Shazmeen & Benjamin’s London Wedding
As a Surrey based wedding photographer, I frequently capture wedding photography in London and this was the case when I photographed Shazmeen and Benjamin’s intimate Muslim wedding.
The ceremony took place at Shazmeen’s family home in Feltham and Shazmeen’s sister Sakina helped Shazmeen to get ready and did her hair and make-up. Sakina played an important role on the day and it was Sakina that booked me having found me via google maps as she wanted to give her sister the gift of photos as a wedding present.
Benjamin got ready at a hotel near Heathrow as he had flown in from Georgia USA the day before, where he lives. He frequently travels to the Antarctic as he works in environmental conservation. Shazmeen, an NHS anaesthetist, met Benjamin when she was working in South Africa, and they then travelled to Namibia together. Now, they manage their relationship between the USA and the UK. They really are a well-travelled pair.
Shazmeen looked so beautiful in a heavily embroidered lehenga in gold and pink with a matching dupatta. I took some gorgeous images of Shazmeen, her sisters, nieces and nephew in the garden before the ceremony, along with the family cat.
Female wedding photographer experienced in capturing Muslim weddings in London
Benjamin looked very smart in a traditional black tails suit with a gold bow tie.
The ceremony was held at Shazmeen’s family home in Feltham and was conducted by a local Iman. After the ceremony we travelled to nearby Bedfont Lakes for some romantic bride and groom portraits. The weather was cloudy but dry and I took some really great images, which they love. The pictures of Shazmeen and Benjamin by the lakeside are amongst my favourites of the day.
We then travelled to Royal Nawaab London for the reception. I was really impressed with the Royal Nawab; it is a stunning venue with a five-star reputation for hospitality and food. We were running late due to the heavy traffic, however the staff were so helpful and attentive and couldn’t have been nicer. There is plenty of free parking, which really is unheard of for a London wedding venue, such an added bonus!
Once at the venue the guests and children threw petals for Shazmeen and Benjamin to walk in before they were seated in pride of place in the room amongst there guests.
I took some great group photographs of the wedding party before everybody was seated to eat a delicious meal of traditional Indian food – it really was delicious! I took this chance to get some candid images of Shazmeen and Benjamin’s guests enjoying the hospitality and one another’s company.
Storytelling wedding photography at Royal Nawaab
A lovely speech was given by Shazmeen’s brother and this was followed by the cutting of a beautiful two-tiered wedding cake.
Everybody was then entertained with a fun bride and groom game that saw Shazmeen and Benjamin sitting back-to-back on chairs and answering questions about one another. It was a great way to start the evening celebrations and was followed by the exchanging of rings and traditional Indian stick dancing.
One of the many things I love about being a Surrey wedding photographer is that I get to see wedding traditions from different cultures which is wonderful to experience. Shazmeen, Benjamin and their guests made me feel so welcome and part of the day, they were so hospitable and welcoming, it was a such a pleasure to be part of their special day.
Once I was satisfied I had taken all the dance floor images I wanted, it was time for me to take my leave. I loved photographing Shazmeen and Benjamin’s small Muslim wedding in London. It was a total joy from start to finish. All that’s left for me to say is congratulations to you both and thank you for allowing me to tell the story of your day.
If you think I could be the photographer to capture your day with beautiful storytelling images. Then feel free to get in touch.
I’ll leave the last words to Sakina (Shazmeen’s sister). Here are her thoughts on me.
“I wanted to give my sister a best memory of the beautiful wedding day. I made contact with Myriame and from day one she was so tuned in with what I wanted for my sister’s special day.
Myriame is well organised, professional, sensitive, and most importantly had a detailed understanding of what we needed from a photographer. We were running late on the day and she was able to adjust around the delay in a very flexible way. She took into account that there was a lot going on in the day and was able to capture all the amazing moments. I’m sure she would be perfect photographer for any occasion.”
