in nigeria couples wear matching outfits when they are married. you can always tell who is together by their dress. it’s not at all like tacky matching american tourist couples. no, no, they match in a beautiful dance of vibrant colors and rich textures that make your heart sing.

this summer i was lucky enough to get lost in a swirl of beautiful patterns and laughter. to sway to the beating rhythm of a marriage dance. to enjoy the most darling children i have ever seen. to squeeze my way through a crowded hot living room full of lovely people. to watch an endless exchange of kola nuts, money and beer. to see a fair american girl glow in her emerald green wedding dress as she joined a new family and culture.

this is one of those weddings that i kept talking about and wondering if i was repeating the story over and over again to my friends and family. but it was just so interesting and wonderful i couldn’t stop talking about it! this couple were very organized and started planning their wedding almost two years earlier. they wanted to make sure that all the groom’s family could travel from nigeria to celebrate with them. lara was thoughtful in every stage of her planning, thoroughly thinking through all the little details. the one thing she didn’t plan for was a traditional nigerian ceremony that the groom’s family insisted on. being prepared and organized is a really good thing, but being open to the unfamiliar and unplanned is just as important! with not much warning lara found out that she would be the center of attention in their ceremony three days before her white wedding. i am so happy that she asked me to come capture it for her. to be there as she let go of the familiar and just went with what felt right. it was amazing. something i will never forget.