The Ukrainian wedding of Oleksandr and Olesya’s took place in London. It is always such a pleasure to photograph events from different cultures and this celebration was not an exception. The sense of family and love was very strong and the traditional Ukrainian ceremonies and practices made for such a special day – we feel so grateful to have been a part of it.
As a prelude to the amazing ceremonies that were to come, the first part of this lovely wedding was a civil ceremony where the bride wore a beautiful classic lace dress and the groom a smart tux. Although a simple ceremony, the lovely old building and gardens as well as the close family and friends in attendance made for a great atmostphere. We also took some initial shots of the couple after the civil ceremony with some enchanting natural light streaming in.
A few days after the civil ceremony formalities were over, the traditional Ukrainian wedding ceremonies began to unfold. We captured the bride and groom as they got ready at the same house and bit by bit adorned themselves with their charming attire with the help of their families. The small but touching details of their outfits were captured in these images, such as the customised wedding shoes and beautiful wooden ring box.
The orthodox service took place in a Ukrainian church in London’s Acton and followed many of the beautiful Ukrainian wedding traditions such as the crowning of the bride and groom and blessings by the Priest. Being Greek myself, I have a perfect knowledge of the orthodox wedding parts and I always enjoy to photograph this cordial mood. The stunning rich colours of gold and carmine on the bridesmaids, groomsmen and in the church created a lovely warm atmosphere. The ceremony was touchingly concluded with the newly married couple releasing a pair of doves to signify their new life and journey together.
At the photoshoot following the Ukrainian ceremony, we captured the essence of the love that the bride and groom had for each other by taking intimate moments of them together, as well as some more candid shots of the couple being rather playful, the bridal party and the couple’s families. We particularly loved shooting the couple dancing together so elegantly and creating some artistic shots that look beautiful together in a series.
Last but not least was the incredibly festive reception. The Ukrainian wedding traditions continued with a ceremonial and symbolic wedding bread being presented to the bride and groom as a blessing and the bride’s mother placing a traditional Ukrainian kerchief over her daughter’s head to symbolise that she had become a married woman. The dancing continued with the couple taking to the floor as well as some amazing professional ballet dancers. The happy couple carried on well into the night celebrating this amazing day and topped it all off with some very touching speeches and magical fireworks!
Our wishes to this gorgeous couple, to receive everything they desire!
Auguroni per mille anni di felicità
Agostino e famiglia.
Il matrimonio è l’arte di risolvere in due quei problemi che da solo non avevi!!!
~ Gerrard ~
ZioFranco Elegantissimo col papillon.
TANIA. . . . commossa . . .tutt’e due scintillanti . . . merito di Due SPOSI . . . brillanti e fortunati ad incontrarsi.
Fantastic gallery, Nek your amazing! captured the day brilliantly
A perfect professional! We could not recommend Nek highly enough! He produced the most beautiful pictures and managed to capture the essence of the day in a way we could not have imagined. Each time we look at our images – we spot somebody’s expression or a clever detail that we missed the first time around.
When choosing a photographer, you spend a lot of time looking at other people’s weddings and hope that yours will turn out just as well. Nothing compares to looking at your own and, with Nek, they will turn out even better!
If you’re wondering if it is worth spending the money then we say “do it!” You won’t find better than Nek Vardikos!