Weddings can be beautiful and timeless: today I want to prove that to you forever and without a shadow of doubt! Janki and Andy’s day celebrated the joining of their families, in a lush, green woodland clearing. Scrolling through Tom Keenan’s gorgeous images from their Cambridge wedding, it’s the love, joy and relaxed vibes which sing from my screen, and every moment looks perfect.
Speaking of perfection, this gorgeous pair celebrated with a vegan feast at their wedding. Because they held their wedding at home they weren’t constrained by a venue’s in-house or recommended caterers, and could choose their own. As a result, their menu was fully vegan – even including the doughnuts. (Told you it was perfect, didn’t I?!)
I will never tire of sharing Indian and fusion weddings. The vibrant colours are exciting, and embrace tradition in the most joyful way. Food is a huge part of the celebration, and a meaningful aspect of ceremonies. But that doesn’t mean all traditions have to be formally adhered to. At English Wedding we always recommend you pick and choose the traditions which are meaningful to you – and fun! Janki and Andy broke tradition by being super chill about seeing each other before the ceremony. For Janki, she wanted to see her favourite person while she was getting ready – which makes all the sense in the world to me.
Last week I wrote an article inspired by a trending wedding sign which reads “[bride’s] wedding, featuring [groom]” talking about how the wedding media has alienated men to the point that many grooms feel excluded from wedding planning and even on the day itself. This wasn’t the case with Andy and Janki’s day – they celebrated together and their wedding was all the more beautiful for every moment of shared joy and delight. I LOVE how Andy made a spectacular entrance, arriving for their ceremony in a vintage Lotus car. As their wedding photographer Tom Keenan puts it: “Music blaring, ray-bans on, friends and family at your side” – what could possibly kick start the day better?
I will leave you to enjoy the images of this gorgeous pair having the time of their lives. Pure happiness, guaranteed to make you smile – and as always, there’ll be more on @englishweddingblog so head to our insta to see!
Wedding photographer’s website
Kent wedding photographer Tom Keenan https://tomkeenanphotography.co.uk
Janki and Andy were married in early summer of 2022 – yes, more than three years ago. The styling of their day, the setting, the traditional Indian dress and their focus on a meaningful ceremony and a joy-filled celebration, all mean this wedding hasn’t dated one bit. It never will. Heartfelt ceremonies and a focus on what the day means to you both as a couple are the secret to timeless, beautiful and memorable weddings.
2 days, 2 looks, 2 cultures – Natasha & Jason’s wedding is out of this world. I love it! I want to see ALL the Hindu weddings on our blog – I’m not sent nearly enough and they are BEAUTIFUL! Today’s gorgeous couple chose North Cadbury Court as their venue for the weekend, and Somerset wedding photographers and videographers Smiling Tiger Studios to capture both days of their wedding. The results are amazing – as always, I had far too many stunning photos to choose from so you’ll find more of my favourites on @englishweddingblog on instagram!
Wedding photographer’s website
Somerset wedding photographers Smiling Tiger Studios
Wedding photographer review
Linus and Tom were brilliant from the get go! They captured both of our ceremonies beautifully, including the intricate details of our Hindu ceremony.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Walking into the ballroom for our wedding breakfast with the hundreds of balloons hanging across the ceiling was beautiful.
Venue name + review
North Cadbury Court – their reputation precedes them. Beautiful venue, amazing staff, and wedding planning. As it was dry hire we were able to tailor and creat our wedding exactly to how we wanted to. From the styles of both ceremonies to ordering our wines for both events. They took the stress and hassle away from us and made our guests feel welcomed and taken care of.
We had two ceremonies. A traditional Hindu Bengali wedding, where ceremonial head pieces are worn by the bride and groom. Followed by civil ceremony the next day.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Civil ceremony wedding dress: Grace Loves Lace
Cake maker name + review
Cake Design by Holly. Communicated with us throughout the planning and made a beautiful wedding cake. Best flavour .. raspberry and elderflower, delicious!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Creative Collections brought our idea to life to fill the ballon ceiling with balloons for the wedding breakfast and were able to source sustainable balloons.
Wedding readings?
This will be our year – The Zombies
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Jamie Lawson – I wasn’t expecting that.
Dorset wedding photographers Smiling Tiger Studios are members of English Wedding
Web: https://smilingtigerstudios.co.uk
With cloudless blue sunny skies today feels perfect for sharing this Indian summer wedding inspiration with you. With bridal wear by English Wedding member Felicity Westmacott, gorgeous photography by Fleur Challis and vibrant florals from lovely Mimi Fleur, it’s a breathtaking blast of wedding loveliness I just know you’ll adore! It’s a wonderful thing to be able to showcase Felicity’s bespoke bridal designs with you: not only is her work beautiful, choosing bespoke for your wedding dress or outfit will bring you so much choice in what you wear for your big day, from fabrics to style and silhouette to the tiniest little details.
Have a magical weekend, everyone! 
As Autumn draws in, a last burst of summer weather is known as ‘An Indian Summer’ – lifting English hearts with the last of the longer days. This team of professionals used the inspiration of summer colours to compliment a fusion English/Indian styled shoot. They were hosted by the beautiful Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich which was dressed by Mimi Fleur in hot pinks and oranges including traditional Indian Mala garlands.
