Indian Hindu wedding at Offley Place in Stevenage

Rupal and Neil’s wedding took place earlier this year (2023) and what a day it was!

I remember walking into Offley place and seeing the Mandap setup and I thought WOW! Shagun weddings had done an incredible job with the décor with a lot of pastel flower arrangements which made the venue bright and airy! Rupal and Neil had gone all out!

Neil arrived in true style by helicopter and he looked the part like in his Hindu wedding attire. All guests waited outside for his arrival and was great with a big cheer and after his procession, the religious Hindu wedding began and was beautifully conducted by Jiten bhai who carefully explained the meaning behind each of the rituals.

While Neil was already in the mandap, Rupal was finishing off getting ready. I remember going to see her and she was calm as anything, ready to walk down the aisle and become Mrs Patel. Rupal was escorted by her uncles and cousins, still calm as can be and all eyes were on her stunning enterance.

Rupal and Neil’s first look took place in the mandap, and their smiles say it all. The ceremony was full of emotional moments and a lot of mischievous behaviour by the groom!
As Rupal and Neil walked around the fire, they were showered with flowers from their loved ones, lots of cheers and smiles throughout! I always tell my couples to go crazy with the petals and it makes the photographs stand out that little bit more.

A fun traditional in Gujarati Hindu weddings is the bride’s mum (and other aunties) tries to grab the groom’s nose at various points of the wedding, Neil was switch on to this and before they got a chance, he managed to put on a fake nose, which was the first time I’d seen this – the reactions were brilliant!

Rupal and Neil are huge 007 fans s they decided on a James bond themes reception party and the setup was equally beautiful. An incredible entrance with some hilarious speeches was followed by the first dance. Rupal’s cousin sang throughout the first dance (a James bond song, of course) and then soon after, everyone hit the dancefloor and it was rammed throughout. It was the perfect way to end the wedding celebrations and I had the absolute please documenting these little moments!

These are just a ‘few’ of my favourite moments from the Hindu wedding and reception party and I’m excited for you to see them.

Rupal and Neil, it was my pleasure being part of your wedding day, I had an incredible time being part of the celebrations, so Thank you both for choosing me to photograph your day.

Happy viewing, Sanj.