felix reading their vows to get photos of the guests’ reactions.
I loved this candid moment of Zeena wiping away Felix’s tears during the ceremony after she read her vows.
Felix’s dad though– smiling and crying all at once!
Reading Vows
Zeena shares, “A vow that stood out to me was “I vow to kiss you every day. In fact, if you have no hands, I’ll kiss your feet and if I cannot kiss your forehead, I’ll kiss the air because I’ll know you’re there.”
Kiss the Bride
Zeena & Felix share their first kiss on the beautiful summer day at the Farm at Eagles Ridge! I loved getting the groomsmen’s hands clapping in this photo to show the celebration. Yes I snapped this photo from peeking through the floral arch.
Yin & Yang
Zeena shares, “We work well together because we are like a yin and yang. I’m more open and social and Felix is more grounded and structure.”
Overcoming Obstacles
Zeena shares, “With challenges that we face, we can give a different perspective from each side allowing for our obstacles to overcome.”
I loved getting to hear about Zeena & Felix’s relationship during my time getting to know them.
Signature Drinks!
Zeena shares, “Our signature drinks were margaritas because I love tequila and pineapple juice because Felix doesn’t drink alcohol and always drinks pineapple juice when we go out (it’s actually a joke which probably a lot of people didn’t get).”
Beautiful Guests
The wedding guests were stunning. Each one had such incredible style, the colors, patterns, fabrics, textures– it was all so much fun to photograph!
Why Farm at Eagles Ridge?
Zeena shares, “The dad of the daughters who own the barn did our tour and we fell in love. It was “barn” but not like the other barns we saw. I picked a final 3 and then Felix and my dad came along for tours and everyone agreed with the barn. The inside is beautiful and it was even more beautiful inside on our wedding day.”
I couldn’t agree more. Such a stunning venue with beautiful drapery and chandeliers.
What’s a Guestbook?
I custom design and print these on watercolor paper for my clients. They become keepsakes that serve both as albums and contain all of the well wishes of your wedding guests.
Partytime!!
Loved that the wedding party made a tunnel for Zeena & Felix to walk under when they entered the reception!
How Sweet It Is!
Zeena shares, “If you saw we absolutely loved our cake! Rosie did an amazing job and we loved the cake.”
Haaaa Felix!!!!
Glowsticks and a Packed Dance Floor?? Yes, Please!!
Zeena shares, “When I bought those light wands from amazon a few days before the wedding, I was worried they were childish but I think they loved them as much as me!”
They share, “Our other favorite part of the wedding day was the dancing because it was great to watch our guests who had never met on the dance floor.”
Side note – I literally climbed a ladder to get this perspective!
Cultural Pride and Traditions
They share, “We had flags from both of our backgrounds which were Guyana and Nigeria. Although our cultures are very different and we come from different continents, we were worried about how our families and friends would interact or even if they would dance. Our DJ and MC was probably one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day. They were able to blend our cultures and get people up to dance.”
Money Spraying
Zeena shares, “The money spraying is a tradition from Nigeria that they do at weddings. It’s a symbol showering of happiness, good fortune, and a display of the guest’s affection for the couple.”
Group Shot!
They smile, “When the night ended we both were like this was the best wedding ever! We had an amazing time. We were nervous that our wedding was going to be a disaster but we couldn’t have been more blessed.”
This is the photo I originally needed a ladder for. It came in handy throughout the night. I loved that Zeena & Felix wanted to take one big group photo to commemorate everyone at their wedding – such a fun idea. 🙂
Zeena & Felix’s Wedding Slideshow
See even more photos from Zeena & Felix’s Farm at Eagles Ridge wedding set to music in the slideshow below!
Hungry for More?
- See Zeena & Felix’s engagement photos here
- View more farm weddings here
- Check out some of my recent weddings here
Vendors
- Venue: The Farm at Eagles Ridge
- DJ: Finer Touch Entertainment
- Cake: Rosie’s Creative Cakes
- Makeup: Sharandy Osei- Tutu
- Hair: Karina
- Officiant: Rev. Kelly Jo Singleton
- Catering: Rettews Catering
- Draping: Shumaker
- Florist: Petals With Style
- Wedding Dress Store: La Belle Mariee Bridal