Just like so many other amazing things, weddings around the world are perceived and practiced variously as they are celebrated across cultures and traditions. One can definitely experience this while attending cross country weddings, interfaith weddings, inter-ethnic weddings, or even while attending a traditional destination wedding. For instance, instead of wearing hand jewelry in traditional Indian weddings, the bride spends hours getting 'Mehndi' painted from 'Henna' and a nordic wedding is going to have a 'kransekake' which is created by placing iced almond cake rings on top of one another which results in cone shape instead of a traditional wedding cake and in a traditional Cuban wedding a bride can dance with many of her wedding guests and they will be required to pin money onto her dress which signifies to help the happy couple pay for the wedding and the honeymoon. From common wedding traditions like practicing the tradition of "something old" and enjoying lucky wedding rituals like carrying the bride to ward off evil spirits to enjoying traditional Jewish weddings marked with signing the 'ketubah' and breaking of the glass while the guest shouts “Mazel Tov!”, traditional weddings across the world reflect hundreds of generational rituals and customs presenting the rich heritage, culture, beliefs, and ancestry.

Wedding ceremonies are steeped in history across regions, religions, cultures, and beliefs. But your big day is just yours and there is nothing that you "have" to do. From modern brides wearing alternative wedding dresses instead of traditional bridal outfits and couples skipping age-old wedding traditions and replacing them with things that matter to them the most, modern traditional weddings are filled with creativity and ingenuity as more and more modern-day couples are coming forward to celebrate their rich heritage in modern ways. These traditional modern weddings are a nod to rich and beautiful wedding traditions as well as to the practical aspects of this new age. With wedding traditions, comes superstitions and you are bound to hear about them throughout your wedding planning process. And hence you should be guided to differentiate between wedding-related traditions, ideas that can bring luck on your wedding day, and lore before hosting a traditional wedding. For instance, according to English lore, a spider on your wedding dress is considered to be a good omen, and in some cultures showers on your wedding day can symbolize cleansing and fertility.

There are countless meaningful wedding traditions from around the world that symbolize unity, happiness, health, and romance. Appreciating culture and heritage, traditional weddings are the perfect start for a beautiful next chapter of your life. In the summer of 2019, we came across a pair of lovebirds in Philadelphia who made us fall in love with their beautiful chemistry which struck the bows of cupid right across our hearts. With a strong nod to their rich Nigerian origin, the emotional and moving union of this Philadelphia couple tugged our heartstrings and stirred our love for cultural nuptials even more. Lauren and Victor got married in Philadelphia on a beautiful summer day and the wedding photography session in Philadelphia remains a testament to this wonderful day. 

Summer weddings are beautiful. But summer weddings in Philadelphia have a whole different fan base altogether! It was Lauren's idea to get married in the beautiful suburbs of Philly and host a memorable traditional Nigerian wedding that will leave a beautiful aftertaste for our Philadelphia wedding photographers and stay with them for a long time to come. They chose the amazing wedding venue in suburban Philadelphia known as The Hamilton Manor wedding venue, located within a 40 minutes drive from the main city. Nestled beautifully in the Hamilton Township of New Jersey, this classic Philadelphia wedding venue in the suburbs is filled with a striking rustic chic feel with a dash of old-world charm and vintage sophistication. Perfect for hosting weddings of all sizes and styles, this exclusive wedding venue in suburban Philadelphia was a commendable choice for hosting their traditional wedding as the timeless architecture and luscious green surroundings lent an elegantly private atmosphere for the new beginning of our lovestruck couple in Philly. 

The Hamilton Manor wedding venue in New Jersey offers multiple options both indoor and outdoor for hosting weddings throughout the year. Making it perfect for hosting a garden-themed or fairytale-like wedding, this traditional wedding venue in the Philadelphia suburbs features a garden gazebo with a delicately wrought-iron dome and a stunning rustic barn featuring vaulted cathedral ceilings and a unique rainfall water feature. The onsite breathtakingly beautiful ballroom setting in the Philadelphia suburbs of this wedding venue is perfect for hosting an indoor wedding that features polished mahogany floors and sophisticatedly soaring 20-foot ceilings, which is adorned with intricate crown moldings and a flamboyant grand crystal chandelier making it perfect for your Philadelphia wedding photography session. It is humongous 9 feet tall and 7 feet across!

