Your London Wedding - January/February 2021 (Issue 75)

42 We loved the colourful Octagon Room at Queen Mary immediately. Originally it would have been our reception space, but the team at the venue were so accommodating in allowing us to move our ceremony there. We originally wanted our reception on a boat, but decided against it because it was too much logistically with a guest list of 120 people. When we had to cut the numbers, we took the opportunity and booked a private River Thames Tour. Our ceremony was held by my cousin who is a pastor and Waleed’s friend who is an imam. They planned the whole ceremony and we didn’t know until the day what they would be saying. It was so personal, funny and full of love. It was very special for us to combine our cultures and backgrounds. Who else has had to say “I do” in three different languages? When it came to the cake, it had to be chocolate. There was no other option for us! Our theme was a mixture of a colourful Pakistani wedding and a German wedding. After visiting lots of wedding shows, we knew we didn’t want white or light-coloured flowers. When we met our florist, she had these small colourful vases with single flowers and petals; we loved how simple and vibrant it looked.