Four events over two days, what a beautiful, bright and boisterous wedding this was! I was thrilled to be asked to photograph Eshita Kabra-Davies’ founder of By Rotation wedding at Hedsor House an iconic luxury wedding venue outside of London. This was the start of a lovely working relationbshiop with Eshita and I went on to photograph her for a feature in Vogue Singapore and many shoots for By Rotation.
Eshita wanted something a little different from the traditional Indian wedding, and wanted to weave in James’ British culture, so Hedsor House, a grand Georgian home in the Buckinghamshire countryside, close to James’ family home, was perfect.
The first event was the Mehndi henna ceremony with a dress code of blush pink and gold, with Eshita and James wearing green to stand out. That evening was the Celestial Ball, or a Sangeet – featuring musical performances from both sides of the family. Eshita wore an elaborate white dress, and James wore a tux, to nod to Western wedding conventions. The third event was the Holi, which is a purifying ritual pre-wedding. Guests put a turmeric mix on the bride to bless her and clean her, so they made the dress code for that Marigold Sunrise. The guests were a sea of yellow, orange and red shades.
The fourth and final event was the wedding itself. James rode up on a white horse with traditional Indian drummers while Eshita waited on the balcony above. So fun and so fabulous, everyone dancing and full of joy! They had a traditional Hindu religious ceremony. But because of the mix of guests, they found a priest who delivered the ceremony in both Sanskrit and English. I loved how Eshita and James thoughtfully created a blend of both of their cultures.