Atia & Shahariar – A Nikah Wedding at Rufflets, St Andrews
Atia was finishing her PhD at the University of St Andrews when she married Shahariar – so she knew the town well enough to know exactly where she wanted her wedding to take place! The gorgeous Garden Suite at Rufflets, reserved for Exclusive Use weddings, was an easy choice – with patio doors spilling out onto the extensive gardens with their willow tree and rope swing as added bonuses.
This was one of the most joyful, layered, and visually rich weddings I’ve ever photographed in St Andrews – a traditional Nikah ceremony for 150 guests in the Garden Suite, with customs and rituals I hadn’t encountered before and that I won’t forget.
Bridal Preparations – A St Andrews Wedding Morning at Home
Atia got ready at her house on Lamond Drive – a quieter, more personal start to the day than a hotel suite, and one that suited the warmth and intimacy of everything that followed. There’s something I always appreciate about a bride getting ready at home rather than in a venue – the familiarity of the surroundings tends to produce a more relaxed atmosphere, and a more relaxed atmosphere produces better photographs. We had time to lean into every detail, including this stunning maang tikka – a delicate chandelier pendant with pearl drops – caught the early morning light beautifully.
The Baraat & Gate Bartering – A Modern Twist to Nikah Tradition
Before Shahariar could enter the ceremony, he had to earn his way in, of course. The gate bartering – a tradition in which the groom’s party negotiates entry with the bride’s side – is one of those rituals that is outright brilliant to photograph, because nobody involved is thinking about the camera. Shahariar arrived with cash and an understanding of Atia’s most important requirement: Pepsi. Several bottles of it, held by the bride’s side as non-negotiable terms of entry, alongside a bowl into which cash was deposited with varying degrees of ceremony and a great deal of laughter. It is, I think, the most specific and personal version of this tradition I’ve witnessed. As a documentary wedding photographer, I was more than in my element!
Couples Portraits in the Gardens
Before the ceremony we headed into the Rufflets gardens for couples portraits – and specifically to the willow tree, where the aforementioned rope swing sits tucked beneath a canopy of green. Atia’s lehenga was extraordinary – ice blue and ivory, embroidered with thousands of tiny floral details in rose gold and silver that caught the light differently with every movement. Against the wild, dappled green of the garden it was a genuinely striking combination.
Shahariar stood behind her on the swing in his black sherwani and cream turban, and for a few minutes the gardens were entirely theirs. Atia on her own on the swing – the full spread of the lehenga pooling around her, looking sideways into the trees – is one of my favourite frames from the whole day.
The Nikah Ceremony in the Garden Suite
The Garden Suite had been transformed for the ceremony – an ornate stage with a carved gold screen, white florals floor to ceiling, and two gilded thrones that set the tone for the scale of what followed. 150 guests filled the room.
The ceremony itself was conducted beneath a red embroidered canopy – a dupatta held overhead – with flower garlands around both their necks. A wooden-framed mirror was held between them, a moment of quiet significance within a ceremony that balanced the formal and the joyful with ease. What struck me most was that Atia spoke into the microphone during the ceremony – confident, present, and very much an active participant in her own wedding rather than a passive one. Shahariar sat beside her smiling. It was a good moment.
The Wedding Reception – Rufflets Garden Suite, St Andrews
The families fed cake to each other. The party went well into the night. With 150 guests and a room that had been dressed within an inch of its life, there was no shortage of things to document – and the energy never dropped. Nikah celebrations have a particular quality of warmth that I find very easy to work within. The emphasis on family, the layering of tradition with personality, the sense that everyone in the room is genuinely invested in the couple rather than just attending and spectating.
Nikah & Islamic Wedding Photography in St Andrews
Rufflets is a venue I return to regularly, and the Garden Suite in particular lends itself beautifully to celebrations of this scale. If you’re planning a Nikah ceremony or Islamic wedding in St Andrews or across Scotland and you’re looking for a photographer who will document every detail with care and without intrusion, I’d love to hear from you.
Rufflets is also a stunning setting for more traditional Western ceremonies – you read see my write-up from Calum & Eleanor’s midsummer garden wedding at Rufflets here!
Planning a wedding in St Andrews? Find out more about my St Andrews wedding photography here.
Getting married elsewhere in Scotland? I travel across the country — see my Scotland wedding photography page here.
