Southall Sikh ceremony & Syon Park wedding
Harpreet and Tim’s Syon Park wedding combined the best traditions of two cultures. Their Sikh ceremony took place in the newly-built Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, followed by a civil ceremony in the Robert Adam-designed Great Hall at Syon Park. Apart from being a dramatic building, the Gurdwara is the first place of worship that I’ve been to that has its own underground car park!
Syon Park is of course from a very different century, having been the London home of the Dukes of Northumberland for several hundred years. It was a long day for me (14 hours) but I enjoyed every minute of it – we were blessed by warm sunshine and blue skies, and both families were very welcoming and fun – as you’ll see from the pictures!
Syon Park wedding reception in the Great Conservatory
The reception was held in the stunning surroundings of the Great Conservatory, built in 1826 and said to be the inspiration for Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace. Events at Syon Park were very well managed by Beccy Thorp and her team, and the delicious meal was provided by Greenleaf Catering. I’ll be looking forward to seeing the video of the day from my colleagues at Bloomsbury Films.
Preparations at the bride’s parents’ home
I started my photo coverage bright and early at Harpreet’s parents’ house in Southall. As well as photographing her makeup and hair I like to get a few informal portraits of the bride if I can – like this one:
Sikh ceremony at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Southall
The Gurdwara is a pretty amazing building, both inside and out! 
The bride and groom’s mother greet each other with garlands as part of the opening phase of the wedding ceremony. 
As with any wedding, the moment the bride arrives is one of the highlights: 
Family and friends greet the newly-married couple and offer gifts 
Syon Park civil ceremony and reception
Syon Park’s magnificent architecture was the setting for Harpreet and Tim’s civil ceremony. Guests gathered in the sunshine outside the main entrance before filing in to the Great Hall for the ceremony itself. 
I grabbed the opportunity to get some more portrait photos of Harpreet while we were waiting for the civil ceremony to begin. 
Formalities over, everyone gathered in the courtyard for drinks and canapes.
Then it was time to steal Tim & Harpreet away from their guests for a short while to get some photos of just the two of them… 
The Great Conservatory is one of Syon Park’s most outstanding features, and a fantastic location for a wedding reception, especially in the summer. 
Gangnam Style! 
Sunset photos in Syon House gardens
Finally, as the sun set (it’s behind those clouds somewhere!) we ventured outside to get a few photos with the conservatory and its lights in the background. 
