Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Bengali Hindu weddings, photographed ritual by ritual, from the pithi to the vidaai.
Heston Photo is a Hindu wedding photographer in London. We are based in West London and photograph Hindu weddings at temples, community centres and hotels across London and the UK. We have stood beside the mandap at Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Willesden, the Sattavis Patidar Centre in Wembley and the Oshwal Centre in Potters Bar. We know when the antarpat drops, when the pheras begin and when the family will crowd in for the games.
A Hindu wedding is a long run of rituals, and each one belongs to different people: the mama, the masis, the friends hiding the groom's shoes. Our job is to be in the right place for every one of them without getting in the way of the pandit, the family or the ceremony itself. You get a gallery that runs in the order your day happened, candid and full of colour, plus the portraits your parents will want to frame.
Planning a Gujarati wedding? We know the ponkhvu from the milni, and we know to be at the door when the mama walks the bride in.
Heston Photo is a Hindu wedding photographer based in West London. We photograph Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Bengali Hindu weddings at temples and venues across London and the UK, and cover every ritual from the Ganesh puja and pithi to the pheras and vidaai, usually across two or three days.
From the first puja to the last goodbye, these are the moments we plan our Hindu wedding photography around. Every image below is from a real wedding we photographed in London.
The order varies by region and family, but a typical Gujarati or North Indian Hindu wedding in London runs like this:
The puja that opens the celebrations, usually at home with close family. Quiet, intimate and often the first time the generations are photographed together.
Turmeric paste, laughter and a lot of mess. We shoot the haldi or pithi ceremony up close and fast, because the best moments last seconds.
Henna detail in the afternoon, dance floors at night. For Gujarati families the garba and raas need fast shutter speeds and a photographer who doesn't mind joining the circle.
The groom's procession arrives with dhol, dancing and the whole family. We work from the front and from inside the crowd. Vandna & Kiran's baraat filled the road outside Willesden temple.
The bride's mother welcomes the groom at the entrance (ponkhvu in Gujarati weddings, milni in Punjabi ones), often with a playful attempt to catch his nose.
The bride's entrance, often led by her mama (maternal uncles). It's one of the most emotional walks of the day. We stand where we can see faces.
The cloth held between bride and groom until the auspicious moment. When it drops, we want both reactions in frame.
The couple swap garlands. Expect the groom's friends to lift him out of reach.
The bride's parents give her hand to the groom. It is the moment fathers ask about most, so we never miss it.
The circles around the sacred fire and the seven steps. We shoot wide for the whole mandap, then tight for the knot, the steps and the faces.
Small, quick gestures that carry the most meaning. We are close enough to see the detail without blocking the family's view.
Finding the ring in the water, with cousins taking sides. Some of the best candid photographs of the day come from here.
Elders bless the couple one by one. We photograph each blessing, because every family member wants that picture.
The bride's farewell to her family. Rice over the shoulder, a lot of tears, and a car that takes far too long to leave. We stay until it's gone.
We plan short portrait windows around temple timings, so you get editorial portraits without missing your own wedding.
Hindu weddings in London follow many traditions. Before the day we ask which ones you will follow, and build the shot list around your family.
Most of the Hindu weddings we photograph are Gujarati: mandvo and pithi, the ponkhvu, the mama bringing the bride in, four mangal pheras and aeki beki. We know the order well and plan the day around it.
Choora and kaleere, the milni between the two families, a lively baraat and seven pheras. For Sikh Anand Karaj ceremonies, see our Havelock Road Gurdwara wedding.
Early-morning muhurtham, the thali tied by the groom, and temple ceremonies that move quickly. We arrive early and keep the portrait plan flexible.
Gaye holud, the shubho drishti behind betel leaves and sindoor daan. Evening ceremonies with low light, so we bring fast lenses and keep flash to a minimum.
Respect for the ceremony first, then the craft.
We confirm the order of rituals, the muhurat and where we may stand. Temples have their own rules, and we follow them.
For larger weddings, two photographers cover the mandap from different sides. That way we catch both faces at the antarpat and the pheras.
Hindu weddings mean big families. We work from your family-photo list with a relative who knows everyone, so the groups move fast.
Pithi, mehndi, sangeet or garba, wedding and reception, with one team throughout so the story is consistent from first event to last.
Full galleries from temples and venues across London. Each one shows the whole day, not just the highlights.
Harsh & RianaHindu temple wedding · Willesden
Vandna & KiranHindu temple wedding · Willesden
Pavan & AshaGujarati wedding · Sattavis Patidar Centre, Wembley
Roshni & ArjunGujarati wedding · Sattavis Patidar Centre, Wembley
Karishma & AsheeshGujarati wedding · Oshwal Centre, Potters Bar
Ektaa & HitenAsian wedding · Brent Town Hall, Wembley
Portraits and in-between moments from two Hindu temple weddings at Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Willesden.
Want to see a whole day? Open Harsh & Riana's full temple wedding gallery or browse the portfolio.
Mandirs and community centres each have their own rules, light and timings. These are venues where we have photographed Hindu and Gujarati weddings. Each links to a full gallery from that venue.
Every Hindu wedding has a different number of events, so we quote for yours rather than squeezing it into a fixed bundle. Most couples choose one of these.
Getting ready, baraat, the full ceremony in the mandap, family groups, couple portraits and the reception entrance. Online gallery included.
The wedding day plus one other event, usually the mehndi, sangeet or garba night. The most popular choice for Gujarati weddings.
Ganesh puja, pithi or haldi, mehndi, sangeet, wedding and reception. Two photographers, a handmade album and an optional pre-wedding shoot in London.
Tell us your dates and events and we'll send a written quote, usually within one working day. Ask for Hindu wedding packages.
A Hindu wedding day usually needs 8 to 12 hours of coverage, from getting ready and the baraat through the ceremony to the reception entrance. The ceremony alone often runs two to three hours. Multi-day weddings add the pithi or haldi, mehndi and sangeet, each usually three to five hours.
Yes. Most of our Hindu weddings are two or three days, covering the Ganesh puja, pithi or haldi, mehndi, sangeet or garba, the wedding and the reception. The same team covers every event.
Yes. We have photographed Hindu weddings at Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Willesden, as well as Gujarati weddings at the Sattavis Patidar Centre in Wembley and the Oshwal Centre in Potters Bar. We confirm each temple's photography rules in advance and follow them on the day.
Where the pandit and venue allow it, yes. We agree positions before the ceremony, use longer lenses so we don't need to stand in the mandap, and at larger weddings a second photographer covers the opposite side.
Yes. Many of the Hindu weddings we photograph are Gujarati, so we know the ponkhvu, kanya aagman, four mangal pheras and aeki beki, and we plan the shot list around them.
It depends on the number of events, hours and photographers, and whether you want an album. We quote for your exact events rather than a fixed bundle. Send us your dates and we'll reply with a written quote, usually within one working day.
Most couples book 12 to 18 months ahead, especially for May to September weekends and auspicious dates in the Hindu calendar, which fill first.
Yes. We photograph Hindu weddings across the UK, including Hertfordshire, Leicester and Birmingham, and abroad. See our destination wedding in Cyprus.
Tell us your date, venue and events. We'll confirm availability and send recent work from similar weddings.
Enquire About Your Hindu Wedding