Live music makes such a contribution to any good wedding reception. This was doubly the case at this Sikh wedding reception held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Sukshinda Shinda Live rocked the house and had the dancefloor packed with dancing fools. Look at the way the lead singer bobs and weaves his way across the stage? The guy just keeps on moving and keeps the crowd on their feet. From the spectacular sway of his turban, to the rustle of his robes, he is poetry in motion keeping time with his song! It was hard to keep our cameras still as we were bopping and weaving to the music too!
Doubling up on both keyboards and percussion gives a real depth to the sound and with one of the keyboards doubling on backing vocals it goes a long way to flushing out the sonic scope. Sukshinda Shinda Live were backed up by a great set of lights which pulsed and cut through the darkness helping to further lift the spirits. No expense was spared on their sound system too with bass sound that literally shook your bones. All the better to help you dance! Keep these great musicians in mind if you are planning an event or wedding reception. Well done guys!
Kiran & Kuldeep went all out on their Sikh wedding! It was a fantastic celebration. Early in the day we met up with the bride at the Hilton Hotel as she started her wedding preparations. She certainly wasn’t daunted by the path ahead and seemed to embrace the excitement of it all. Meanwhile our groom was being well looked after by his family who made sure he was dressed and ready for his ceremony at the Ilford Gurdwara. A couple of busses and a handful or Rolls Royce were on hand to ferry the wedding party in style. The ceremony was beautiful, colourful and over too soon!
Then it was on to the London’sGrosvenor House Hotel for a rather elaborate reception. The hotel pulled out all the stops to make Kiran & Kuldeep’s celebration a memorable one. The vast room was draped in a star cloth giving it a really pretty night-time sky effect. Coupled with a brilliant lighting setup and amazing floral displays made quite an impression on the guests. It was great for us to film too as there was so much to take in the with camera’s eye. The bride and groom made a spectacular entrance to the beating of many drums. And that was just the beginning of a long and memorable evening. Thank you to Kiran and Kuldeep for letting us be a part.
Janice and Mark’s lovely church wedding took place at Farm Street Church in Central London. Earlier that day, in North London, Janice had an early start in her wedding preparations. Experienced make-up and hair assistants were there in the home to help her look her best to walk up the aisle. The service was lovely and with a large church our videographers are always able to move about and create some really beautiful shots – which is helped by the terrific lighting through the stained glass. After the ceremony, as everyone gathered outside, we managed to find a bit of a patch of lawn to do some photos/videoing of the wedding party. They were a really playful lot, which leant a nice easiness to the shooting.
Soon the party shifted to the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel where a glass of chilled champagne was awaiting each guest. As the guests paired off into small groupings in order to chat and get to know each other better, we had the opportunity to make our way around with the camera to get lots of footage of all the guests – that way we know we’ve got everyone on Janice and Mark’s wedding video. We hope that they love the end result and will have memories to treasure for years.
Yane was tucked away in the Chesterfield Hotel where she could have some space and quiet to prepare for her church wedding to Tim. With a little help from her friends, she was soon ready to go and posing for a few photographs in her stunning dress. As she was putting on her finishing touches, the guests were starting to arrive nearby in Hanover Square in the heart of London at St George’s Church where Tim was waiting to catch a glimpse of his bride. Yane arrived in a spectacular white Rolls Royce before being walked up the aisle. It’s a nice bit of editing there where the film changes from black & white to colour when they share their first married kiss – you can do amazing things in post-production. While the bride & groom had a vintage car to travel to the reception in, the remaining wedding party were ushered over in rickshaws – a nice eco-friendly touch.
Once they all safely arrived at Dartmouth House there was drink waiting to welcome them. The group posed for a bunch of wedding photos – the highlight of which had to be when all the blokes hoisted up Yane for a photo in their arms. Good thing they didn’t drop her. After dinner the dancing began. With a large contingent of Brazilians it wasn’t hard differentiating between the English and the Brazilians on the dance floor – they are a nation of people with rhythm and they didn’t disappoint. We wish a rosy future for this dancing couple.
Sarah & Richard chose to be married in London’s lovely borough of Mayfair with its stone buildings and historic squares which ooze history and class. Richard took advantage of Farm Street Church’s vicinity to several great pubs to sneak in a cheeky pint at the Punchbowl pub nearby. Talk about steadying your nerves! Farm Street Church has lovely architectural features including wonderful stained glass windows high above the altar – a romantic choice for a traditional church wedding. Although the bride arriving in a London cab wasn’t such a traditional choice; but was an inspired one. When the service concluded the church was an ideal backdrop for some group photographs. Before long it was time to board the red bus (or the white taxi cab) for the short ride to the National Liberal Club for the reception.
Within the ‘old-world’ confines of the National Liberal Club, we were able to make our way around filming all the guests while they enjoyed a glass of champagne. Sarah & Richard made a point of greeting all the guests as they made their way in for supper (with our camera on hand to film all the interactions). Later everyone was able to mix it up a bit on the dance floor, interacting with each other and enjoying celebrating the union of Sarah & Richard. Thank you to them for choosing to share their special day with us.