The beauty of a fusion wedding is that one has so many cultural influences to be inspired by and it is in honouring both the bride and groom’s background that a very rich and personal wedding day is created. The grandeur of the day was captured with skill by Fleur Challis Photography whose unobtrusive methods captured all the unique details and the beautiful colours.
The shoot was organised by Sam, ‘The Wedding Owl’ who used her wide contacts to bring together the fusion wedding look. Sam also runs E-lope, collaboratively with other members of the shoot team, organising micro weddings in Kent for couples looking for an intimate ceremony.
Our stylists dressed the tables with ochre coloured cloths, atmospheric cream, burgundy and gold lamps. They layered gold edged platters, beneath ochre linen napkins finished with cinnamon sticks for a hint of ‘spice in the air’. Sam sourced traditional Indian glass and silver to make some guests feel exotic and others at home.
Flowers in hot colours, fuschia, orange and gold as well as light as a feather pampas grass complimented the ornate interior of Trafalgar Tavern. Couples can exchange vows against views over the Thames from the huge windows shedding beautiful light on the whole set up. The catering team at Trafalgar tavern treated the shoot to delicious tastes of their menu (for photography, but we couldn’t let it go to waste!) and Sam added Indian silk brocade to the serving trays to keep everything on theme.
Our bride looked perfect in a thoroughly modern mix and match ensemble from Felicity Westmacott, Bespoke Bride with touches of India as a nod to her future husband. Felicity says “I layered silk satin, embroidered organza and Indian trims to create this fusion bridal look. I love creating ensembles with elements that can be added and removed, so my brides can change their look through the day. I designed wrap over silk crepe trousers that are split up the sides, they move beautifully and reveal metallic ribbons sewn on the inside hems when our model walks. I made a tiered skirt in embroidered silk organza to wear over the top, so the sexier trousers are a surprise for the evening party.
I love the top which was both modern and simple with a plain loose fitting front, revealing the ornate gold and pearl belt worn underneath. I designed an elegant low, draped back with a nod to the fusion look by adding traditional Indian blouse tassels (latkan). My favourite part of the whole look were the organza balloon sleeves, trimmed with more Indian trim to echo the gold and pearl belt. And because you just can’t hold me back I also made another pair of sleeves, this time coming from the shoulder and finished with wide buttoned cuffs. To recreate this look: think about layering elements that contrast sheer and opaque, using a neutral base to highlight bright or metallic trims and being sexy in a modern and culturally appropriate way.”
Another incredible bespoke maker provided ornate wedding capes, trimmed in gold and colourful petals to transform the modern look into something truly bridal.
The bride’s hair was dressed in two different styles to compliment the daytime and evening looks with pearl ornaments and jewellery also designed by Felicity Westmacott. Both the bride and her maid of honour (wearing a lace top and yellow skirt from Matchimony) had their make-up done in soft colours to really bring out their best features. It’s nice to change your hair and make-up for the evening part of the party if your MUA/stylist can stay.
The handsome groom, Piyush, wore a summer linen suit in a neutral stone colour. He also changed his tie and waistcoat to compliment his new wife’s more relaxed evening look. And our gorgeous bridal model, Evie, brought along her very friendly and relaxed dog, who let us dress them up in tassels and pose for photos as part of the shoot!
Stationery design with prints in colours to compliment the theme included table plans on a hoop, name places with golden trim and invitations fit for Indian Royalty. The wedding cake was understated in size, as suitable for an intimate, city wedding and decorated with brightly coloured flowers each hand made in sugar.
It can seem intimidating to walk the balance between your own familiar culture and a new one, but with the right team of professionals on your side everything will come together perfectly. Planning a fusion wedding, whether English/Indian like this one or any combination provides so much scope for imaginative ways to honour the blend of cultures created by your new beginning in marriage. Trust your team, and your instincts and your perfect Indian summer wedding may be the end of summer, but the start of something truly magical.
The amazing team who brought this fusion wedding inspiration to life are:
VENUE: https://www.trafalgartavern.co.uk/
PHOTOGRAPHY: http://fleurchallisphotography.com/
STYLIST: https://theweddingowl.com/
PLANNER: https://e-lope.co.uk/
WEDDING DRESS: https://felicitywestmacott.co.uk/
FLOWERS: http://mimifleur.co.uk/
CAKE: https://www.simplyirresistiblecakes.com/
GROOM MODEL @piyushnigammusic
BRIDE MODEL: @misseveiewray
VEIL & CAPE: https://www.adornbyashley.co.uk/
HAIR STYLING: https://www.lalohairandmakeup.com/
BRIDESMAID WEAR: https://matchimony.co.uk/
TABLE LAMPS https://www.tablelamphire.co.uk/
WEDDING DECOR https://www.angelsandgypsiesevents.co.uk/
STATIONERY: @ribbonsnwren
LINEN HIRE: https://www.specialoccasionlinen.com/
MENS WEAR: https://www.thekentweddingcentre.com/grooms
Bespoke bridal designer Felicity Westmacott is an English Wedding member
Web: https://felicitywestmacott.co.uk