Kaushik BathiaPhotography
Bride and groom in a garden, groom in a white sherwani

Sikh Wedding Photographer in Berkshire

From the milni outside the gurdwara to the doli at the end of the day, Kaushik Bathia photographs Sikh weddings in Slough, Reading and every Berkshire town in between, with packages from £750.

★★★★★ Rated 4.8 from 580+ reviews

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The short answer

Do you photograph Sikh weddings in Berkshire?

Yes. Kaushik Bathia, a wedding photographer since 2001, covers Sikh weddings throughout Berkshire, including the chunni ceremony, jaggo, milni, anand karaj and laavan at the gurdwara, the doli and the reception. Slough, where Punjabi was the most spoken language after English at the 2021 census, is about 10 miles from the Northwood studio. Packages start from £750, and travel is set out in your written quote.

Google reviews

What couples say

4.8 from 580+ Google reviews

…Kaushik has an incredible eye for detail and an exceptional talent for capturing those fleeting, candid moments that made our wedding so unique. The photos are absolutely stunning—full of emotion, vibrancy, and creativity. He didn’t just take photographs; he told the story of our wedding day in the most heartfelt and artistic way possible.

Devki M., Google review, 2024

…Kaushik is incredibly talented, artistic, and truly gifted with a photographer’s vision. He knows exactly what he wants each frame to look like and how to get the best out of his subjects. Honestly, there were moments during the shoot when I’d wonder, “What is he making me do?” – but when I saw the final shots, I was blown away. Every image looked beautiful, intentional, and natural.

Amrita A., Google review, 2025

I had hired Mr Kaushik as our photographer for my son and daughters wedding fir all the ceremonies conducted and found him to be friendly professional with all the guests The quality of his photographs are excellent and are of high quality I was also very impressed when he had completed the albums He also give extra hours if needed and does not complain I would recommend to anyone

Malti B., Google review, 2021

Read all the reviews on Google

Punjabi Berkshire

Sikh weddings in Slough and the rest of Berkshire

Slough is the heart of Punjabi life in Berkshire. At the 2021 census, Punjabi was the most commonly spoken language in the town after English, and nearly half of all residents were Asian. That makes the east of the county, around Slough, Langley and Windsor, the natural starting point for many Sikh weddings, and it is also the part of Berkshire nearest to Northwood, at about 10 to 12 miles.

The rest of the county matters too. Families in Maidenhead, Bracknell, Wokingham or Reading may hold the anand karaj at the gurdwara they attend and then travel to a reception somewhere else. Reading is about 26 miles from the studio and Newbury, at the far western end, close to 42, so for a wedding there we build the day around the drive between the gurdwara and the hall.

Wherever you are in Berkshire, the coverage is the same: Kaushik photographs the day from the first ritual at home to the doli, and every journey from Northwood appears in the quote before you book.

Bride and groom together in soft garden light

The days before

Chunni, jaggo and maiyan at the family home

A Sikh wedding usually starts days earlier at home. The chunni ceremony, when one family brings the red chunni and jewellery to the other, is often small and emotional, and it photographs best near a window or in the garden. Tell us which elders will place the chunni, because that moment passes in seconds.

Maiyan, with its turmeric paste, and the choora ceremony are close and playful, and family members tend to crowd in from every side. We keep the camera at eye level and stay near the couple so the photographs show the hands and faces rather than the backs of guests.

The jaggo night is the loudest event of the week: decorated pots with lamps, dancing in the street or the drive, and boliyan sung late into the evening. We suggest starting the jaggo photography before the neighbours' houses are dark, so there is still some light on the street in the background.

Inside the gurdwara

Photography etiquette at a Berkshire gurdwara

The anand karaj is a religious service, and the camera follows the gurdwara's rules. Kaushik covers his head, removes his shoes and moves quietly. Every gurdwara sets its own guidance on where a photographer may stand, so we ask your family to check with the committee or the granthi beforehand, and we follow what they say on the morning.

Most of the photography inside happens from the side aisles and the back of the hall, using long lenses so there is no need to step towards the Guru Granth Sahib. Kaushik never stands between the congregation and the palki, and never turns his back to it. Sitting on the floor with the sangat between moments keeps us out of everyone's view.

Before the ceremony, there is time for the milni outside, when the elders of both families greet and embrace. It is the first big family picture of the day, so we position ourselves before the baraat arrives and photograph each pairing as the names are called.

Bride's hands with mehndi and stacked bangles

The ceremony

The four laavan, the palla and the moments in between

During the laavan, the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib four times while the ragis sing each of the four verses. These walks are slow and repetitive, which helps: we can take a different angle on each round, one from the side, one wider to show the sangat, one closer on the palla between the couple's hands, and one on the relatives who guide the couple between rounds.

The palla ceremony, when the scarf that links the couple is placed in their hands by a parent, comes just before the first lav. It is one of the most important photographs of a Sikh wedding, and it happens with no warning, so we stay ready from the moment the couple sit down.

After the ardas and the hukamnama, guests come forward with blessings and gifts and then go to the langar hall. We photograph the congratulations at the front, then take a few quiet minutes outside for couple portraits before the family moves on.

