Eden and Moses' Intimate Wedding at the Beautiful R Garden Boutique in Pickering (Eritrea meets Nigeria!)

February 22, 2023 Karimah Gheddai

Hello all you lovely souls! Today am sharing the wedding of Eden and Moses!

Fun fact: These two are from cultural backgrounds that are the very representation of the cultures I grew up around. The bride is Eritrean by heritage and the groom is Nigerian. Having been born in Nigeria of Eritrean Heritage myself, I had to tell myself: Wow! What are the odds!

These lovely people were truly made for each other. I have to say I am quite lucky with the clients I have worked with in my career. Many are truly some of the most wonderful people one could meet. I first met Eden while covering another wedding a few years back. She was the wedding planner for that wedding and it was great to connect with another Eritrean wedding vendor! As fate would have it, years later I would cover her own wedding!

I started off the day at the Toronto Don Valley Hotel where Eden was getting ready along with her family and friends. At the same time my second shooter on this day (The lovely Shubila K) covered the groom getting ready with his family at his home. After the getting ready we all headed to the church ceremony that took place at the Calvary Church on Pape Avenue. It was a beautiful ceremony that started off with the main ladies of both sides lighting up a candle in unity. Moses’ brother officiated the ceremony and one of Eden’s friends sang the most beautiful song while Eden walked down the aisle in what was one of the most emotional moments I have ever witnessed!

After the beautiful ceremony we all headed to Pickering for the reception. It ended up being a bit of a rainy and humid day. The intimate wedding reception happened under a white tent. Wedding Designer Tristan of Luxe Design T.O created a beautiful vignette of white and green decor with hints of peach. One can never go wrong with these colors. Super Elegant!

The bride and groom had two entrances. The first entrance in their main wedding outfits and the second entrance happened after they both changed into the most amazing turquoise green Nigerian outfits! Eden’s Gele (Nigerian Head wrap) fit was so well done. She truly looked like a Nigerian Queen! There were lots of beautiful speeches to toast the bride and groom and of course lots of dancing!

To end the evening each table had takeaway slices of cake in a box (made by Hephzibah Delight - which is owned by Moses’s sister) and wow were they delicious!

As much as I loved their beautiful wedding day. I have to say I really enjoyed capturing their Melse (Traditional Eritrean day after the wedding ceremony) on Day 2 of their wedding weekend. The most beautiful light appeared for their portraits and I had the freedom and time to create some beautiful portraits with no interruptions. We took their photos in one of the gems of Scarborough: The Cedar Ridge Creative Centre. The portrait session was followed by their reception at a location in Riverdale.

Vendors (Hover over the names for the links):

Planner: Weddings with Nia

Bride’s Makeup at Wedding and Melse: BBM Beauty

Cake: Hephzibah Delight

Main Shooter: Karimah Gheddai (Me!)

Second Shooter for KGP: Shubila K

Decor: Luxe Designs T.O

Video and Live Streaming: F10 Studio

Singer at the Church: Hallelujah Ghide

Eritrean Food: Minia Catering

Nigerian Food: Heritage Afro Caribbean

Photobooth: Snaps N Co