THE WEDDING OF SUHAYL & FARZANAH
It is festive season and it's a time that many young couples plan to get wed. One could say that it's wedding season because during the entire Christmas break we are booked to capacity. Today we attended the wedding celebration of Suhayl and Farzanah. Yesterday we took the wedding photos of Anika and Jihaad and the day before that we shot the wedding photos of Shakira and Tariq, which was in fact Christmas day. Last week Saturday we photographed the wedding of Shabnam and Tariq and the Sunday we photographed the wedding of Sameera and Ghalied. But to get back to Suhayl and Farzanah's wedding. All I can say, is that it was very different from the traditional Muslim Weddings, (Muslim Arab, South Asian Muslim Culture) in that this wedding couple held a joint reception. It was so nice, and unrushed. Farzanah wore beautiful Indian sari with fancy beadwork in the morning, but her afternoon white lace wedding dress was really stunning. She had mendi designs on both her hands and feet, which was quite different from that of her bridesmaids.
Muslim marriages are predominantly held in mosques but it is not necessary nor is it a requirement. A Muslim marriage can be performed in a hall or even at home, presided over by an Imam or any male with the requisite Islamic knowledge to peform the marriage ceremony. What is necessary however, is that the wedding ceremony take place in the presence of witnesses and that a marriage contract is signed by at least two witnesses. The marriage ceremony does not require the bride to be present but rather the representative of the bride who in most cases is her father, a brother or a uncle. Marriage traditions differ depending on Muslim Arab, South Asian Muslim Culture or Islamic sect, and their individual observance of gender separation rules. Often brides attend mosque to witness the marriage proceedings but remain separate during the wedding ceremony. And again depending on the level of Islamic observance will determine whether or not mixing of the sexes are allowed at the wedding reception. Though in principal it is not permitted.
Suhayl and Farzanah wedding proceedings started off at Masjied ul-Ishraaq in 5th avenue Grassy Park with Moulana Dawood Sampson presiding over the the Nikah. Thereafter all in attendance were off the venue named Ambiance for breakfast were the groom got to meet-up with his wife and where rings were exchanged. There was an abundance of delectable foods, savouries, fruits in season, nuts and chilled beverages to satisfy every pallet. Farzanah had an amazing white gold solitaire diamond ring with a radiant stone that could easily have been 1ct. The smaller stones on the wedding band could easily have been an additional half a carat. After all the guests dispersed, destined to meet at the reception for supper, there was time to take photos very leisurely in the garden at Ambiance. Then we took a break.
Mid afternoon we rendezvoused with the bridal couple and their retinue to go on a magical photo shoot which took place inside the Baxter Theatre and thereafter we took some more photos in Bo-Kaap where we encountered several other wedding couples having the photographs taken by our fellow photographers and colleagues. At the Baxter Suhayl and Farzanah were drumming on a drum kit, and playing music on electric keyboards and even tried their voices at singing. They had wedding props, moustaches on a stick and spectacles without lenses, pink lips on a stick and so many other fun stuff. Several hours later we had more than 700 photographs and considering a lot more photographs were taken at the reception. They had two beautiful cream coloured BMW vehicles, one for the bride and groom and the other for the brides maids and bestmen, There was also a third vehicle, a range rover for the pages boys and flower girls which was also cream in colour. All three vehicles were dressed-up with fancy silver ribbon decorated with wedding bells and interlinking hearts.
I'm certain we managed well over 1000 photos. The ones below, are just a few that we decided to share with you. The couple also had a smoke machine, at their reception, as well as a sweets table, guest gift candles and even a saxaphone player. Their engagement and wedding photographs is going to be compiled into a photobook /coffee table styled book as the final product. Farzanah was miss photogenic and Suhayl just went along with whatever she wanted. What a nice young couple. They enjoyed the support and the blessings of their parents and their guests made their wedding really wonderful and absolutely memorable. Like in a storybook, their cake ended of the proceedings with an inscription "And they lived happily ever after".