After the gurdwara

From langar to the doli and an evening reception

A Berkshire Sikh wedding often moves straight from the gurdwara to a reception venue, or holds the doli at the family home first. If the reception is in another town, say from Slough to a hotel near Reading, we plan the timings so Kaushik arrives at the reception before the couple, ready for the entrance.

Some couples also hold a short civil ceremony on another day. In Bracknell Forest, the register office ceremonies room is at Time Square on Market Street and holds up to 38 guests plus the couple, and confetti and rice are not allowed in Time Square. In Wokingham, the Ceremony Room takes up to 28 people including the couple. These rooms suit a small legal ceremony before the big day.

At the reception, the bhangra, the speeches and the stage photographs with the whole extended family take most of the evening. A group list written in advance, with a cousin from each side to gather each set of relatives, is the single best way to keep the stage moving.

Bride and groom beside a lake, groom in a turban

Town guides

Sikh wedding guides for Berkshire towns

For local detail, the Sikh wedding page for Slough is the place to start, then the guides for Windsor, Reading and Wokingham. Each one gives the distance from Northwood and the nearby register office.

For a mixed celebration, read the Berkshire Asian wedding guide; for a Hindu side of the family, the Hindu wedding page for the county covers the mandap and pheras.

Planning

Planning around Berkshire

01

Ask the committee first

Each gurdwara sets its own photography guidance. Ask the committee where a photographer may stand during the laavan, and pass the answer on to us.

02

Plan for the milni line-up

Write down the order of the milni pairings. With names in hand, Kaushik can be in position for each embrace as it is announced.

03

Mind the confetti rule

Bracknell Forest's Time Square does not allow confetti or rice, so save the petals for the gurdwara steps or the reception entrance instead.

04

Leave time for portraits

Twenty minutes between the langar and the reception gives time for couple portraits without rushing the family or the doli.

05

Travel set out per day

Each event is quoted with its own travel from Northwood, so a jaggo in Slough and a reception in Reading are both clear before you book.

Places for a Sikh wedding day in Berkshire

Facts about Berkshire's towns and their communities, each linked to its source, which help when you choose where to hold the ceremony, the portraits and the reception.

  • Guards Club Park and Island: Guards Club Park and Island, off Oldfield Road, is a 1.1-hectare conservation area with views of Brunel's Sounding Arch and Maidenhead Bridge; the island is closed from December to June but the park stays open all year. 1
  • The Savill Garden: The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park covers 35 acres of gardens and woodland, was created by the horticulturist Eric Savill in 1932 and first opened to paying visitors in 1953. 2
  • Dinton Pastures Country Park: Dinton Pastures Country Park on Davis Street, Hurst (RG10 0TH) is a 350-acre park of lakes, ponds, rivers, woodland and meadow with footpaths throughout. 3
  • Ambarrow Court: Ambarrow Court in Little Sandhurst (parking off Wokingham Road, GU47 8JD) is an 8.7-hectare former Victorian estate dating from 1855, with yew hedges, bamboo, Douglas firs and cedars, bluebell woodland, marshes and meadows, and a step-free nature trail. 4
  • Caversham Court Gardens: Caversham Court is a walled garden with terraced lawns leading down to the Thames, ancient yew trees and a lavender bank, and holds Green Flag and Green Heritage awards. 5

Sources, facts checked October 2026

  1. Guards Club Park and Island - RBWM
  2. The Savill Garden | Windsor Great Park
  3. Dinton Pastures Country Park | Wokingham Borough Council
  4. Ambarrow Court - Bracknell Forest Council
  5. Caversham Court | Reading Borough Council

Town by town

Sikh wedding pages for Berkshire towns

Here are the Berkshire towns with a Sikh wedding page, each with its distance from the studio in Northwood Hills. Slough is the closest, and Newbury is the farthest west.

Good to know

Sikh weddings in Berkshire: questions answered

Wedding photography starts from £750. For a Sikh wedding the quote depends on how many events you want covered, from the chunni and maiyan to the anand karaj and reception, and where they are. The drive from Northwood to each gurdwara, home and hall is quoted in writing before you commit.

Yes. Kaushik covers his head, removes his shoes, follows the gurdwara's photography rules and works from the sides and the back. He never stands between the sangat and the Guru Granth Sahib. Because each gurdwara has its own rules, we ask you to confirm them with the committee beforehand.

Yes. Each of the four rounds is covered from a different angle, and the palla ceremony before the first lav is treated as a key moment. We stay in one place during each verse rather than walking about.

Yes. Slough is about 10 miles from the studio and Reading about 26. We plan the drive between them so Kaushik is at the reception before you arrive, and the travel for the whole day is listed in your written quote.

Yes, either as separate bookings or as part of a multi-day package. The chunni is short and quiet, the jaggo is long and lively, and we plan each one differently. Tell us which family members lead each ritual.

Yes. An engagement or pre-wedding shoot is an optional extra, and it is a good way to get used to the camera before the anand karaj. Our couples photoshoot page explains how it works.

A second photographer is an optional extra: on the wedding morning a second photographer can cover the other family's preparations at the same time, and at a reception of several hundred guests it means the stage and the dance floor are both covered.

Sikh weddings in Berkshire

Planning a Sikh wedding in Berkshire?

Tell us the gurdwara date, the reception and any events at home. Kaushik will reply with a plan for the day and a written quote, from £750, including the travel.

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