So, it was like this: a Middle-Eastern couple, planning a big wedding, had booked a photo and video package with a company I was freelancing for -- and then the bride's father dies. Everything has to be either cancelled or put on hold. All the vendors, including the photo company, refuse to return deposits or give refunds.
After the mourning period (in this case, around six months), the couple has a small registry wedding, and the next week a toned down photoshoot, and then a small restaurant dinner. And there were fewer than ten guests at that dinner, so two videographers + two photographers didn't outnumber them, but the overkill was noticeable.
And it was a solemn occasion. The difference between the wedding they wanted and the one they got was too obvious.
What I remember from that night was the groom giving a speech. I don't understand a word of Arabic, but he was clearly talking about loved ones who couldn't be there, and he made a striking gesture with his hands, running them down his face as if crying.
When we were packed up and about to head off, we saw the couple and their friends, still in the car park, hugging and saying farewells -- and someone started playing music.
It was as if a dam broke. A small group began softly dancing, and it was the first time the bride had smiled all day.
