Alexandra and Ramin met on the internet. “In my ad I said I was looking for a ‘tanned dream man over 1.90 m,” says Alexandra.

“Ramin got back to me with the answer ‘Here I am!’. Uncharacteristically for me, we arranged to meet directly the next day, 15th June 2014. We met for a coffee in a nearby café on Bremen's Weserpromenade, during my lunch break from work. There was an immediate spark, so much so that the first kiss already happened after this meeting.”

A romantic proposal

Ramin proposed on 20th July 2022, the couple’s eighth anniversary. “Ramin invited me to one of the fanciest restaurants in Bremen, the Oberneulander’s,” says Alexandra. “The whole evening was a surprise, so I didn’t know anything about it. The table was nicely decorated in a romantic way and there was a big bouquet of roses. However, as this is typical of Ramin for our anniversary, I didn’t give it another thought.”

“After the main course, which we had on the restaurant’s terrace on the hottest day of the year, Ramin got down on one knee in front of everyone. I was so perplexed that I couldn’t even register his words and couldn’t believe my luck. I was so surprised and excited I couldn’t touch anything from the big dessert platter and just wanted to tell my parents, my sister and my best friends as soon as possible!”

Shopping for the dress

“I found WED2B by chance online and was excited about the concept from the beginning because I didn't want to buy a dress at least six months before the wedding,” says Alexandra. “I told everyone that I was dying to go to WED2B and was convinced that I would find my dream dress there."

“After a previous disappointment in another bridal shop, I was thrilled with WED2B Bremen. Even the welcome was incredibly friendly and the entire consultation was fantastic. Both the sales assistants and the ambience totally convinced me. I can only recommend every bride to look for her dream dress here. I definitely found mine!”

“The nicest thing about the fitting was that I liked every dress and they all fitted,” says Alexandra. “This was exactly the opposite at my previous appointment at another shop. I chose Monikh because it flattered my figure the most and brought out the bridal feeling I didn’t believe in before. I also liked the lilies in the lace, which matched my bridal bouquet, and the plunging sexy neckline. The icing on the cake was the veil and the miracle underskirt.”

A Bremen wedding venue

The couple had a civil ceremony at Bremen wedding venue, Etelsen Castle on 21 April 2023. “The castle is located in a beautiful park in my hometown of Etelsen,” says Alexandra. “I am rooted here and have a strong family connection. In the evening, we had a delicious meal in a very small circle with about 20 people at the Syrian restaurant, Al Dar, in Bremen’s Überseestadt.”

The big day

“Traditionally, I spent the last night separately from my husband and stayed at the posh Parkhotel Bremen with my sister Nadja,” says Alexandra. “My father picked us up and drove us to Etelsen Castle. We had wonderful spring weather with sunshine and a temperature of 20℃.”

"My father walked me down the aisle in the castle's conservatory, where our closest family and friends were waiting for us, to the romantic song ‘Love You Still’ by Tyler Shaw. I never imagined that my husband Ramin would be moved to tears at this moment. He was only able to breathe, ‘You are so beautiful!’ several times.”

Celebrating with friends and family

“Following the ceremony, all our friends, family and work colleagues were waiting for us on the terrace of the castle,” says Alexandra. “After all the congratulations, we toasted here with champagne and ate fingerfood together.”

“We also cut the four-tier wedding cake, which had flavours of walnut fig, strawberry chocolate, grapefruit orange and salted caramel blueberry, and threw the bridal bouquet. A friend had prepared a Polaroid photo station and a professional photographer captured everything. Then we were picked up in a Hummer limousine and driven to the restaurant with my parents and my sister’s family.”

A mix of cultures

“As Ramin is a native of Iran, the theme of our wedding was to connect our cultures,” says Alexandra.

“That's why we celebrated in the morning in my home town of Etelsen and in the evening in Oriental style in a Syrian restaurant. For the evening, we had a Syrian buffet consisting of many starter variations, three meat dishes for the main course and a dessert of fig ice cream and baklava.”

The best bits…

“The most beautiful moment for me was when my father walked me down the aisle,” says Alexandra.

“I only had eyes for my husband, who was moved to tears because he found me so beautiful in my dress. However, the entire day was a complete highlight that we both found simply wonderful and unforgettable.”

My top tips…

“Do what makes you happy!” says Alexandra. “The day is for you as a couple and shouldn’t be stressful and contentious. Everyone will try to talk you into planning and, according to online bridal groups, it feels like everyone wants to outdo each other and think of every little thing. Don’t stress! We deliberately decided to have a small party in the evening, so that we could concentrate on the essentials.”

Alexandra and Ramin’s Dream Team

Photographer: Anja Steffen

Bremen wedding venue: Schloss Etelsen

Wedding dresses: WED2B

Florist: Blumen Stelter

Makeup & hair: Claudia Schievelbein

Cake: Claudia Elisabeth Fischer

Restaurant: Al Dar Bremen

Transport: Andreas Harbaum

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this Bremen wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for your nearest store and here for what to expect when you visit.