H & H — Black-and-White Film Wedding at Saint Gayane Church

H & H were married at Saint Gayane, a 7th-century church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) and one of the oldest churches still in use in Armenia, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes Etchmiadzin Cathedral.

I photographed this wedding entirely on black-and-white film. Inside Saint Gayane, the light comes from a few high windows and the candles at the altar, and film handles that kind of light beautifully: deep shadows, bright veils, and nothing distracting.

The ceremony followed Armenian church tradition: the exchange of rings in front of the priest, the cross held over the couple, and the crowns placed on their heads. Between the rituals there were smaller moments, like the bride standing alone in the dark doorway before it all began, and her bouquet of roses and orchids catching the light.

Then the doors opened, and they stepped out of the old stone church as a married couple.

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