A fairy tale castle for a modern Hindu wedding – Yazmine and Eli are the most gorgeous couple, and their day couldn’t be more perfect. From the tiny details to the heart melting moments, this Hindu-American wedding is utterly stunning and I know you’ll love it too! All of the beautiful photographs are by Nottingham wedding photographer Matt Selby Photography.
A big part of us wanting to get married in England is because of my family (bride’s family). My parents are originally from England, now reside in the United States, and a majority of my family still live in England! Everyone was so excited once they found out the wedding was going to be in England! I consider England my second home and we love visiting and spending time with my family. I’m very grateful my husband also wanted to have our wedding in England and his family supported us on our decision.
We had a blended wedding. Sharing the traditional cultures of a Hindu ceremony while incorporating elements of an American wedding. Typically in Hindu ceremonies rings and vows are not exchanged; however, it was important to us that be incorporated. At the end of the ceremony we exchanged vows and rings and it was a perfect blend to our wedding!
Wedding photographer’s website
Matt Selby – https://www.mattselbyphotography.co.uk/
Wedding photographer review
Shout out to Matt! We signed up with Matt Selby Photography a year ago and don’t regret it! During our initial visit over zoom we knew he was the perfect match for us. We reside in America and he made it easy for us to work with him throughout the year via video calls, Whatsapp or email anytime! During our brief visit to England he fitted us in his schedule it was lovely to meet him in person! Matt, is friendly, helpful organised and great to work with, he would reach out and check-in! On our wedding day Matt and Christian made us feel comfortable and we didn’t even notice they were there. They captured our day with epic photos of our Hindu ceremony. Started the morning with coloured flares and ending beautifully with a display of fireworks! Truly a magical day all captured spectacularly memories we will always treasure! We would absolutely recommend Matt. He made sure our Wedding Day was perfect for us!!
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We did a condensed version of a traditional Hindu wedding! We kept the wedding festivities to one day and the wedding ceremony to an hour. Our priest translated our ceremony from Sanskrit to English for our friends and family which allowed everyone to understand the meaning behind each symbolic step. Even ourselves! Traditionally Hindu brides wear red during the wedding ceremony. I decided to do a modern take and wear an off-white gown while incorporating red in my bangles and flowers. I then wore a red gown for the reception to honor the tradition of wearing red.
Your best wedding moment or memory
The first look was our favorite moment of the wedding! The anticipation of seeing each other for the first time before becoming Mr. & Mrs. was joyous and long awaited. Of course celebrating with our family and friends is something we will not forget!
Videographer name + review
Ritz Images
Ritz Images was such a pleasure to work with! We were both so nervous being video graphed and how we would look/act on camera. Rutul and his team made us feel so comfortable. There was lots of laughter and smiles that put us to ease, they directed us on how we should pose, and everything ended up feeling so natural! We’re very excited to see how our wedding video turned out!
Venue name + review
Cara and her team did an amazing job coordinating our special day! With ourselves residing in the United States, Cara and Rose were very accommodating with our busy schedules and especially with the time difference. Rose would take the time to meet with us on Saturday mornings, on her day off, and talk through what our plans are. When we made the trip out to the UK to meet with all the vendors, the team was very flexible in fitting us into their busy schedules. Taking the time to walk us through what the day would look like, answering our questions, letting us coordinate to have other vendors join us on the tour so we’re all on the page. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience given the limited time we were in the UK. The team went above and beyond and we couldn’t have asked for a better day!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Bride – I wanted to do a modern take on the traditional red wedding lengha, so I wore an off white lengha! Heavily embroidered with beads, jewels, and sequins. I wore sparkly bangles with red and gold, and a beautiful dark gold coloured necklace! I had the traditional bridal henna done, which took 9 hours! The henna was beautiful and definitely added to my outfit! In the evening I switched into a beautiful sequined red outfit!
Groom – Wore a traditional Indian outfit. It was an off-white to compliment my (bride) outfit! In the evening he switched into a tuxedo and looked so handsome!
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Lovesong by Adele! We wanted to pick a song that both of us loved and more importantly picked an artist both of us enjoy listening to. It definitely helps both of us have very similar interests in genres: EDM, alternative, indie, and pop! MK Roadshow, our DJ, did an amazing job curating the type of songs we like! They asked what our favourite songs are, what songs not to play, how much English music we’d like vs. Indian music, and they gave us the perfect balance! We were able to tell Kunal and his team what we were thinking and they ran with it!
