What is the order of a Christian wedding ceremony?

Most church weddings follow this order: the groom waits at the altar, the bride walks down the aisle, hymns, readings and a sermon, the vows and the exchange of rings, the pronouncement and blessing, signing the register, and the couple's walk back down the aisle.

Do Telugu Christians tie a mangalsutra?

Many Telugu Christian families do. The groom ties the mangalsutra in church after the vows, alongside the exchange of rings. Customs vary, so ask your pastor.

Can photographers use flash inside a church?

It depends on the church. Many ask for no flash during the service, so choose a team that works well in low light and checks the church's rules in advance.

Can one team photograph both a Christian and a Hindu ceremony?

Yes. For one couple we covered a Christian ceremony and a Telugu wedding, along with their haldi and mehendi, planning each ceremony on its own terms.

Do you photograph Christian weddings outside Hyderabad?

Yes. We are based in Hyderabad and photograph Christian church weddings, Telugu weddings and Nikahs all over India.

Two Christian weddings, and how we photograph them.

By The Big Day by Chai · Last updated 24 October 2026

In short

Two Telugu Christian weddings we photographed, a church wedding and a Christian ceremony beside a Telugu muhurtham, and how we photograph a church wedding.

A church wedding in garlands, a Christian ceremony beside a Telugu muhurtham, and what both taught us about photographing a church wedding.

This year we photographed and filmed two Christian weddings, each with its own traditions. Here are both, and what they taught us about photographing a church wedding.

A church wedding in garlands

The groom waited at the altar in a white tuxedo, and the bride walked in behind two flower girls, in a lace gown and a long veil. Family members read from the Bible, the priest led the vows, and with garlands of roses and jasmine around their necks they signed the register together.

Before the wedding came the groom's haldi on a rooftop of marigolds. After it came a reception with a tiered cake and a change into silk: a red and gold pattu saree for her and a cream sherwani for him.

Two ceremonies, one wedding

Our second couple kept both their traditions. At the Christian ceremony, the bride wore a white gown, the rings came out of a red paper lotus, and they exchanged garlands as well as rings in front of the pastor.

Then came a Telugu muhurtham in pattu, with a coconut painted with both their names in Telugu, the jeelakarra bellam and the talambralu, along with a haldi and a mehendi that nobody sat still through.

How we photograph a church wedding

We check the church's rules first. Some churches limit where photographers can stand or ask for no flash, so we agree our positions before the day.
No flash during the service. We bring lenses for low light, so the vows are never interrupted.
Nobody in the aisle. The bride's entrance takes less than a minute, so we are in place at the altar and at the back before it starts.
Family portraits, fast. A list of family groups and one person from each family to gather them means portraits take minutes, not an hour.

Common questions

What is the order of a Christian wedding ceremony?: Most church weddings follow this order: the groom waits at the altar, the bride walks down the aisle, hymns, readings and a sermon, the vows and the exchange of rings, the pronouncement and blessing, signing the register, and the couple's walk back down the aisle.
Do Telugu Christians tie a mangalsutra?: Many Telugu Christian families do. The groom ties the mangalsutra in church after the vows, alongside the exchange of rings. Customs vary, so ask your pastor.
Can photographers use flash inside a church?: It depends on the church. Many ask for no flash during the service, so choose a team that works well in low light and checks the church's rules in advance.
Can one team photograph both a Christian and a Hindu ceremony?: Yes. For one couple we covered a Christian ceremony and a Telugu wedding, along with their haldi and mehendi, planning each ceremony on its own terms.
Do you photograph Christian weddings outside Hyderabad?: Yes. We are based in Hyderabad and photograph Christian church weddings, Telugu weddings and Nikahs all over India.