Ash & Anil’s Indian, Fusion wedding at Cockington Court exuded love and emotion combining their heritage and their new lives together.
It was just two weeks from the first time I met Ash on zoom until the day of their wedding, and as we didn’t have much time for preparations, all of our pre-wedding meetings were held on zoom. Ash and Anil have been together for over ten years and decided on a whim that it was now time to get married, not leaving much time for preparation at all but still absolutely doable, none the less!
Anil was in India during the first couple of conversations that I had with Ash on zoom and so there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing of information due to the time difference. The package that these guys ended up with is a classic example of how I adapt all my packages to exactly what the couple want. Initially, all the couple had wanted was a few photos of the ceremony and then a few shots in the rose garden at Cockington Court.
During our first discussion, Ash mentioned that he had wanted to get married by a beach, but Anil had chosen Cockington Court for its grandeur and pleasant gardens, and being just ten minutes up the road from where they currently live and a place that they visit often, it became the obvious choice. I immediately went into creative thinking overdrive – this happens a lot! – and suggested that we take a trip to the beach after the ceremony for some photos to which Ash agreed that this would be a great idea!
As the day grew closer, I met both Ash and Anil again to discuss the final plan and it transpired that they would be doing their prayers that morning at home before the legal ceremony. Once again, my creative thinking overdrive kicked in and I asked whether they would like some photos of their preparations and praying at home before the ceremony, again, the answer was absolutely, yes!
So the plan had gone from being just an hour or so at Cockington Court, to now being spread over three different locations and venues. Ash’s excitement and enthusiasm really was catching and as our plan got bigger and better so did the anticipation for their big day!
With so little time, there was no way that I would be able to venture up to Torquay to do a site visit, something that I always do before each wedding; to sus out the space, light and logistics. Thank goodness for the internet and google maps as I was able to get just enough information about the venue and also out together a plan of where I needed to be and what time and more importantly, a plan for the times that I wasn’t needed to be with Ash and Anil so I could go on a recce of the next venue or location before meeting back up with them for the key parts of their day!
So, the day arrived and I met Ash and Anila at their home, all beautifully decorated with marigold garlands which in the Hindu culture symbolize purity, auspiciousness, and the divine. The couple were dressed in their traditional sherwani dress which Anil had brought back from his latest visit to India. Each had their own coloured dupatta and matching turban (or safa) to wear and their gold embellished shoes were made from the same fabric as their sherwanis. They were so welcoming and open with me, explaining lots about their religion and the meaning behind all of the traditional Hindu wedding practices. Including henna! The night before, during their Mehndi ceremony, henna had been painted onto both of their hands to symbolise aiding fertility, warding off evil, and attracting positive energy.
Ash & Anil prayed to their gods, including their parents before I set off to Cockington Court to give me a 15 minute window to scout the location and get my bearings before they arrived.
The ceremony hall is beautifully light and steeped in heritage. The windows are a photographers’ dream, especially the floor length one, just outside of the ceremony room which we made the most of after the ceremony. Access to the ceremony room is through a rose garden, over a small wooden bridge and again, the garden is the perfect spot for those post-ceremony coupe shots, as are the rest of the grounds with the house in the background.
I then left Ash and Anil to spend some time together and with their guests and I sped off to our final location, Babbington Beach, arranging to meet them just an hour later once they had changed into their second outfits of the day!
What an absolute delight of a place Babbacombe was, a real little treasure to find. Despite the tide being very high and the pier somewhat out of bounds to us due to the large population of fishermen casting lines into the sea, there was so many perfect little spots for amazing photo opportunities.
I am torn when it comes to my favourite photos of the day… it was a novelty for me to photograph Ash and Anil in their Hindu wedding attire and learn so much about their culture. Likewise, I don’t know many people who can pull off a baby blue and pink suit like this pair did… so, I am still undecided! The jury is out on this one!