Seema and Shyam held their Hindu wedding at magnificent Grade I listed mansion Warbrook House Hotel. Designed by the renowned architect John James in 1724 Warbrook House is the ideal location for weddings and private parties and events.

Designed by the renowned architect John James in 1724 Warbrook House is the ideal location for weddings and private parties and events.

It is conveniently located near the Berkshire-Hampshire border and makes a totally STUNNING backdrop for your wedding photography. And look at these beautiful flowers!!

Seema and Shyam are clearly a popular couple as so many of their friends and family joined in the celebrations and all dressed in colourful sari’s, lehenga or salvar suits.

The couple opted for many of the Hindu wedding traditions associated with Hindu weddings and it was a pleasure to provide the photography for such a joyous occasion.

Here are many of my favourite images of the day and as they happened with a bit of info about each wedding tradition..

Hindu Groom Photography

Hindu Bridal Prep Photography

Hindu Bride dressed in traditional red sari.

Smiling Hindu Bride dressed in traditional red sari.

Some beautiful traditional elements that I LOVE as a Hindu wedding photographer..

The Groom's Procession (Barhaat)

The groom makes his entrance in style accompanied by family, friends, music and dancing. They are welcomed at the entrance of the ceremony by the bride's parents. Sometimes the bride’s family will toss rice over the groom when he arrives and apply a tilak (a mark with a paste made of ash, clay, sandalwood, turmeric, charcoal or red lead) to his forehand. The tilak represents devotion to God and incites positive thoughts and energy.

The Arrival of the Bride

The bride arrives at the mandap escorted by her uncles or her brothers, although nowadays Hindu brides are increasingly choosing for their dad to walk them down the aisle, as commonly happens in Western culture. The mandap is a decorative structure under which the marriage ceremony is performed. It’s typically adorned with flowers, foliage, lengths of colourful fabric, crystals and often twinkling lights, with ornate chairs for the bride and groom and their parents to sit on.

The Exchange of Garlands

A jai mala is a flower garland exchanged between the bride and groom. It’s symbolic of the first step taken by the newlyweds into marriage. Most couples follow a playful tradition whereby their uncles or brothers lift the bride and groom up and they compete to see who can garland the other first.

The Giving Away of the Bride

According to Hindu scripture, there is no greater gift than the gift of one's daughter. The bride's father places the bride's right hand into the groom's right hand to symbolise their lifelong union. The Hindu bride is also given a mangalsutra, which is a gold and black beaded necklace that symbolises that she is now married. It’s said that the bride receives blessings throughout her marriage when wearing it.

The Seven Sacred Steps around the Fire

A fire burns in the centre of the mandap to bear witness to the marriage, and offerings are made to it during the ceremony. Then the bride and groom hold hands and take seven sacred steps together around the fire while the priest chants Vedic mantras (representing the seven sacred vows of marriage). This ritual marks the beginning of the bride and groom's journey as a married couple.

Before making their vows and circling around the fire, the bride and groom tend to each wear a scarf or piece of long material which are tied together – typically the bride’s veil or dupatta and the groom’s sash. This denotes their eternal bond.

I turned up at London’s Waldorf Hilton Hotel and very quickly met with the sweetest young couple - Shana and her husband-to-be Sam. These guys had been together since their teens and had decided to tie the knot in front of all their friends and family from around the globe! As is in-keeping with their Jewish faith the couple had all the Jewish wedding traditions - the signing of the Ketubah, the veiling of the bride, the ceremony under the Chuppah, the breaking of the glass etc, in one long lavish day at the Waldorf Hilton.