With an elegant White with Pearls theme and two beautiful ceremonies, Tamara de Kretser and Anuj Anand celebrated a wedding filled with tradition, fun and laughter – and an unexpected dance opportunity!
ceremonies: St John’s Cathedral (Christian) & Stamford Plaza (Hindu)
gown: Strictly Bridal
traditional dress: Friendship Bridal, Mumbai
photography: Ian Wilkinson
Hindu ceremony
As Anuj is Hindu, the couple thought it fitting to have a short Hindu ceremony, which is all about vibrancy and colour. “I changed into a red (the traditional Hindu bridal colour) Indian wedding outfit and we were married in a mandip which is essentially a stage with four pillars, representative of a Hindu temple,” recalls Tamara. “Anuj gave me a gold chain with a yellow and diamond pendant; the chain is comparable to a ring in a Christian ceremony, symbolising the union of marriage.” During the ceremony, instead of exchanging vows, the couple traditionally walks around a small fire five times. It is said that if two people walk the steps together then they will remain lifelong friends.
The five steps and their promises are:
1. To provide for the couple’s household
2. To develop physical, mental and spiritual powers
3. To increase wealth by righteous and proper means
4. To acquire knowledge, happiness and harmony by mutual love, respect and trust
5. For children
Christian ceremony
“I fell in love with the cathedral the first time I saw it,” says Tamara. “It‘s so grand and its high arches, red carpet and gothic look made for amazing photos.” During the signing of the registry a soloist sang Ave Maria and the bells rang out at the end of the ceremony. In a personal touch the couple asked their siblings to do the readings and both their mothers lit candles.
Funniest Moment
“The fire alarm went off just as the dancing got started and the entire ballroom had to evacuate,” says Tamara. “While it turned out there was no fire, our guests we removed to the entrance of the Stamford for about 30 minutes. The band was amazing and started playing in the entrance and everyone started dancing! A firetruck filled with sexy firemen also arrived! They were great sports, tooting their horns just for us and allowing me to take lots of photos with them and the fire truck!”
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