Some weddings announce themselves before anyone has said a word. At this Nikah at the Shenley Club, just north of London, the arrivals did it for us: the groom drew up in a Bentley, and the bride followed in a beautiful vintage Cadillac. The couple asked us to keep their names private, so this is their day told through the photographs.
The arrivals
Wedding cars only arrive once. There is no second take of the door opening or the first step onto the drive, so we plan arrivals the way a film crew would: one of us ready at the gate, one waiting where the car will stop, and both of us agreed on where the light is coming from before the first engine is heard.
The groom arrived surrounded by family, garland on, the walk to the clubhouse turning into its own small procession. Then it was the bride's turn, in the vintage Cadillac.
A golden Nikah
The bride wore gold from head to toe, a heavily embellished outfit that caught every bit of light, and her henna carried the same fine detail. The moments we kept coming back to, though, were quieter ones: her mother holding her close, and her father's hands on her shoulders as he gave his blessing before the Nikah.
For the Nikah itself we work discreetly. We agree beforehand with the family and the officiant where we can stand, keep the shutter quiet and stay back, so the ceremony belongs to the couple and their families rather than to the cameras.
The Shenley Club
The Shenley Club gave us plenty to work with: a white weatherboarded clubhouse with deep verandas, open lawns and mature trees, and inside, a white floral stage under chandeliers. White is a gift when the bride is in gold, because nothing competes with the outfit and every frame stays clean.
Portraits with the Cadillac
We saved some time for portraits with the vintage Cadillac, parked under the trees on the driveway. It needed no styling: a white classic car, a bride in gold and a groom in ivory already look like a still from a film. The best frames came between the poses, when the two of them stopped performing for the camera and simply laughed.
If you are planning your own Nikah, you can see more of our Nikah, Mehndi, Baraat and Walima coverage, or explore the full gallery on our homepage.