ADIEBA & ONUR – ASIAN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE DECORIUM, LONDON
This couple! Well, they are incredible. Fun, adventurous, loving and super sweet, also head over heels in love with each other. Adieba and Onur got married on a gorgeous warm autumn day, and their couple photo shoot and party will always stay with me as some of the very best ever. Keep on reading and scrolling for the wedding highlights – you can’t imagine how hard it was to only pick these ones! – a list of wedding vendors that you may find useful, and a lovely slideshow video too. I’m telling you, this blog post is packed with wedding inspiration!
One of the things I love the most about being an Asian wedding photographer is the connection with my amazing couples, and when that connection extends to their family so they come back to me. Not long before Adieba’s wedding, I had the pleasure to photograph her sister Diana’s Nikah and Walima. It was just so heartwarming to see so many familiar faces again at another happy event and I was determined to give my 200% and do the best job in the world for them.
Wedding morning, I met the happy bride and bridesmaids at the hair salon where they were all getting ready and we took some photos of the wedding dress, the sparkly bride shoes, the wedding rings and diamond engagement ring and all the bride’s details. It was such a fun and relaxed atmosphere! When everyone was ready to go, we drove to Alexandra Palace for a quick photoshoot before going to the venue. I love when my brides allow plenty of time for fun bridesmaids photos with the girls, and I absolutely loved the purple bridesmaid dresses in contrast with the golden and warm autumn colours in the park. These girls were just a blast, and after we were done with the session and took some more bride photos of the stunning Adieba, we left to The Decorium.
At the venue, I went to meet the excited Onur and we took some quick groom photos before the ceremony. I honestly melt whenever I see an emotional groom, and Onur was so, so beaming with pride and happiness that it was just beautiful to watch and capture. His reaction to seeing his bride for the first time walking down the aisle to him in the ceremony was precious, and it made my eyes well up a bit behind my camera. The civil ceremony was very lovely, and after Adieba and Onur said their ‘I do’, guests showered the newlyweds with rose petals as they took their first steps as husband and wife, with a massive smile on their faces.
Oh! Have I mentioned that Adieba is also a very creative person and a business owner? She made her own flower bouquet and her beautiful wedding favours – check out her company Candlestrophic Designs! She kindly gifted one of the boxes and a stunning matching candle to me and it will always be displayed proudly in my office!
Off we went to the couple photo shoot, in the little park area right outside the wedding venue. Our timing was just perfect, as we could capture the beautiful pink sunset skies, for soft and romantic photos and under the veil photos; and ended up with a night photo shoot, for more impactful and dramatic photos. In all these images, however, the real protagonist could only be the magical connection between Adieba and Onur. All the giggles, smiles, cuddles, loving looks gave us the most gorgeous bride and groom photos ever, and some of my personal favourites in my career so far!
Even though my job as a wedding photographer is to help my couples during their session, guide them and make them feel feel at ease in front of my camera, it’s always refreshing when the couple actually enjoy being photographed and are so open to have fun with it!
Our session was so relaxed and fun, we laughed a lot and we ended it with an epic – how I like to call it – Hollywood kiss.
The Decorium is a neo-classically designed, striking wedding venue, inspired by Roman architecture. It is a perfect setting for elegant and luxury weddings in London and I personally love shooting there. The reception hall for Adieba and Onur looked incredible with the pink and purple lighting, and I made sure I took some photos of the wedding stage, sweetheart table and venue dΓ©cor before the bride and groom walked in.
With the bride and groom entrance, the rest of the evening began. This was a multicultural wedding, since Adieba is of Afghan heritage and Onur Turkish. Both cultures were very much represented and joined to celebrate the union. As I always say, Turkish weddings are the ones with the best parties and the most dancing, and this wedding didn’t disappoint! Drums and wedding singers and a band kept everyone on their feet almost without interruption for the rest of the evening. So many dancing photos to pick from!
There was always something going on in the dance floor. There were Afghan wedding traditions like a group dance in traditional outfits, or the knife dance before cake cutting – Adieba’s sister Diana danced with the knife until the groom paid for it! – also the bride and groom first dance, and the traditional Turkish money pot dance with the bride and the girls… or that other tradition where the guys offer everything to the bride and she keeps rejecting them until the groom offers her a rose and she picks him! It was non stop and the absolute best evening, everyone was included and it was so exciting to be there and document it all.
The last of the Afghan wedding traditions happened on stage, after some family group photos, when the bride’s family covered the bride and groom with a green cloth while they looked at themselves in a mirror, and guests would come and put henna in the bride and groom hands. With the last hugs and congratulations, it was time for me to leave the happy couple and their guests to carry on with the fun for the rest of the night. Gosh, what an incredible wedding, beginning to end!
Dear Adieba and Onur,
I will definitely never forget your wedding day! Thank you again for having me there, it was the most amazing experience and I loved hanging out with you.
I hope you’ll cherish your photos forever, and all the best for this new exciting chapter of your life!
Ana x
List of wedding vendors:
- Wedding Venue: The Decorium
- Bride’s Hair and Make-up: Choppy Cut
- Catering and Wedding DΓ©cor: Askin Wedding
- Wedding Videography: Mira Wedding London
- Wedding Cake: Askin Wedding
- Wedding Dress: Teokath Wimbledon
- Wedding Favours: Candlestrophic Designs
- Singer: Eqbal Muhafaq
If you are looking for a female wedding photographer in London and you like what you see, I would love to hear all about your wedding plans! Please get in touch and let’s chat!
Thank you for reading,
Ana x