Yasamin and Bilal chose to be married at The Gherkin – one of London’s iconic landmarks. The tower, which stands in the heart of the City (also known as 30 St Mary Axe) is one of architect Norman Foster’s crowning achievements. It proved to be a spectacular venue for Yasamin and Bilal’s Arabic wedding. However the day actually kicked off at the Lanesborough Hotel where Yasamin and her bridesmaids went through their wedding preparations with some experts on hand to help them look their best. The girls were in great spirits and the excitement was bubbling throughout the room. When she was dressed, the only car lovely enough to transport her to the wedding was a Rolls Royce and one stood idling in front of the hotel ready to whisk her away.
The wedding venue surpassed everyone’s expectations. From its glassed-in top, the views stretched as far as the eye could see while inside rows of clear Phillipe Starck Ghost chairs were lined up ready to prop up the guests, all of whom were gobsmacked when they reached the top of the tower! During the ceremony, when Yasamin and Bilal kissed, the audience broke into applause which reverberated throughout the glassed-in space creating a thunderous effect. It was a thrilling moment. There was so much to shoot at the wedding that we didn’t know when to stop! Thank you to Yasamin and Bilal for allowing us to share in your special day and the very best wishes to you both.
Nashreen and Sirish held a beautiful Asian wedding at some of West London’s loveliest venues. The day started for Nashreen at Cannizaro House, the stylish hotel set in leafy Wimbledon, which had great facilities for her to prepare for her wedding. With a top-notch hair stylist on hand to fix her hair, she enjoyed a drink and a giggle with her bridesmaids while undergoing her bridal transformation. It’s always great to film these behind-the-scenes moments; they prove to be very popular in years to come. Meanwhile the guests began to appear at Parkstead House for the civil wedding ceremony. When Nashreen arrived, the contrast between her in pure white and her bridesmaids in vivid red was a visual treat and all eyes were on the girls as they made their way up the aisle. Sirish and his best men were looking equally as dashing in their grey morning coats which vivid red ties – a very handsome wedding party all around.
After the ceremony, the bride and groom took the time to greet all the wedding guests and exchange kisses. This was also a good time for us to capture footage of all the wedding guests so that no one gets left out. The guests enjoyed finger foods while listening to the harpist while the wedding party went outside for some fantastic photographs. The lovely smiling couple filled every frame. We wish them much happiness.
St Mary Brookfield Church, an imposing red-brick London church, was the setting for Lucy & Nick’s church wedding. The high vaulted ceiling of the church drew the eye upwards past the stained glass windows and allowed bountiful daylight to stream in which were optimal conditions for filming. The elegant groomsmen in their morning suits made sure that everyone was seated, comfortably ready for Lucy’s grand arrival to the church (in a gorgeous vintage Rolls Royce). Lucy was a beautiful bride and all eyes were on her as she walked down the aisle where Nick stood ready to give her a quick kiss.
When the ceremony was complete, our beaming happy couple walked hand in hand out of the church where they were showered with confetti and posed for photographs. Throughout, they kissed each other and glowed with happiness. The reception took place at Kenwood House where the champagne stood ready to greet the wedding party. To the music of the fiddle and guitar duo, they enjoyed some time to visit with all of their guests. The bucolic lawns of Kenwood House made a suitable backdrop for wedding photos and the August sunshine meant that guests lingered outside as long as they could. They were drawn inside by the promise of a wonderful meal – a promise which was definitely fulfilled. Lucy & Nick, we wish you all the best!
Claridges Hotel, in London’s Mayfair area, is one of a small handful of the world’s best hotels. From its sumptuous facilities to its attentive service, it is a wonderful place to spend any amount of time in. So for Keely & Simon to hold their civil wedding reception at the hotel was an inspired choice and pleasure for us to be a part of. The civil service was at the Chelsea Old Town Hall where a small group of their closest friends and family were privy to the ceremony. Keely made a stylish entrance with a white fur cape on over her dress trailed by several flower girls. The ceremony was lovely and simple and soon they were pronounced man and wife to thunderous applause. The entire wedding party gathered on the steps in front of the Town Hall for a photograph and then it was back to Claridges for the reception.
The hotel surpassed expectations with stunning white floral displays on the long table set for them in the Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Before eating, the guests enjoyed a glass of champagne and a chance to visit while the harpist played. The food and the service lived up to the hotel’s reputation and when the last guest left it was with a smile on their face. We thank Keely & Simon for allowing us to be part of their special day.
Preeti & Rajesh held their Sikh wedding at the Shepherds Bush Gurdwara on a lovely late summer day. The guests arrived to the gleaming white building with a sense of anticipation. Preeti arrived in her pretty pink sari followed by Rajesh in a vivid turban and when they met on the steps they presented each other with flowered garlands. The ceremony was well-attended and filled with rich colours and traditions.
The reception was held at one of London’s best hotels overlooking Hyde Park, the Inter-Continental Hotel Park Lane. The cars dropped all the guests off at the entrance and they were ushered inside where the drinks were poured and a string group were playing beautiful music. It was time for the celebration to begin. The bride and groom changed into new outfits and were led into the room by drummers. After eating, Preeti and Rajesh held each other on the dance floor for their first married dance together as husband and wife. Their guests looked on and took many photographs. Soon they were joined by other couples who filled up the dance floor. Even the children were involved. We enjoyed very much being a part of your wedding day and we wish Preeti and Rajesh much joy and happiness.
