Wed like an Egyptian

Ella and Karim’s day included Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs – and a surprise belly dancer!

Images courtesy of Kirsty Mattsson Photography

Ella and Karim met at Bradford Royal Infirmary, but didn’t confess to liking each other until a year later. “By now we were working in Huddersfield, with Karim regularly waiting outside the ward I was in for me to finish,” says Ella. “I initially thought of him as just a friend, but it was only when I couldn’t get Karim off my mind that I realised much stronger feelings were involved.”

Doctors

Karim proposed on 19 April, 2019, on a last-minute break to Gran Canaria. “I was hoping he’d pop the question while we were away, as I knew he’d asked my dad’s permission to marry me a couple of months earlier,” continues the bride. “I wasn’t disappointed, with Karim taking me to a heart-shaped island called Anfi for the evening, proposing on the jetty at sunset. It was all very romantic.”

The couple set the date of 17 March, 2022, marrying at Wharfedale Grange. Here, Ella tells us more about their big day…

Wharfedale Grange is a stunning venue and we instantly knew it was the one. Everywhere you look you find a quirky unique feature you won’t have seen anywhere else.

Karim is Egyptian, so our theme centered around the country. Tables were named after Ancient Pharaohs, and we had miniature statues of each on the table, bought from Egypt’s markets.

We wanted a natural and wild but vibrant coloured look for our flowers. Our florist fitted our style perfectly, using sustainable products and making some incredible creations.

My sister made our delicious cake, sitting down with us to design exactly what we wanted. It even included our names in Arabic painted on the front.

Even though we married at the same venue as our reception, my dad wanted a traditional father/daughter journey, so we hired a 1949 Cadillac for before and after the ceremony.

I found my Essence of Australia dress at Silsden’s Ava Rose Hamilton. I knew I wanted an A-line design, but never thought I’d fall in love with such a simple gown! I added sparkle with a jewelled belt and plenty of lace with my amazing veil.

Karim wore a Hugo Boss suit which we picked out together. Comprising a velvet jacket with bow tie, he teamed it with a white and peach buttonhole to complement my bouquet.

My bridesmaids and bridesman wore the same cornflower blue, but in a style of their choosing. We found the bridesman’s suit first and then sourced the dresses to match.

Our nine-month-old son was looked after by a professional nanny for the day. It meant none of our family or friends missed part of our wedding and his routine wasn’t disrupted. He wore blue chinos with bow tie and braces and stole the show!

After canapés guests were served sharing mezze platters with flatbreads, falafel, and dips. We then enjoyed slow cooked beef and sticky toffee pudding; and had chicken or falafel shawarma and Egyptian desert Om Ali in the evening.

We put a traditional red Egyptian Fez on each table for the guests to have fun with. Karim’s mum and I also made two extra ones for the top table covered in red rhinestones!

We were both nervous about our first dance to Tom Walker’s Just You and I, but once it began there was no one else in the room but us. We had a confetti cannon during the dance, too, which gave us some extra jazz!

We hired a belly dancer as a surprise for our guests to perform in the evening. This is very much an Egyptian tradition – and she was fantastic!

We also had a magician and live band for entertainment, as well as a photobooth with props. Our guests got one picture to keep and one to stick in our guest book with a message.

ELLA & KARIM’S CONTACTS

Photography www.kmattssonphotography.com | Venue, Wharfedale Grange https://wharfedalegrange.co.uk | Videography, Jason Lynch Weddings www.jasonlynchweddings.co.uk | Ella’s dress, Ava Rose Hamilton www.avarosehamilton.co.uk | Ella’s jewellery and accessories, The Bobby Pin https://thebobbypin.co.uk | Hair, Bridal Hair by Sam Gateley www.instagram.com/bridalhairbysamgateley | Make-up, Leanne Jackson https://leannejackson.co.uk | Suits, Hugo Boss www.hugoboss.com/uk | Flowers, Daisy Hoban Floral www.daisyhobanfloral.com | Transport, The Wedding Car Hire People www.theweddingcarehirepeople.co.uk | Catering, Nomad Catering by James Brown https://nomad-catering.co.uk |

Photography, Kirsty Mattsson

Photobooth, Photobomb www.photobomb.co.uk | Magician, Russ Appleby www.smartmagic.co.uk | Band, The Indianas www.artistmanagementservices.co.uk | Bellydancer, Taste of Cairo www.tasteofcairo.com | Childcare, The Yorkshire Nanny Company https://theyorkshirenanny.com