Sikh Ceremony

The wedding started in the morning at the Singh Sabha Gurdwara Temple in Derby. As half the couple was Sikh and the other half Hindu they had two ceremonies. This is the second post from the day detailing the second half of the day – the Hindu wedding ceremony at Eastwood Hall Nottingham Hotel and the evening party.

You can view the first post, detailing the Sikh Wedding in Derby, here.

Groom and Bridal Preparation

Once the bride, groom and guests had arrived at The Eastwood Hall Hotel, had some champagne, and checked into their rooms, everyone had a buffet lunch before the couple retired to get changed for their Hindu Ceremony. The ceremony took place in a large convention room within the hotel.

Homa Ritual

The Hindu wedding ceremony takes place around a consecrated fire where various items – ghee, rice, fruit, sweets, flowers – are offered to the fire (homa ritual). Items are offered to the fire and the couple walk around the fire. Halfway through the groom started to get worried as the hotel room had sprinklers all across the ceiling. His fears were calmed when he was informed that they’d been switched off during the homa ritual.

Evening Celbrations

After the ceremony everyone went out into The Eastwood Hall grounds for canapés and photographs. The bride and groom went away to change a third time into a dress and suit respectively. The evening celebrations included a sit down meal followed by the couple’s first dance which ended with indoor fireworks (and switched off sprinklers).

The evening ended with a disco and a multitude of merriment and dancing. A fun time was had by all. Throughout the whole day the staff at Eastwood Hall, Nottingham, were extremely friendly and helpful.