It is festive season and it's a time that many young couples plan to get wed. One could say that it's wedding season because during the entire Christmas break we are booked to capacity. Today we attended the wedding celebration of Suhayl and Farzanah. Yesterday we took the wedding photos of Anika and Jihaad and the day before that we shot the wedding photos of Shakira and Tariq, which was in fact Christmas day. Last week Saturday we photographed the wedding of Shabnam and Tariq and the Sunday we photographed the wedding of Sameera and Ghalied. But to get back to Suhayl and Farzanah's wedding. All I can say, is that it was very different from the traditional Muslim Weddings, (Muslim Arab, South Asian Muslim Culture) in that this wedding couple held a joint reception. It was so nice, and unrushed. Farzanah wore beautiful Indian sari with fancy beadwork in the morning, but her afternoon white lace wedding dress was really stunning. She had mendi designs on both her hands and feet, which was quite different from that of her bridesmaids.
Muslim marriages are predominantly held in mosques but it is not necessary nor is it a requirement. A Muslim marriage can be performed in a hall or even at home, presided over by an Imam or any male with the requisite Islamic knowledge to peform the marriage ceremony. What is necessary however, is that the wedding ceremony take place in the presence of witnesses and that a marriage contract is signed by at least two witnesses. The marriage ceremony does not require the bride to be present but rather the representative of the bride who in most cases is her father, a brother or a uncle. Marriage traditions differ depending on Muslim Arab, South Asian Muslim Culture or Islamic sect, and their individual observance of gender separation rules. Often brides attend mosque to witness the marriage proceedings but remain separate during the wedding ceremony. And again depending on the level of Islamic observance will determine whether or not mixing of the sexes are allowed at the wedding reception. Though in principal it is not permitted.
Suhayl and Farzanah wedding proceedings started off at Masjied ul-Ishraaq in 5th avenue Grassy Park with Moulana Dawood Sampson presiding over the the Nikah. Thereafter all in attendance were off the venue named Ambiance for breakfast were the groom got to meet-up with his wife and where rings were exchanged. There was an abundance of delectable foods, savouries, fruits in season, nuts and chilled beverages to satisfy every pallet. Farzanah had an amazing white gold solitaire diamond ring with a radiant stone that could easily have been 1ct. The smaller stones on the wedding band could easily have been an additional half a carat. After all the guests dispersed, destined to meet at the reception for supper, there was time to take photos very leisurely in the garden at Ambiance. Then we took a break.
Mid afternoon we rendezvoused with the bridal couple and their retinue to go on a magical photo shoot which took place inside the Baxter Theatre and thereafter we took some more photos in Bo-Kaap where we encountered several other wedding couples having the photographs taken by our fellow photographers and colleagues. At the Baxter Suhayl and Farzanah were drumming on a drum kit, and playing music on electric keyboards and even tried their voices at singing. They had wedding props, moustaches on a stick and spectacles without lenses, pink lips on a stick and so many other fun stuff. Several hours later we had more than 700 photographs and considering a lot more photographs were taken at the reception. They had two beautiful cream coloured BMW vehicles, one for the bride and groom and the other for the brides maids and bestmen, There was also a third vehicle, a range rover for the pages boys and flower girls which was also cream in colour. All three vehicles were dressed-up with fancy silver ribbon decorated with wedding bells and interlinking hearts.
I'm certain we managed well over 1000 photos. The ones below, are just a few that we decided to share with you. The couple also had a smoke machine, at their reception, as well as a sweets table, guest gift candles and even a saxaphone player. Their engagement and wedding photographs is going to be compiled into a photobook /coffee table styled book as the final product. Farzanah was miss photogenic and Suhayl just went along with whatever she wanted. What a nice young couple. They enjoyed the support and the blessings of their parents and their guests made their wedding really wonderful and absolutely memorable. Like in a storybook, their cake ended of the proceedings with an inscription "And they lived happily ever after".