Wedding planner name + review
The brides mum, Kalpana Patel, was our wedding planner! I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding planner! She worked day and night meeting with various vendors, coordinating our wedding outfits being made in India, and making sure our vision came to life. Working across three different time zones was not an easy task and we are so grateful she was willing to do this for us. She flew out to England 6 weeks before our wedding to make sure everything was going smoothly, meeting with vendors about final details, and the final food tasting. Our special day would not have been the day it was if it wasn’t for our mum!
Hair + makeup name + review
Makeup by Chandni
Chandni absolutely smashed my hair and makeup! She is such a bubbly person and it was such a joy to work with her. Chandni had me smiling the entire time on my wedding day! Chandni was very accommodating when trying to schedule me in for a hair and makeup trial while I was in town. She has such a busy schedule, so I was very grateful she was able to fit me in! On the day of the wedding, Chandni and her team were such a joy to have around while we were all getting ready! The team did an amazing job doing my mum’s, mother in law’s, and my sister’s hair and makeup! Everyone looked amazing, and I can’t thank them enough!
Today’s real wedding is a sophisticated, elegant day with a huge personality! Gorgeous grooms Mike & Lewis chose Derbyshire’s Yeldersley Hall as their venue, and Nottingham wedding photographer Matt Selby to capture their day. He gets a glowing review from the happy couple, who’ve shared some fantastic supplier recommendations with us!
Wedding photographer’s website
Matt Selby / https://www.mattselbyphotography.co.uk/wedding-at-yeldersley-hall/
Wedding photographer review
Matt did an amazing job capturing our wedding and we couldn’t have been happier with the results. The photography was a really important aspect for me, and we loved Matt’s style and offering.
Communication was great ahead of the wedding (we were organising it from Australia), as well as on the big day. My husband and I were negotiating about how long we were prepared to spend away from guests to capture photos. In the end, it didn’t really matter as Matt and his second shooter were capturing lots of natural shots of what was going on, he captured the formal family shots quickly and when we went outdoors in the evening for photographs with just the two of us, we were ready to stretch our legs and get some fresh air anyway.
They blended in so much that we didn’t even notice them most of the time but they captured all the key moments as well as the finer details that really helped tell the story of the whole day. We got the final photos quicker than expected, with easy download options and links to share with guests. We are so happy with the results.
Your best moment or memory
Standing outside the doorway immediately before the ceremony as our musician played Simply the Best, then walking in together and seeing all our friends and family from across the world there to celebrate with us.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
The Humanist ceremony that Louise Gather pulled together was outstanding and really reflected our values and what we wanted. Not the traditional ceremony – it had fun audience participation, lots of laughter and really told our story beautifully. We also cracked a bottle of champagne and poured for each other at the end of the ceremony.
Venue name + review
Yeldersley Hall. We really liked the ‘rustic farmhouse with a touch of Downton Abbey’ style, including the beautiful grounds and gardens that Yeldersley offered. There were some really nice features like the former stable, Rose Garden and Orangery that we knew we could use during the day.
We were able to supply our own drinks until early evening (served by onsite staff) which helped keep it more affordable. It also had onsite self-catering accommodation that could host our families and some of our overseas guests for the whole weekend.
The gardens were a big selling point as we wanted an outdoor ceremony. Whilst the ceremony itself didn’t happen outdoors in the end (due to rain), we were still able to use the gardens throughout the weekend, as well as the features like the barn and courtyard. The owner Andrew was also really approachable, down to earth and upfront about a couple of minor restrictions. This gave us confidence that we could organise the day we wanted.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
We went for blue suits with maroon Italian silk tie and bowtie and braces for a more styled look.
Dress or suit shop name + review
We got our Joe Black suits in Australia where we now live. Tie / Bowtie – https://declic.com.au/collections/ties/products/declic-kontur-floral-tie-burgundy
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Lewis’s step-Mum Lin made the button holes, flower arrangements and chair sashes which helped keep the wedding in budget and gave a nice personal touch.
Wedding readings?
If you can love each other (tap to read), “Marriage” and a short speech / story from Mike’s sister
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
We put together a medley of Somebody to Love (Queen), Vogue (Madonna), Spice up Your Life (Spice Girls) and Don’t Stop Now (Dua Lipa). We had a dance choreographer who put the dance together and taught it to us. It ended with Mike sliding through Lewis’s legs which gave a good ending!
Wedding planner name + review
Ourselves. We were organised and split up tasks, working to our strengths. There were moments where groomzilla came out but it went well overall.
Hair + makeup name + review
Preston Guild Hair (Sydney) / ourselves.
