A Poruwa ceremony, photographed

The poruwa ceremony is the heart of a traditional Sinhalese wedding. It is rich in ritual, it runs to an auspicious time, and most of it happens only once. That makes it one of the most rewarding parts of a wedding to photograph, and one where preparation matters most.

What happens on the poruwa

The poruwa is a decorated wooden platform that the bride and groom step onto together at the auspicious moment. Betel leaves are offered, the little fingers of the pair are tied with thread and water is poured over them, and blessings are sung. The ceremony usually closes with the lighting of an oil lamp and the breaking of a coconut as they step down. Customs vary from family to family, so no two ceremonies are quite the same.

The moments worth watching for

The rituals themselves are only half the story. The other half is on the faces around them: a father watching the thread being tied, a grandmother’s blessing, the smile the two of you share when you think no one is looking. These are the photographs families return to years later.

Staying out of the way

A ceremony belongs to the family, not the camera. Photographing it well means knowing the order of events in advance, finding a position early, and working quietly with the light that is already there rather than stopping anything to stage it. The aim is for you to remember the ceremony, not the photographer.

How you can help

Share the order of your ceremony and its timings beforehand, and tell us about any customs particular to your family. If the person leading the ceremony knows where the photographer will stand, everything runs more smoothly. And a poruwa placed where there is good, even light makes a bigger difference than any equipment.