After several delays, the rain stopped just long enough Saturday evening to allow a young Syrian couple to exchange vows at Edmonton’s Heritage Festival.
The couple was surrounded by family and friends along with festivalgoers, while the bride walked down a make-shift grassy aisle to her awaiting groom.
Manar Shakeouf, 17, and fiancée, Mostafa Khalis, 20, met at an Edmonton high school a year ago — where they said they both fell in love.
Both are Syrian refugees.
The wedding was a first for Edmonton’s Heritage Festival, and delighted those who stopped to watch the celebration.
The ceremony, celebrated in the Syrian tradition, took place inside the Syrian tent.
The couple said they had been looking for a venue large enough to celebrate their nuptials when they decided on the festival site.
READ MORE: Celebration of culture and global fare at Edmonton Heritage Festival
The Servus Heritage Festival runs Aug. 5 to 7 in Hawrelak Park.
Those attending are asked to bring a monetary or non-perishable food donation for Edmonton’s Food Bank.