Bull Run Golf Club & IHG Wharf Wedding

Maya & Rami

PHOTOGRAPHY & FLATLAY DESIGN — Anna Schmidt Photography
PLANNING & EVENT DESIGN — Christine Godsey (CG&Co Events)
VENUE FOR HALDI, MEHNDI, & SHAHRA — Bull Run Golf Club
VENUE FOR SHAADI, COCKTAIL HOUR, & RECEPTION — IHG Wharf
CATERING — Moghul Catering
FLORALS — Sophie Felts Floral Design
HAIR & MAKEUP — Makeup by Ana B
CINEMATOGRAPHY — Love in Color (Julian Spessard)
DABKE DANCERS — Faris El-Layl Dabke
PUNJAB DANCERS — Mehfil Mitraan Di (MMD) Bhangra Dancers

A Vibrant Indian–Palestinian Fusion Wedding Across Virginia and Washington, DC

A multi-day Indian–Palestinian wedding celebration layered with color, tradition, and deeply personal storytelling — unfolding across Bull Run Golf Club and Washington, DC’s IHG Wharf.

Maya and Rami envisioned a wedding weekend that honored both of their cultural heritages while feeling joyful, modern, and expressive. Their celebration unfolded across multiple locations and events, each thoughtfully designed to carry its own energy while remaining connected by intention, artistry, and flow.

The weekend began at Bull Run Golf Club, where lush indoor–outdoor spaces set the tone for pre-wedding rituals rooted in family and tradition. The Haldi ceremony honored Maya’s Indian heritage with warmth and symbolism, followed by a Mehndi and Shahra celebration that brought Palestinian basket dancing and communal joy to the forefront — vibrant, emotional moments grounded in shared history and presence.

The celebration continued in Washington, DC at The Wharf, overlooking the Potomac, where the shaadi ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception came together in a kaleidoscope of color and movement. Planned and designed by Christine Godsey of CG&Co Events, the day balanced bold floral design, international influences, and ceremonial precision with an effortless sense of rhythm.

Photography for Maya and Rami’s wedding required both cultural fluency and spatial awareness — honoring the scale of the celebration while remaining attentive to intimate exchanges between family, friends, and the couple themselves. From the elaborate mandap and custom henna designs to Palestinian Dabke and Punjabi Bhangra performances, each element was documented with respect for its meaning and an editorial eye for composition.

Throughout the weekend, our approach remained grounded in presence:
capturing color, movement, and emotion without interruption — allowing traditions to unfold naturally while preserving the feeling of the experience as it was lived.

Selected by couples and planners for celebrations that require cultural fluency, editorial confidence, and the ability to hold joy, complexity, and meaning all at once.

This is photography rooted in heritage, connection, and celebration — crafted for couples whose weddings are as layered and expressive as the lives they are bringing together.

Creative Team: 

DJ — DJ Shilpa
CAKE — Classic Bakery
RENTALS — Something Vintage
OFFICIANT — Ranjan Ravaliya
HENNA — Bhavna's Henna (Bhavna Naik)
SARI DRAPING/PINNING — Khadija Chaudhry
LIGHTING  — Dan Goldman Events
DRAPES — Fabrication Events
PHOTO TEAM — Oscar Navarre, Danielle Lawrance

PHOTOGRAPHY & FLATLAY DESIGN — Anna Schmidt Photography
PLANNING & EVENT DESIGN — Christine Godsey (CG&Co Events)
VENUE FOR HALDI, MEHNDI, & SHAHRA — Bull Run Golf Club
VENUE FOR SHAADI, COCKTAIL HOUR, & RECEPTION — IHG Wharf
CATERING — Moghul Catering
FLORALS — Sophie Felts Floral Design
HAIR & MAKEUP — Makeup by Ana B
CINEMATOGRAPHY — Love in Color (Julian Spessard)
DABKE DANCERS — Faris El-Layl Dabke
PUNJAB DANCERS — Mehfil Mitraan Di (MMD) Bhangra Dancers

DJ — DJ Shilpa
CAKE — Classic Bakery
RENTALS — Something Vintage
OFFICIANT — Ranjan Ravaliya
HENNA — Bhavna's Henna (Bhavna Naik)
SARI DRAPING/PINNING — Khadija Chaudhry
LIGHTING  — Dan Goldman Events
DRAPES — Fabrication Events
PHOTO TEAM — Oscar Navarre, Danielle Lawrance

Read more about M+R's multicultural event  in
Washingtonian Weddings Magazine.