Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby Aldrick

Introducing Nina & Mark!

These two were guests at the wedding of Sonya & James last year (post here), and are having a similar Ukrainian wedding in February this year.

That wedding was possibly one of the most fun wedding I’ve shot yet, with loads of amazing traditions and I can’t wait for all the fun of this one.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickI joined Nina at their house for the pre-wedding admin, and we chatted through their exciting plans.

Nina loves her cat and asked if we could take a photo of the happy couple.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickMark told me you can tell a Ukey house, cos the keep the Vodka on the backdoor step to keep it cool! Cunning.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickThe fourth member of their family is called Simba…

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby Aldrick…so we decided to set our practice photoshoot around a walk in some nearby woods!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickI absolutely love dogs, and can’t wait to get a house big enough to have one.  Simba & I got on like best mates.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickHere’s a nice portrait of our lovely couple getting used to my papping!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickThese woods were mad.  Even though it’s February, it fully looked like Autumn.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby Aldrick

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickA bit of one-on-one time!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickWhich was only fair to subject Nina to also.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickThe background looks a bit like a scene from a Tim Burton movie!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickA bit of f1.4 for the geeky togs!  I love the super-soft background.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickSimba is 5, but like a big puppie, he seems a bit big for his body.  When he lumbers up at full canter, it’s a bit like being charged by a horse.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickI like this one of them messing about.  This is the sort of image I like.  A moment with personality!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickI can’t wait for their big day.  It’s gonna be immense.  This is the Bradford Ukrainian church they’re gonna get married in.

The whole service is going to be in Ukey!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickThey’ve loads of ace ancient orthadox traditions, like the wearing of wreaths on their heads while they follow the priest in circles round the altar.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickBut the party really starts when they do the Perepy, where all guests have a shot with the bride & groom.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickThen later the bride and groom have a ‘barrel unveiling’, where the groom sits on a barrel while his bride dances about with her girls, spilling drinks on the floor.  Then he has to mop it up while everyone sings and the bride has her veil taken off, and replaced with a traditional headscarf. Then all the bridesmaids dance about wearing the veil.  It’s all done in great spirits, and it’s fab to see everyone knowing all these old country songs.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickBut the night really revs up when everyone gets dancing.  I’ve never seen anything like it.

The tradition of ‘Ukey Dancing’ is very much alive and it’s like Russian Dancing crossed with Barn Dancing.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickEveryone’s vaults & spins about the floor like a pro.

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickAnd even better, Mark is a trained Ukey dancer!  So no doubt he’s gonna be fun to watch!

Nina & Mark's Ukranian Pre Wedding Photography by Barnaby AldrickI really can’t wait!  Bring it.

ps. Apologies if I’ve described the Ukrainian traditions like a muppet – I’m working from memory here!

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