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| JAG'S BEAUTIFUL HENNA' HANDS FOR HER WEDDING TO MARTIN |
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| HARDWICK HALL IN COUNTY DURHAM, NEAR SEDGEFIELD, NORTH EAST ENGLAND |
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| GUESTS ARRIVING FOR THE WEDDING |
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| JAGDEEP AND HER GRANDFATHER - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF |
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| ONE OF THE BRIDESMAIDS HAS HER MAKE-UP FINISHED OFF |
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| FACIAL DECORATION FOR JAGDEEP - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY |
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| A READING FROM THE SMALLEST BRIDESMAID AT THE CEREMONY AT HARDWICK HALL |
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| JAG AND HER NEW FATHER-IN-LAW GREET EACH OTHER AFTER THE CEREMONY |
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| JAG AND MARTIN SHOW THEIR LOVE |
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| LOTS OF COLOUR AS GUESTS GATHER |
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| MARTIN IS DRAGGED INTO THE FRAY TO DANCE THE DAY AWAY! |
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| MARTIN IS HOISTED ALOFT DURING THE CELEBRATIONS |
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| GUESTS ENJOY THE DANCING AT THE WEDDING AT HARDWICK HALL |
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| JAG'S BROTHER AND MOTHER DANCE TOGETHER |
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| GUESTS DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY! |
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| THE GIRLS DEMAND MONEY FROM MARTIN SO THAT HE CAN SEE HIS BRIDE! |
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| HAVING A GREAT TIME BEING MARRIED! |
Two days shooting was pretty hectic - and the editing even more so, but the colour and the energy and the happiness of both families meant that I really, really enjoyed photographing their wedding at Hardwick Hall in County Durham.
On Saturday afternoon and evening, I was part of the pre-wedding celebrations when Jag and her family held traditional Sikh ceremonies with invited family and friends - I'll post photographs from that at a later date.
On Sunday I was up and out early to 'check-out' the venue and meet Martin when he arrived and then headed across to Wynyard where Jag was preparing for her wedding celebrations. The previous evening had been a great success - I don't believe too many of the wedding party had a whole lot of rest and sleep!
Many of the photographs at Asian weddings in the UK is taken up with traditional family photos - everyone LOVES to have their photograph taken and EVERYONE has to have their photograph taken with every other member of the family and with the bride and groom - so there's a whole lot of energy to expand during the day.
But the opportunity for great photographs are everywhere, and there's no point being shy at an Asian wedding either - you have to get right in among the fun and make sure you capture all the photographs that family want and expect - and the images that I need to capture to show the wedding celebrations is all it's glory!
Family members gathered at the hotel for the civil ceremony and when Jag turned up, male family members gathered to guide her to the room - and there were smiles everywhere as Martin and Jagdeep's eyes met in front of the registrar.
Little Olivia did a brilliant job with her speech and she made sure that the other bridesmaids stood with her at the front before the newly married couple, full of smiles, led the wedding party from the room to their reception.
After drinks the bride and groom and guests headed to the main area where more traditional Sikh ceremonies were held - grandparents and parents feeding cake to the bride and groom before the cake was cut and the dancing could begin!
The great thing about all the Asian weddings I have covered across the north east of England and north Yorkshire, is that it doesn't matter whether you are four years old or 84 years old - EVERYONE gets on the dance floor, and it's difficult to get them off!
Luckily, the first course of the food beckoned but as soon as they were finished, everyone was back on the dancefloor, and it was the same after the main course and the puddings too!
I was right in among all the dance contests between the men and the women and the general dancing fun too - it was exhausting but exciting.
At 6pm, Jag close members of her family headed off home, and half an hour later I followed Martin as he became part of a very emotional ceremony where tears flowed. Before that, outside the marquee he had to make his way through the younger female members of the bridal party, offering cash before he was able to be with his new wife! I think the girls and Jag were disappointed with the amount he was offering to be let in!
Once again, the newly wed couple were given money by Jag's grandfather and sweets from her mother, while her brother Peter gave gifts. Rice was thrown by Jag to the four corners of the marquee before the tears flowed again and Jag and Martin left in a car back to Hardwick Hall with members of the Sikh community ceremoniously pushing the car from the drive as she left the family home as a married woman.
And then of course, it was back to the dancing and drinking and more fun .....
It was a great couple of days to be a wedding photographer. I was shattered - especially with two full days of editing afterwards whittling 2000+ images from the two days to a more acceptable 600 final edited images .. and I can show you only 17 in the space I have here.
I felt privileged to have been asked by Jagdeep and Martin to be a part of their wedding celebrations and I thanks their families and friends for embracing me and my cameras to capture such a great wedding celebration.
If you would like me to be a small but important part of your wedding, then ring me in the office until 6pm on 01429 423165 or on my mobile at any time, 0778 7150966.
If you would like me to be a small but important part of your wedding, then ring me in the office until 6pm on 01429 423165 or on my mobile at any time, 0778 7150966.
DIRK VAN DER WERFF