There are four wedding event spaces to choose from along with the exclusive groom and bride suites at this premium wedding venue in the Philadelphia suburbs. The barn and the gazebo is the first outdoor wedding event space in suburban Philadelphia which features a renovated rustic barn event space where you can exchange your wedding vows under a dreamy wrought iron gazebo as your guests can be seated in the lusciously landscaped garden area. Perfect for a garden-themed wedding ceremony in Philadelphia, you can move to the Rustic Barn reception space which is a beautiful area covered with high vaulted cathedral ceilings and a stone patio paver floor. There is a cascading rain wall along the sidewall with rustic lamp post columns giving away an ambient lighting effect perfect for our wedding photographers in Philadelphia to capture you against this breathtaking backdrop. 

The next indoor wedding event space in the Philadelphia suburbs is the breathtaking ballroom setting known as the Grand Ballroom that has been home to more than hundreds of memorable wedding receptions and wedding celebrations. This exclusive ballroom setting in Philadelphia has been graced by many eminent and influential personalities like Martha Stewart, Caroline Kennedy, Iron Chef Cat Cora, and Brigadier Generals in the past, making it one of the most coveted wedding event space in Philadelphia. The grand crystal chandeliers and oversized window treatments complemented by high standards of service and attention to detail wedding decor along with 20 foot high ceilings with crown moldings and beautifully restored original mahogany hardwood flooring make this wedding event space truly one of its kind for hosting weddings. 

The third wedding event space is the beautiful Lounge & Sapphire Room located at the lower level is perfect for hosting a cocktail party or an intimate wedding ceremony and reception in Philadelphia as it offers a trendy New York-style setting featuring exposed ceilings, custom molding, and modern accents. The round picture windows and couches make up for the intimate and private aesthetics of this small wedding event space. Another vintage chic wedding event space in Philadelphia of this wedding venue is The Oak Room, featuring oak-stained wood floors, a beautiful built-in bar, and an exclusive ceiling that is adorned with authentic gold tin. This exclusive and intimate wedding event space has a stone wall and oversize carved wooden mirror perfect for your couple photography session in Philadelphia. The bridal suite and the groom suite are perfect for your respective wedding party to relax and chill before the big day and these two event spaces can also be transformed into intimate dinner reception settings for an exclusive small wedding.

The big day of this summer wedding in Philadelphia of our stunning couple Victor and Lauren started bright and early. The warm rays of the morning sun dawdled on the beautiful couple and their loved ones as they got ready for the biggest day of their lives highlighting the rustic chic and traditional elements of this wedding day. Our professional wedding photographers in Philadelphia started their day by capturing inspirational detailed shots and portraits of this wedding day. The detailed shots of this traditional wedding day range from the bright and traditional bridal accessories and jewelry laid out in crisp white sheets making them pop out and the beautiful wedding dress of the bride hung against the window that was inundating the entire bridal suite with bright natural light to the exclusive detail shots of the groom suit and his trendy groom accessories laid out in a mulberry red sheet. The detailed shots revealed the exclusive Nigerian bridal accessories like the traditional gele (an ornate head wrap), ethnic bridal jewelry, bright-colored bridal shoes, her beautiful bridal bouquet, and a feathery clutch hand fan. The envelope containing the beautiful wedding vows was beautifully pictured as the groom held it in his hand along with their elegant wedding invite featuring black and green details. 

The exclusive bride getting ready portraits and bridesmaid group photography looked especially enthralling as they posed candidly and draped in elegant getting ready dresses. Lauren wore a dreamy silk gown with spaghetti straps topped with a see-through netted lace shrug and her beautiful gang of bridesmaids was dressed in elegant mustard yellow wrap-around gowns and vibrant traditional gele. The bridal portrait session of Lauren was captured near the tall window of the bridal suite which revealed her beautiful bridal look as she got ready for this amazing day. The gang of good-looking groomsmen was also photographed in an exclusive groomsmen photography session in the sparkling grounds of this exclusive wedding venue.

