Janvi&Maitreya’s Big Wedding

I shot this wedding a couple years ago, it was a lovely and colorful day! I started the day with the bride and her party while they were getting ready, it was a swirl of makeup brushes, champagne, and colorful dresses! It can take a while to get a bride wearing a traditional Indian dress ready, there are pounds of embroidery and beading on the dress and veil! It’s a true art form getting the veil to be stationary all day. Once everyone was ready, we moved outside for some first look photos. It was one of those locations where you have to make the most of a somewhat limiting spot, there were a couple paths along a line of trees next to a pile of tires. You would hardly know!

Next we stepped up the energy level with a Baraat, which is when the groom’s friends and family basically have a mini dance parade. The energy is infectious! Once it gets to the front door, the groom is welcomed by the bride’s family. They then brought all that great energy to the ballroom where the marriage ritual started. Everyone removes their shoes to go onto the Mandap, which is the ritual stage, and Maitreya had to “ransom” back his shoes! It’s tradition, his family isn’t just weird about shoes J Then we got some family photos and took a break. After that is the ritual departure of the couple, which can be very emotional. It can seem kind of strange, as the wedding continues for hours afterwards, but it’s a symbol of the couple leaving their families and embarking on the next phase of their lives as married adults. I’m glad this big family included me in their wedding!