A love story - Black Country couple recreate parents’ wedding after drone proposal
When it comes to romance, Nicole and Shaaker Azam don’t do things by halves.
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The Black Country couple, who made headlines in 2023 after Shaaker’s breathtaking drone proposal in a farmer’s field, have now woven another chapter into their love story - by recreating Nicole’s parents’ wedding 34 years to the day.
On Saturday, May 10, the pair married at Dudley Registry Office, the same venue, on the same date as Nicole’s parents, Adrian and Devina Griffiths, who were the first couple to wed there back in 1991. The event was captured by the Express & Star at the time.
The full-circle moment was captured in a side-by-side photo, mirroring the original newspaper clipping.
From sky-high proposal to timeless vows
The couple, both professional wedding photographers and videographers, first made the news when Shaaker orchestrated a surprise proposal.
Under the guise of a "fake job," for their company, The Drone Army, he led Nicole to a field in Cookley, where a farmer had ploughed the words "Marry Me" into the ground. As their drone soared overhead, Nicole saw the message from the skies and, of course, said yes.
They then chose to honour Nicole’s parents by replicating their wedding day. Keeping the ceremony small and intimate, with only close family present, the couple later celebrated at their home in Stourton under what Nicole described as "the most glorious weather."
A date with destiny
“May 10 has always been a special day for my parents and now it’s ours too,” Nicole said. “After the madness of the drone proposal, we wanted something that felt deeply personal, and paying tribute to their love felt perfect.”
Shaaker added: “As wedding photographers, we’ve helped so many couples create their perfect day. It was amazing to step into our own story this way, especially one that connects Nicole’s past with our future.”
Nicole fondly recalled how her late step-grandfather, a devoted Express & Star reader, was the first to spot their engagement news. “He’d have loved this too,” she said. “We’ll make sure to save a copy in his memory.”