Just before the wedding ceremony started, the rustic-chic details of this wedding venue and the sophisticated and vintage wedding decor were captured by our wedding photographers which revealed so many beautiful details laid out thoughtfully throughout the event space. The welcome table decor idea was emotional as the pictures of the bride's late grandmother and father were placed against tiny bird cages decorated with small flowering plants and a locket with their photographs in it. The playful and fun reception table styling idea revealed a small birdcage as centerpiece ideas alongside bright flowers placed inside transparent vases. We will be definitely stealing the exclusive escort card ideas for our favorite list as the beautiful hand-folded brown and mustard escort cards with the guests' names were placed in a satin white sheet. The rustic chic wedding altar idea was striking in all the wedding portraits as the log fireplace and wine barrels stood as inspirational country chic wedding ceremony backdrop and garlands were hung from the chandelier to elevate the charming atmosphere even more.

Lauren donned up a lace wedding dress with a train design and plunging V-neckline. There was intricate embroidery and lacework that ran throughout the crisp white train wedding gown and swept the floor like a dream. The illusion sleeves and neckline details adorned her beautiful bridal look and she paired it up with minimal bridal jewelry- comprising of drop earrings and a simple drop pearl pendant. The trendy braided bridal hairstyle and minimal bridal makeup looked straight from a runway fashion magazine and her colorful bridal bouquet comprising of yellow, red, blue, and green flowers perfectly complemented the overall colorful and vibrant wedding theme. As she posed with her bridesmaids we couldn't stop but admire the beautifully coordinated and traditional "Aso-Ebi'' bridesmaid attire which was vibrant and colorful in all its glory. The traditional Nigerian bridesmaid dresses were strapless gowns displaying a vibrant color palette comprising of turquoise, teal, tangerine, mustard yellow, and green which was completed with yellow bridesmaids bouquets and traditional headpieces known as "Gele". 

Our dynamic groom Victor aced his groom look by wearing a three-piece navy blue formal suit paired with a crisp white shirt and a navy blue bow tie. The charismatic groom's outfit accessories like the yellow boutonniere and white pocket square along with his tanned brown shoes completed his uber-trendy groom look. The dapper groomsmen flared their stunning coordinated groomsmen suits by matching with the groom and wearing exactly the same outfits. Before the wedding ceremony began, our wedding photographer in Philadelphia did a fantastic job of clicking beautiful sessions of groomsmen photography and bridesmaid portraits. The bride and her mother embraced each other before the wedding ceremony and the beautiful mother-daughter portraits stood as testaments to these emotional memories.

The beautiful wedding ceremony was a colorful affair as the good-looking couple exchanged their wedding vows and promised forever to each other making our hearts swell up with a striking sense of love and warmth. The couple chose the beautiful rustic barn as their wedding ceremony site and once the ceremony was over, the gorgeous and fun-loving wedding party regrouped for an amazing group photography session comprising family portraits and wedding group portraits. With the stunning newlyweds in between, the wedding party posed for some lovely group portraits with the scenic country chic backdrops featuring landscaped greenery and towering trees. The photogenic Philly newlywed couple went on to pose for some of the most memorable wedding couple portraits that we have ever seen. Ranging from striking a pose against a rustic truck to posing in front of the wrought iron gazebo, we were definitely blown away by the chemistry of this extremely gorgeous couple! They were also joined by the groom's parents and the bride's mother for some memorable family portraits.

The evening wedding reception began shortly after and our couple had their first dance in the expansive hardwood flooring of the Grand Ballroom. Several detailed shots revealed the exquisite wedding cake which was a four-tiered cream-colored wedding cake with rose toppers and marble details. We were stunned when this couple changed into their traditional Nigerian wedding outfits celebrating their rich and vibrant cultural heritage. Wearing a white bridal gown with intricate and elaborate lacework details, Lauren was looking phenomenally gorgeous as she completed this traditional Nigerian bridal look with a Fuchsia-colored gele and a beige-colored hand fan along with traditional beaded bridal jewelry. Victor once again looked stunning in traditional Nigerian groom attire known as "Buba" pet with a headpiece known as "fila". The stunning Nigerian wedding outfits yielded in some amazing couple portraits which had us swooned. 

The wedding of Lauren and Victor in Philadelphia once again showed us how traditional and cultural weddings can be testimonies to the rich heritage of a wonderful couple. Steeped in unique and exciting traditions, this culturally lit wedding was not only celebrating the love of two people but also joining the love of two families. This wedding was filled with gorgeous traditional attire, amazing cultural displays, and a plethora of bright colors that managed to brighten our day. We wish Lauren and Victor a life filled with overabundant colors as they take their first step towards a new dawn.