Last Sunday, Paul and Shelli got married. It was a small Orthodox affair at Holy Cross Church in Linthicum, MD. The bride and groom dressed simply. The reception was potluck. But it was a great deal of fun and lovely to shoot such a small church wedding.

The highlight of the Orthodox wedding ceremony is the crowning of the couple; after they are betrothed, they are crowned with martyrdom and their eternal destinies are joined together.

The crowns are then removed, and then placed on the altar; the crowns liturgically move ahead of them into heaven, symbolizing that the couple is aspiring to spiritual perfection.

After the ceremony, I took the couple outside to a historic magnolia tree, and took a few portraits.

Simple, but gorgeous wedding.