In February this year, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s wedding took over our Instagram feeds. Just one post from the south stars, and it went viral, not because of the couple’s combined 75 million followers, but because it captured real emotions. If you thumb back a little, it was Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra’s Jaisalmer celebration that unfolded with the same beauty and intimacy. The common thread? House On The Clouds.
For founder Siddharth Sharma, moments like these are not about scale or fame, but reach. “The response to Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s wedding amplified our work in a way we hadn’t experienced before,” he shares. “But the core hasn’t changed. Inspiration still comes from noticing. From people, from travel, from being present.”
His journey into wedding photography didn’t begin with ambition, but accident. While working in IT in the US, photography began as a solitary exploration. “I started experimenting in my room, trying to understand how images could carry mood and emotion,” he says. That changed in 2014, when he was asked to shoot a friend’s wedding. “For the first time, it didn’t feel technical. It felt alive.” By 2016, he had left his corporate career to build House On The Clouds, a name intentionally detached from identity. “The inception was incidental, but the name was intentional. I didn’t want a brand built around my identity, but something that could grow beyond me.”
A Signature Rooted In Restraint
House On The Clouds does not subscribe to a fixed visual style. Instead, it is defined by a point of view. “Our work is intuitive, emotionally led, and visually considered, but never overworked,” Siddharth explains. “We don’t impose a look. We respond to what’s already there.” This restraint is what gives their work its depth. Rather than staging moments, the team immerses themselves into the tone of a wedding. “We don’t treat weddings as spectacles to be observed from the outside. We become part of it,” he says. That closeness allows for images that feel lived-in rather than performed.
Their storytelling is shaped as much by what they leave out as what they capture. “There’s an intentional economy to how we shoot. We don’t overshoot or over-style. We wait. We observe. And when something meaningful reveals itself, we respond. The result is imagery that is honest before it feels impressive.”
The Celebrity Lens
Having documented several celebrity weddings, Siddharth has aced how to navigate public attention and private emotion. He was also behind former Khush cover stars Aditi Rao Hydari’s intimate temple ceremony and Rajasthan celebrations with Siddharth, Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat’s big day in Gurugram, as well as Sobhita Dhulipala and Chay Akkineni’s Hyderabad wedding. Celebrity weddings, Siddharth says, come with their own pressures, expectation and scrutiny. Yet, he and the team approach them with the same philosophy as any other celebration.
“Our focus is always inward. We begin with how a wedding feels in real time, not how it should appear,” he explains. This becomes especially important in celebrity settings, where the temptation to stylise is high. “Weddings have taught me that the most powerful moments are rarely staged. They’re felt,” Siddharth says.
Letting the Destination Lead
From Tuscany to Jordan, destination weddings form a significant part of their portfolio. Yet, their philosophy is consistent. “Every place has its own rhythm, its own light, its own texture. We observe first,” Siddharth says. Preparation plays a crucial role. “We always arrive early, do a recce, understand how the day moves, and sync with planners.” This groundwork allows them to remain fluid on the wedding day. “We don’t force a narrative onto a place. We let the environment guide the story.”
Managing scale is equally intentional. “Team size is decided by the spread of the wedding, not just guest count,” he explains. With guests often across multiple venues, coverage is mapped thoughtfully. “Each team member is placed intentionally so nothing meaningful is missed.” At its core, destination storytelling is about balance. “It’s about blending the couple’s story with the surroundings so the location becomes part of the narrative, not just a backdrop.”
Tips & Tricks: The HOTC Playbook
Let Go of Control
“One of the biggest mistakes is micromanaging moments and overpacking timelines,” Siddharth says. Over-direction can pull couples out of their own experience. “Trusting your photographer and having breathing room will make space for the unexpected, and that’s where the strongest images come from.”
Don’t Recreate, Reflect
Trying to replicate Pinterest references often dilutes authenticity. “The strongest photographs come from choices that feel true to you, not borrowed from somewhere else.”
Trends & The Future
Emotion Over Aesthetic
“There’s a shift from performance to presence,” he notes. Couples today are choosing to experience their weddings rather than stage them. The result is imagery that looks more personal and enduring.
The Return of Texture
“Film and Super 8 are making a comeback. It’s not nostalgia. It’s about texture, imperfection and slowing things down.”
For more information:
House On The Clouds
www.HouseOnTheClouds.com
