According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri, 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce.

Bin and I have known each other for over 15 years and been married for 8 years. For 8 years, we have had plenty of ups and downs in our marriage. Now imagine 50 years! Isn’t that a miracle and true blessing for any couple to pull through those years together? Florencia & Henry’s marriage is one of those miracles.

The wedding/anniversary was planned by the four daugters and their husbands as a token of love and appreciation for their parents. As the wedding music started, the daughters walked down the aisle one by one with their husbands and children. Then Florencia and Henry, both in their late 70′s, walked down slowly, holding each other and supporting each other, just as how they have done for the past 50 years.

50 years must be full of stories. Even though we don’t know a lot about our dear couple personally, we can imagine the laughter and tears, and the rain and sunshine they had gone through in the past five decades. Through speeches of the guests, old pictures displayed on each dinner table, and many more, the family and friends re-lived many of Florencia & Henry’s old memories. If a young couple’s wedding is a celebration of a brand new start, Forencia and Henry’s golden anniversary is the ultimate manifest of their life long achievement in caring, support, understanding and commitment.

Congratulations Florencia and Henry. What a wonderful life you have held up together!

It was a traditional Pakistani wedding at Silver Creek Valley Country Club. We got very excited about it since day one when Sarah and Jawad came to us and described their custom. What a brand-new experience it will be to us!

With Henna on her hands and feet, traditional jewelry, and Pakistani attire, Sarah looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day. Even her eye lashes were decorated with tiny beads. Somehow, she reminds me of images of Goddess I saw in the past.

The wedding program is quite different from western weddings. To give you a snapshot of it, let me try to describe the milk ceremony we witness. During milk ceremony, Sarah’s sisters came forward to Jawad with almond milk. They asked the groom for money to marry their sister Sarah. “Jawad, you are so lucky to marry our beautiful sister Sarah. She is worth a million”, one girl started. The groom would coutered, “I am very handsome too. No, no, no, I don’t need to pay a penny”. This went back and forward, and in the end, the groom drank the almond milk as a symbol of taking their sister, and of course gave some money to bride’s sisters to settle the negotiation. Everyone had a good laughter.

Want to say a few words about Susanna Guiterrez, Director of Catering at Silver Creek Valley Country Club, who coordinated Sarah’s wedding.  She was very nice and helpful.  During our sunset outdoor portrait session, she drove us around the club and provided many useful information about  photogenic spots.  Thanks Susanna.  Hope to have the opportunity to work with you again in the future.

Congratulations Sarah and Jawad! and thank you for having us for your wedding.