In the distant past, relaxation was valued as one of life’s great pleasures. Exhausted by hard labour, Victorian farmers and merchants delighted in any chance they got to sit back and unwind with those dear to them.
To say that the pace of life has changed since then would be an understatement. Today, despite our myriad modern conveniences, many people feel like they’re living rushed, hectic lives. We feel like there’s never any time to slow down and just be… And this is the source of much of our stress. At the same time, we’re scared to give up our preoccupation with “busyness” and the sense of accomplishment it gives us. When we tell someone we’ve been busy, we imply that we’re needed, valued, and using our time wisely. We send the message that we’re engaged with life, even if paradoxically, we feel like life is passing us by while we attend to countless tasks and demands.
As a society, we risk letting ourselves forget that the only way to feel truly and deeply engaged with life is through connection, both to our loved ones and to ourselves. After all, in any relationship, time is your most precious resource—it’s the most profound thing you can give, precisely because our time here is finite. Think about it: How many relationships never would have formed in your life if you hadn’t made time to lend someone an ear when they were feeling down, or decided to relax with someone new during a night out? True fulfillment lies not in letting others know our time is valuable, but instead in letting them know they’re worth our time.
This is why I was so glad to take this relaxed Lebanese wedding photography in Limassol in late 2017: Yasmin and Elie, the hosts of this Lebanese wedding in Limassol, haven’t lost touch with all of the ways in which slowing down makes time for love, laughter, and memories. Rather than planning an elaborate traditional celebration, Yasmin and Elie chose to honour what moves them as individuals. They planned their wedding knowing that time spent together as a family was more important to any celebration of love than elaborate rituals, complex traditions, or carefully orchestrated opulence. They wanted their wedding to create an oasis of that very thing we so hunger for: Time to connect, reflect, and imagine a future not full of achievements, but simply full of happiness.
In this spirit, the happy couple chose to get ready in the heart of Limassol’s tourist area at the beautiful boutique hotel Londa. Here, they would be surrounded by people from all walks of life and many different nations who had come to the “Island of Love” to escape the pressures of daily life.
Yasmin and Elie lingered over all of the little details that would make their wedding truly their own: From Elie’s carefully coordinated watch and jacket to Yasmin’s wonderfully unique shoes, little facets of their personalities were interwoven throughout the celebration. If you look closely, you’ll even see that instead of just wearing wedding bands like most couples, Yasmin and Elie’s fingers are tattooed with matching symbols of eternity… Leaving no doubt in my mind that they truly believe their union is an eternal one.
Once the couple was ready to wed, they took a leisurely sunlit stroll down to Ayios Athanasios in the heart of old Limassol. There, they were joined by their friends and family, who casually congregated within the historic venue, waiting with warm hugs and congratulations. Thus began a moving, heartfelt Lebanese wedding in Limassol; people shared their memories with laughter and tears, took photos on their phones as they felt the desire to do so, and fully appreciated the happy years wherein they had watched Yasmin and Elie’s relationship grow. And, once the couple was formally married and showered in delicate confetti snowflakes, everyone gathered together for a reception party at the Dyionisos Mansion. There, they enjoyed a long, unhurried meal together as the sun dipped below the horizon and the next phase of Yasmin and Elie’s life together began.
As you take some time out of your own life to look at this relaxed Lebanese Wedding Photography in Limassol, think of all of the things that matter most to you. Do you, like Yasmin and Elie, work them into each day, no matter how busy the world feels? Are they reflected in what you do and say, keeping you aligned with the higher purpose of love? Remember: The best things in life will unfold naturally all around you, if you just give them a little time…
