Amanda & Mustafa’s wedding was full of surprises—from traditional Yemeni dances nearly launching him into the chandelier, to Latin beats and a Puerto Rican flag waving proudly for her— I love being a multicultural wedding photographer! Their love story runs deep, their family is beautiful (just wait until you see their boys!)! The lux details– Chef’s kiss: from a classic Porsche Speedster to “red bottoms” made for the dance floor—this day had it all, and tons of love and support too! Congrats, Mandy & Moose!
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Amanda shares, “From the moment I first spoke to Lisa, I *knew* she would be my wedding photographer. She really made me feel heard and seen, she didn’t rush our meeting and was super flexible, even with her schedule. I knew she cared. Lisa was immediately able to understand the vision I had for our wedding.
She adds, “Lisa is amazing, communicative and extremely transparent. If you are looking for a photographer who is going immerse themselves into your wedding as if it is their own, Lisa is your person. Rhinehart Photography captures fairytale moments from beginning to end. She is present and totally there for you.”
Reflecting 😉 on a Few Favorite Details and Designers
Amanda says, “We love designers! I wore Louboutin red bottoms, that added a little bit of sparkle on my feet. We both had Louis Vuitton shawls. Moose had a brown one and I had a white one.”
Mustafa adds, “I also had Louboutin shoes and then changed into Gucci sneakers for the reception (see them above? haha!!). But better than both of those combined: I *loved* my suit! My suit was custom-tailored by My Suit.”
A little tilt-shift action on her Louboutins and veil– I loved the shadows and natural light from the window!
Preparations: Palace at Somerset Park Wedding Photographer
She adds, “The bridal suite was amazing and held 9 women with enough space for each of them to unwind. There was even a dressing room that was separate from the whole group, which allows for privacy and an element of surprise!”
First Look: Palace at Somerset Park Terrace
Mustafa shares, “The first look made me feel so complete. We’ve supported each other through the worst times, and the best times. I was so surprised that I cried!”
He adds, “When I’m with Amanda I feel loved. No one else can make me feel comfortable like she can. I fell for Amanda when she showed me how much love she had for her brother and her family and I knew she was “the one” when she asked for my number. What I loved most about our wedding day was seeing her during our first look, being thrown into the chandeliers, haha, and seeing both parties coming together to celebrate. I can picture us living happily ever after in a different culture in the future.”
Amanda recalls, “Our first look was amazing! I was so happy to see him happy and smiling. It’s one of the few times I’ve ever seen him tear up, and when I saw his tears, I knew this moment was really special.”
She smiles, “When I’m with Moose I feel silly. No one else can make me smile like him. I fell for Mustafa when he made me laugh and knew he was “the one” when I asked for his number. My favorite thing that I experienced was being up there together surrounded by our loved ones on our wedding day together.”
We are Family: Adding their Kiddos
Moose shares, “It was so nice to see the kids watching, their expressions were priceless. It hit differently, it was so real.”
Reserved for Richard (Amanda’s brother & Mustafa’s Best Man)
Amanda says, “For me, it meant a lot to save the seat in the front row for my brother. Even though he couldn’t physically be there with us, I felt his spiritual presence there. He was the most important part of my life.”
Mustafa adds, “She didn’t know that any of that was set up (other than a picture), so it was a surprise to her to see the jacket.”
He continues, “Richard guided me in my relationship with Amanda. He would have been my best man anyway and I wanted to dedicate it to him, which is why I didn’t really have any groomsmen or a best man. He’s always been in the front of our relationship. He came first, he was the king of our castle, it wouldn’t have felt right if we had done anything differently.”
Palace at Somerset Park indoor ceremony: West House
Amanda explains, “The Palace at Somerset Park was a stunning one-stop-shop to ease the stress of planning a wedding in such a short time frame. The Palace had everything we were looking for from curb appeal to stunning ballrooms. The entrance alone to the Palace is grandiose. What I loved most about the space was all the different ways to move around in it. Their space allowed for private moments like our first look to stay private in a beautiful area while also allowing for our grand entrance into the west wing to be spectacular coming down the stairs.”
Introducing Newlyweds, Mr & Mrs Benali
OMG, how cute are these two?? From the first time we met, I bonded with Amanda. I just “got” them and their story. I *knew* this wedding would be incredibly special, but had no idea there would be all of this: clouds, Arab dancers, a Porche, etc! Wait until you see all of this, I was blown away!
Special Surprises: NJ Multicultural Wedding Photographer
Amanda smiles, “I loved the WHOLE thing! Mustafa’s sister, Diana, got all of the fun signs for us! She also got us the photobooth and Arab dancers who performed!”
Puerto Rican Wedding Pride: Multicultural Wedding Photographer
Amanda shares, “As far as my Puerto Rican heritage, the flag means the world to us as a symbol of strength and independence. Daniel has dancing bones in him so he couldn’t wait to get out there. Looking out and seeing everyone come together and enjoy both sides of the culture made me feel so happy inside. It was so nice to share that moment with everyone.”
Amanda and her boys dancing are like some of my favorite photos from the night!
Yemeni Wedding Pride: Multicultural Wedding Photographer
Mustafa shares, “I have never seen such an incredible display of culture, let alone one that I was the star of! I was shocked, I’ve never experienced anything like that, and to have it happen to me was just incredible! The drums symbolize strength and engulf you in sound and power which is such a statement to the Arab culture. As far as dancing, we are just like the Puerto Ricans, we just love to dance!”
He laughs, “As for the chandelier, I was up there! I was thinking about being caught at first and hoping that all ten of them would catch me. I could’ve touched the chandelier— it was so wild, crazy– insane!”
Amanda adds, “It made me nervous!”
Flag Limbo: Multicultural Wedding photographer
I loved watching everyone limboing under the flag– it was such a spirit of love and unity!
Amanda says, “Everyone felt like one.”
She adds, “We went to Puerto Rico a few years ago and we looked at Puerto Rican history and learned that some of the first settlers were Arabs. I told Mustafa that it was “meant to be” the two of us.”
More surprises Outside: Hello Champaign, Friends, and Porsche
Mustafa shares, “The car was fun! It was a Porsche Speedster 1956.”
Amanda smiles, “I loved the car right away! All of my bridesmaids loved the car too. I loved it because it was small and I love small cars because they go fast, haha. If I was a car, I’d be a Porsche!”
At the end of the night
Amanda recalls, “By the end of the night, I was surprised by how fast it went by! I was so happy and kept repeating, ‘We’re married.’ We were so thankful for everyone who came to be a part of our union.”
Slideshow: Make it Full-Screen!!
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