Shruti + Sayo, a Suryagarh Jaisalmer Wedding

The pleasure of capturing Shruti & Sayo‘s wedding at Suryagarh, Jaisalmer – India in November 2023. Shruti was born in Chennai and brought up in Singapore. She moved to the UK when she was 18 for university (lived in Cambridge and Manchester since) while Sayo was born in Nigeria moved to the UK when he was 10 and was brought up around Manchester. Shruti is a Singaporean (of south Indian descent) working at The Manchester Foundation Trust Hospitals while Sayo is British (of Nigerian descent) working at Glanbia – a nutrition company.

They happened to cross paths as Shruti picked up her cousin’s partner who had gone on a walk with Sayo (they were colleagues). They immediately gravitated towards each other. They somehow ended up talking for 5 hours (Shruti still believes Sayo made every excuse to hang around while he says Shruti did, hehe), seeing each other every day for the next week. A month later, Shruti left the country for 6 weeks to see her parents in Singapore (this was during COVID-19 when Shruti had to quarantine for 2 weeks in a hotel) – there wasn’t a day that went by that they didn’t speak to each other on the phone and by the time she got back, they both knew this was something very special.

Their wedding was a beautiful fusion of two cultures, seamlessly represented throughout the celebrations. For the Indian elements, everyone fully embraced the traditional aspects, including outfits and rituals. Similarly, the Nigerian traditional wedding was honored with equal commitment. A standout event was the Mehendi, which featured a carnival theme complete with captivating acts like fire breathers and stilt walkers. The Haldi ceremony highlighted local handicrafts with interactive stalls where guests could engage in activities like perfume making and block printing, all organized as a trail with a custom map.

During the Tamil wedding, the couple made a stunning entrance under a custom-built wooden canopy carved with their names in Tamil, casting beautiful shadows. A major highlight was the traditional South Indian lunch that followed, prepared by chefs flown in from Chennai, meticulously adhering to age-old serving traditions. The Sangeet’s decor also stood out, and the stationery throughout the wedding added a unique touch. It featured a mystical, quirky design with illustrations of humans with animal heads, a theme that was thoughtfully carried through all the elements of the celebration.

Here are their wedding events:

1. Family Mehendi and Family Dinner
2. Mehendi (Boho Chic/Carnival themed)
3. Trails of Rajasthan/Haldi (White Party)
4. Traditional Yoruba Ceremony (Nigerian wedding)
5. Tamil Wedding
6. Sangeet/Reception/Afterparty