A Manchester English Asian Wedding combo, a great mix of cultures and traditions – three days of great fun and colourful imagery.
Our first Asian wedding celebration. All the more cosmopolitan with an amazing grand English wedding in the mix, for this Manchester English Asian wedding combo :)
During our pre-wedding meeting with the Bride and Groom (Kate & Jamal) it soon became clear they only had a vague idea of what was to come. This was a monumental celebration organised by lots of people with a drive and rhythm all of its own.
The Mehndi celebration
The proceedings kicked off on Friday with the traditional Mehndi celebration held at Nawaab in Levenshulme..to start at 6pm… so as usual we got there a little earlier…and waited… and waited some more… Kate and Jamal arrived around 8.00pm with more key guests yet to appear – we were told this is ‘Asian time keeping’!
So, about two and a half hours late, it began! A small but vibrant procession erupted into the restaurant with a magnitude of noise and rhythm from the Dhol players, cute and colourful kids carrying candles followed by the bride and groom. The henna blessing and guests greetings followed once they arrived at their ‘throne’.
The evening continued with eating, very energetic bhangra dancing and the excited anticipation of the weekend’s festivities ahead.
A classic Manchester Town Hall wedding
Back on familiar ground on Sunday for their English ceremony and wedding celebrations at one of our favourite venues – Manchester Town Hall with it’s amazing gothic architecture and gorgeous light. Jamal and his groomsmen arrived very early making up for Friday, giving them plenty of time for a quickie in the Slug & Lettuce!
An amazing ceremony and drinks reception followed by some iconic images of the bride and groom in this stunning venue.
Following their post-ceremony ‘loosening up’ drinks reception at the town hall everyone took the short walk to Room on King Street – another amazing venue with it’s high ceilings, rich ambience and not forgetting those huge lampshades… this place is amazing and all the better for being very similar to the gothic architecture of the town hall. Kate also squeezed in a wedding tradition that not many brides go for these days… the bouquet throwing, people stopped in the street and came out of pubs to watch… great fun!
The huge Walima finale
The finale for the weekend was back at Nawaab for the Walima celebration, with 300 guests! The dress for the Walima is very important, and Kate looked absolutely stunning! By now we felt like we knew all their family and friends and totally embraced the organised chaos – More dhol players, more food and some more bhangra dancing! An exhausting but incredibly enjoyable and varied weekend – bring on the next one!!
For a more recent Asian flavour wedding head over to our Hindu wedding from October 2015 or if you’d like to see more Manchester weddings just head back over to our blog and have a good flick through :)
Manchester English Asian wedding photography by Pixies in the Cellar • Prices & Contact • Blog • Home
Mehndi & Walima venue: Nawaab
English wedding ceremony: Manchester Town Hall
English wedding reception: Room (2015 – no longer open), new King Street venues close by include Jamies’ Italian, King Street Townhouse and Hotel Gotham. Also keep your eyes peeled for the refurbished Stock Exchange, also amazing architecture…..
Walima bridal prep: Blue Rainbow Aparthotel