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London Toastmaster

Richard Birtchnell is The London Toastmaster

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Hindu Wedding Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

June 27, 2019 By WebMaster

Earlier this year I acted as a wedding Toastmaster, MC and Master of Ceremonies at a Hindu wedding held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms at Holborn in London. For my non-Asian friends, thought I would show the sequence of events which 300 guests would enjoy in a long day from 8am until 1am next day. Always such a privilege to participate.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 01
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

It is a great honour to act as Toastmaster at beautiful ceremonies for the most elegant of clients at important, unrepeatable – and unrehearsed – events

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 02
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The Grand Hall ready for 300 guests facing the mandap

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 03
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

It’s early morning; the groom arrives with his family and friends, (known as the ‘Jaan’) accompanied by dhol drummers to be greeted at the entrance by the bride’s family

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 04
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

With the dhol players

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 05
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The groom has been brought to the mandap by the bride’s mother and the priest (pandit). The ceremony is about to begin.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 06
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The bride enters accompanied by her uncle, aunt and siblings. The 5,000-year old ceremony will now take an hour and a half at the mandap, conducted and chanted in Sanskrit by the pandit

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 07
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

After the ceremony, I will announce 31 groups of guests to be photographed at the mandap with the bride and groom. At about two minutes each, we are looking at one hour of calling, assembling, posing and disassembling.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 08
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Typical group could contain 25 guests

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 09
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Ceremony and photography over, its time for lunch.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 10
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

There’s a live painting being prepared in real time during the ceremony by artist Stephanie South

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 11
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Bride shows me her artistic henna hands. This is traditional mehndi body art which would have been applied at her henna party a day or two before.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 12
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

A game called ‘kodakodi’ where the bride and groom compete to find a ring in coloured liquid. Priest is the ’umpire’ while guests cheer for each side. Bride usually wins, by the way.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 13
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Bride and groom prepare to leave and she tearfully bids families goodbye (the Vidai) with her parents the most emotional. Symbolically she is leaving their house for the first time…. permanently.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 14
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Bride and groom make their way to the exit towards a limousine waiting to take them away… but they’ll be back later for the evening celebrations.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 15
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Guests come out to bid farewell

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 16
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The priest places a coconut under the front wheel to be crushed by the tyre as the car moves off

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 17
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The symbolic crushing of the coconut ensures a safe journey through married life

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 18
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Guests attempt to ‘stop’ the car moving until ‘paid’ by the groom

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 19
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The finished painting by Stephanie South on display at the evening reception

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 20
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The cake will be cut as soon as the bride and groom enter the ballroom

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 23
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The bride, being a pharmacist, has prepared favours in ‘prescription’ packaging – inside is a pill box with sweets in.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 21
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

The bride, being a pharmacist, has prepared favours in ‘prescription’ packaging – inside is a pill box with sweets in.

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 22
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Bride and groom feed each other pieces of cake after cutting it

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 24
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

5-year old performs a Bollywood dance to delight and entertain: 300 guests

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 25
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

Guests remain respectful during speeches and entertainment

Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019 26
Wedding Toastmaster at Hindu Wedding at Grand Connaught Rooms 2019

First dance as a married couple. Then of course everybody joins in to the end… it’s been a long day.

Are you organising an Asian Wedding?

Are you looking to hire a wedding Toastmaster, Master of Ceremonies, MC?

Richard Birtchnell, The London Toastmaster, has years of experience working as an Asian wedding Toastmaster, MC and Master of Ceremonies at Asian Weddings all over London. Contact him on 020 7730 3725 to check his availability.

Filed Under: Asian Weddings Tagged With: Asian Wedding Toastmaster, Asian wedding toastmasters, De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Grand Connaught Rooms events, Grand Connaught Rooms London, Grand Connaught Rooms wedding, Hindu Weddings, wedding master of ceremonies, Wedding Toastmaster

Asian Hindu Wedding held at Marriot Grosvenor Square London

November 6, 2017 By WebMaster

Asian Toastmaster at Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London

Asian Toastmaster at Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London

Richard Birtchnell is The Asian Wedding Toastmaster

Privileged as always to participate in a Hindu wedding celebration. At the Marriott Grosvenor Square. Working alongside Veer Events, Mahraj Vaisnava, DJ Krash at Devine Music, harpist Melissa Parmar, photographer Dino Jeram,and videographer Chris Jolly.

Photos include:

  • The happy couple, Amish and Hatal
  • Family group photos after the ceremony
  • If you didn’t know it, the swastika was originally an Indian religious icon and still today a sacred symbol in Hinduism. Even the word ‘swastika’ is Sanskrit for ‘prosperity and well being’.
  • Creative arrangement of reception cocktails
  • The game of ‘Koda Kodi’ played by the couple whereby they search for a ring in opaque coloured liquid and whoever finds it first is deemed to be the ‘ruler’ of the household. The priest will adjudicate and organise the best of three or five attempts until the bride comes out on top. But of course!
  • The ‘Ace of Spades’ Champagne may be as expensive as the cake! Pure indulgence. Sheer luxury.
  • The Best Man organises a flash mob to entertain couple
  • Strictly the first dance. Unrepeatable. Then it’s a non-stop party to the end after a day of celebration which had begun at 8am

[Show slideshow]
Strictly the first dance at London Hindu Wedding
Best man organises flash mob to entertain couple at London Hindu Wedding
Asian Toastmaster at Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London 07
Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London 06
Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London 05
Creative arrangement of reception cocktails at London Hindu Wedding
Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London03
Hindu Wedding Family group photos after the ceremony
Amish and Hatal : Asian Toastmaster at Hindu held at Wedding Marriot Grosvenor Square London

Are You Looking To Hire a Wedding Toastmaster?

If you are arranging an Asian wedding (Hindu, Sikh or Muslim wedding) and are looking to hire a wedding Toastmaster or Master of Ceremonies, contact Richard Birtchnell today on 020 7730 3725 or email him.

The London Toastmaster

Richard Birtchnell
45 Chelsea Gate
93 Ebury Bridge Road
London
SW1W 8RB
UK

Tel: 020 7730 3725

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Filed Under: Asian Wedding Toastmaster Tagged With: Asian toastmaster, Asian Toastmasters, asian toastmasters london, Asian wedding toastmasters, Devine Music, DJ Krash, harpist Melissa Parmar, hire master of ceremonies, hire toastmaster, London, Mahraj Vaisnava, master of ceremonies, photographer Dino Jeram, richard birtchnell, toastmaster, toastmasters, Veer Events, videographer Chris Jolly, wedding master of ceremonies, wedding toastmasters, wedding toastmasters london

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The London Toastmaster

Richard Birtchnell
The London Toastmaster
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London
SW1W 8RB
W: http://www.londontoastmaster.com/

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