AGO Art Gallery of Ontario Wedding

Their wedding at the AGO Art Gallery of Ontario was elegant, intimate, and most of all: representative of how they move through the world with curiosity and kindness.

Words from Sama:

We met in undergrad at McMaster University in Hamilton at age 19—both of us were in the same program (Bachelor of Health Sciences) and actually got to know each other as we were part of the same anatomy study group! We starting dating in 2016 and have seen each other through our undergraduate degrees, medical school and now residency.

Some of our favourite memories together actually include exploring the AGO and various other art galleries in places we’ve travelled (Boston, Chicago, Paris, etc), so we are very excited to get married in a space that has sentimental value. Some of our other favourite memories include going to concerts, exploring the city and, of course, eating lots of good food. One of the other things that is very important to us is that our marriage represents a union of two different cultures (Korean and Persian) as well as religions (Catholic and Baha’i). Both of us value family and culture/faith, so this is a key component of our ceremony and our relationship as a whole.

Despite their medical, science-heavy backgrounds, it was clear from our initial call that Sama & Yung truly valued storytelling:

Art has been our shared language, a way for us to connect, create, and understand the world together.

So when they told me they were looking for “someone who sees people and stories the way we do” and they landed on me as their photographer of choice, well—thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe how affirming the process has been with these two beautiful humans.

Moving through coloured rooms, mirrored rooms, and oft visited rooms. Playing with composition and becoming part of the gallery itself. Clasped hands, long held embraces, and blown kisses. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday in Toronto.