Asian Wedding Photographer for Scotland

The short answer

Is there an Asian wedding photographer who covers Scotland?

Yes. Kaushik Bathia photographs Asian weddings in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, including mehndi, sangeet, haldi, nikah, walima, anand karaj, pheras and the reception. He travels from Northwood, between about 321 and 389 miles, so an overnight stay is usually sensible at this distance and is set out in your written quote. Packages start from £750, and the travel for every day is listed in writing before you book.

Making it legal

Religious or civil: how an Asian wedding becomes legal in Scotland

Scotland works differently from England here. A religious ceremony conducted by an authorised celebrant is itself a legal marriage, so couples can marry legally in a religious ceremony with an authorised celebrant, or choose a civil one. Check with your celebrant and the registrar what applies to your ceremony, then tell us which one carries the legal signing so we plan for it.

If you choose a civil ceremony, the registrars' guidance is that it can take place in a registration office or at any place agreed with the registration authority, other than religious premises. That puts a hotel suite or a family home within reach, on the main day or a few days before.

The city rooms vary a lot in size. Glasgow's registrars have the Kelvin Room and the Clyde Room at 23 Montrose Street and suites in the City Chambers; Dundee's Hollins Room takes up to 58 guests; Aberdeen's Grant Room at Marischal College holds 50 at most. In Edinburgh, notice must be lodged at least 29 days before a civil ceremony, and the council advises six to eight weeks.

Big guest lists

Glasgow receptions, the Caledonian Sleeper and guests arriving from England

Families travelling from England change the shape of a Scottish reception. Glasgow Central is the northern end of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and the Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight between Euston and both Dundee and Aberdeen. Starting the group photographs once the trains are in, rather than straight after the ceremony, means grandparents and cousins from the south are not missed.

For a reception of a few hundred, we agree the family groups with you before the day and work through them at the stage in a fixed order, largest groups first. Tell us where the stage and the entrance doors are, and when the speeches fall, so Kaushik can be in place before the couple walks in.

An optional second photographer can cover the other family's preparations at the same time, and gives a second view of the entrance on a long evening.

Traditions

Hindu, Sikh and Muslim ceremonies, photographed with care

For a Hindu wedding, the jaimala, the kanyadaan and the pheras are the moments to plan positions for. The couple circles the sacred fire during the pheras, and at many Gujarati weddings the saptapadi, the seven steps, then follows as a rite of its own. Our Hindu weddings page explains how those rituals are covered. For a Sikh anand karaj, the laavan are photographed quietly from positions agreed with the gurdwara, as set out on our Sikh weddings page.

A nikah is often small and intimate, followed by a walima and sometimes a mehndi. Coverage stays respectful and modest, and the camera goes quiet during prayers. Our Muslim weddings page goes into the detail, and the main Asian weddings page covers packages across all traditions.