Weddings at Shendish Manor, in sunny Hertfordshire are always a pleasure, and Kajal and Myles wedding celebrations were full of colour, love and laughter. A huge amount of thought, time and effort had been applied to getting the look and atmosphere of the day exactly right. The Mandap looked stunning, and made a beautiful space under which the priest conducted the ceremony, always kindly making space for me to photograph.
Kajal looked stunning in her traditional wedding dress, wearing symbolic jewellery and beautiful Menhdi designs on her hands. A fun tradition is to steal the grooms shoes, often with a financial arrangement to secure their return! There are seven vows including prayers for prosperity, wealth, and health, and to be blessed with healthy children. Both bride and groom promise to honour and look after each other, and pray for their love to grow and blossom over their many years of happiness together.
One of the most significant moments in the wedding ceremony is the seven Pheras. Kajal and Myles walk around the holy fire with the priest chanting mantras as they turn. Each Phera around the holy fire represents a vow. The couple exchange their marriage vows in presence of family and demi-gods bless them. After the vows, the groom fills the bride’s hair parting with a red powder called Sindoor which signifies that she is now a married woman. There is a lot of laughter during the ceremony, and one great moment is when the couple stand in front of their chairs, and on a signal the one that sits down first will have the upper hand in the marriage. In every Indian wedding I have attended, it has always been the bride who won!
As always, my photographic coverage of weddings is almost entirely documenting moments as they happen, with some relaxed portraits created with the couple during the afternoon. If you’d like to discuss your wedding day photography, please call me on 01727 865873 or contact me here.
