London Intercontinental Hotel

The Intercontinental Hotel on Hyde Park is a symbol of status and opulence! For Leonard & Sue, there was no other choice than to host their extravagant wedd ing at this plush hotel.

The day was set in two parts. At the English Civil wedding in the morning Sue paraded a fabulous white gown and for the reception later that afternoon she changed into a mythical traditional Indian wedding dress.

Photography by Andre van Niekerk

There was no way that we could head into this wedding with only one photographer, so we called in the help of Chanelle of Segerius Bruce photography. Chanelle is a naturally talented photographer with an amazing eye for detail and the ability to see moments before they happen. Check out her blog post on this wedding. If we’re not available for your wedding, then she’s the one to book!

Two outfits meant two couple shoots. For the morning session the luxurious hotel lobby was very fitting. Then we headed across the road to the War Memorial on Hyde Park Corner. With the Indian wedding dress we stayed indoors.

The next 3 photos reflect one of the most fun parts of Indian weddings. Back in the day in India, it was tradition for the groom to pay over a sum of money to the family of the bride, before getting her hand in marriage. Some couples still retain this tradition and it is normally the sisters of the bride that haggle the groom for as much money as they can.

The quibble can last up to 5 minutes - It is literally a face-off between the families of the bride and groom, with a hilarious verbal exchange to determine the worth of the bride! The groom always wins, but it comes at a price, as you can see in the 3rd photo. This must be similar to Labola here in South Africa!