A Wedding at West Horsley Place

The day started inside West Horsley Place, with preparations spread across different rooms. When I arrived in the morning, it was quiet. Nanelle was already on site, dressed with her bridesmaids in a traditional Sri Lankan outfit, tucked away from guests and from Kasun. Hair and makeup by Sairha was underway, and details were laid out across the space. Family moved in and out throughout the morning, with everything building slowly rather than all at once.

Nanelle later changed into a Pronovias Privée dress for the ceremony. The first time she and Kasun saw each other was down the aisle.

The ceremony took place outside in the gardens. It was a traditional Sri Lankan Buddhist Poruwa ceremony, held on a raised, decorated stage with florals. The ceremony was led by a celebrant and followed a set structure, with no personal vows. Drummers and dancers were part of the ceremony, and multiple rituals took place on the stage, with parents involved throughout. It was structured and continuous, with each part flowing directly into the next.

After the ceremony, Nanelle and Kasun stepped away briefly before rejoining their guests. Everyone moved into the gardens for drinks and food. A string trio played while guests spread out across the grounds, with drinks flowing and food served throughout. Speeches took place on the lawn, and the whole morning sat outside, with people moving between different parts of the garden.

Portraits were taken around West Horsley Place, using different areas of the gardens and the exterior of the house. This included both posed shots and in-between moments. Nanelle changed into a custom saree during this part of the day.

As the morning wrapped up, guests left to return to their accommodation and reset before the evening. I followed Nanelle and Kasun back to their hotel, where they changed into their reception outfits.

They returned to the venue for the evening reception. Nanelle wore a sparkly gown, and Kasun changed into an evening suit. The evening moved through drinks, dinner, speeches, and then into dancing. Music shifted through pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and Bollywood, and the dance floor filled quickly and stayed that way.

It was a hot day from start to finish, the kind where everything feels slightly slower, but the energy stays high. By the evening, the space felt completely different to the morning. More compressed, louder, and focused around the dance floor, with cocktails moving through the room and the light dropping into sunset.

The whole day was packed with detail. Almost everything had been designed or curated by Nanelle, and it showed in how each part of the day moved and looked without feeling staged.