It is not everyday that your best friend ties the knot. Aditya and I have been inseparable friends since school times. So when you receive the news of your best friend getting married it brings many thoughts, it makes you nostalgic of all the good times spend together and how time flew that your friend is about to reach an important milestone in life.
So, Aditya was all set to marry the tall and pretty Sahiti. Aditya, an IIT Kharagpur alumni who is currently finishing his PhD, first met Sahiti, who was pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health, in their college University of Minessota in US. I first came to know about Sahiti when he was planning to propose her. Subsequently we came to know that Sahiti loved our work and our documentary approach to wedding rituals and ceremonies along with blending couple portraiture and capturing fine details. I personally wanted to enjoy Adi’s wedding and not shoot it, but as both of them were keen on us shooting the wedding, we found ourselves travelling to Hyderabad in a train along with Adi’s family.
The whole family was quite exhilarated about the wedding. On reaching Hyderabad, we set out earlier for the venue Noma Kalyana Vedika while the groom’s party left later from the station after changing clothes at the railway station. We reached earlier so that we could set up our equipment and be prepared to capture the Groom’s side being welcome by the bride’s side. Typical of Telugu weddings there were a lot of pujas and as soon as every one settled down the puja started shortly. The key opening function was Kashi Yatra where the groom sets on a symbolic journey to Kashi to continue with his Brahminism while bride’s parents convince him to enjoy the bliss of married life. The important functions from the wedding happened like this –
Edurukolu: This is a fun filled event where the groom’s entourage is welcomed into the mandapam by the bride’s family and friends amidst traditional music played on the Nadaswaram
Jeelakarra Bellam: Amidst the chanting of sacred vedic hymns the bride and groom place a freshly ground paste of cumin and jaggery on each other’s head to signify their eternal bond
Talambralu: The bride and groom shower each other with Talambralu which is a mixture of rice with saffron and turmeric. This signifies the joyful beginning of a happy and prosperous life together
Saptapadi: The bride and groom take seven steps Saptapadi together and with each step they recite one vow. This symbolizes the beginning of their journey through life as partners.
As the muharatam was at 3.30 am in the night by the time the wedding got over it was already morning. After the wedding even though Aditya and Sahiti were completely exhausted they happily shot a lot of fun photographs together. This is one of our finest work in terms of documentary coverage of a wedding and its partially because of the support and love we got from Aditya and Sahiti’s family. We hope you could see the whole story of their wedding unfold through the photos.
Wedding Couture: As I often get messages from men and women who are interested to know where to shop for wedding clothes, here is where Aditya and Sahiti got their clothes from. As the bride and groom didn’t have much time they did their wedding shopping in Mumbai and Hyderabad respectively. Aditya headed to Santacruz in Mumbai which is the best place to shop for wedding clothes in Mumbai. Having explored most places in Mumbai myself for wedding clothes I would say this is the best place for guys to buy some decent and classy clothes – Manyavar, Jinam, Kora offer amazing collection for Men. Also a lot of designers have their outlets here, so a visit here is must.
Marriages are made in heaven; they say but some marriages also happen in one! There can’t be a better heaven than a palace in Rajasthan to get married. Entertainment Plaza in Jaipur was lit up to celebrate Harshit and Khushboo’s glorious wedding day on 26th November 2015.
There is a different joy to click someone who you have shared a bench with in college. Harshit, my batchmate and an engineer from BiTS Pilani decided to tie a knot with Khushboo who is pursuing her MBA from IIM Calcultta. In India, marriages are what bring two people together for a lifetime and along with them two families begin a new journey too. In all the marriage ceremonies from Sangeet to haldi to Tilak and finally the big wedding day, the happiness of the two families was conspicuously captured in every photograph. Beneath the smiling faces hid the blessings that each one showered on the bride and the groom. Harshit and Khushoo, with their limitless joy stood in the middle of a Peacock court to take their vows. The marriage venue, which was one of the most beautiful palaces in Jaipur, further glorified the love and affection that the wedding was tying together.
“Run away from the chaos of the city, and you will find the peace to get lost in one another.” Destination wedding, as exciting as they are for the couple, so are they for a photographer. It makes the love between two people shine brighter and as a photographer it is a greater pleasure to capture such a natural love story. Unhidden smiles, quick time out shots, beautiful sky and loving little family is what sums up Dhaval and Mayuri’s destination wedding at Igatpuri.
The story began in the college days when Dhaval and Mayuri met in Pune as Pharma students. Mayuri, a very chirpy and enthusiastic bride met the rather calm and poised groom, Dhaval, to only discover that, opposites do attract. Their story had many better days to see from there and on 3rd January 2016 they tied the much stronger knot to love each other for a lifelong. The wedding spanned over two days in a resort at Igatpuri following the Marwari traditions. This lively collection of photographs comes from the determination of an enthusiastic bride who missed no chance to pose with her handsome groom and the bright encompassing sky above. This wedding shoot was led by KnotsbyAMP Photographer Prasad Patil.
Wedding is a celebration that brings together the dearest of one’s relations with a reason to rejoice the new bond between two people. In the Indian culture these reasons are multiplied by having several facets to them. Engagement being the smaller promise to commit with each other for a lifetime, is the first of the many days of excitement to wedding. Photographing an engagement, which is more personal, has its own charm. Especially when the family is known and the environment is so humble. After shooting Nishita’s Tulsi Vivaah it was more exciting to photograph his brother Saahil’s engagement with the gorgeous to-be bride, Shivani. The engagement happened in a Lakshmi Narayan temple in Vile Parle. Just like a snapshot from a fairytale, Saahil went down on his keens to propose Shivani. The two began their journey towards a new life with the blessings of their family and friends. The wide smiles and vibrant joy on everyone’s faces, lit up the engagement day, blessing Saahil and Shivani the best to come!
Photography is a profession but the more personal you get, the better you can click. You get more receptive to the emotions around you and hence your lens capture them in the realest possible way. Like the trust the goes with a family physician it is good to be a family photographer for the same reasons. Nishita’s family is one that invests the trust it takes to capture the best moments at the biggest and the smallest of their family events in me. Having covered her grandparent’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary, I fit into their functions just like any other member of the family. As a photographer being a part of the celebrations gets you the best moments on shot. The real smiles, the real joy and the subtlest of the emotions are framed well.
Nishita is a graduate from New York and is now married to her long standing love Rohan, who she met in college. In the Hindu tradition due to certain placement of the planet Mars, at the time of birth, it could lead to one being Mangalik. To cancel the power of that force, a pre-wedding ritual to marry a Tulsi plant (Holy Basil) is organized. The function is one of the marks of starting the wedding celebrations and the rituals hold a great value for the bride and the groom’s future wellbeing. Nishita and her family members celebrated the day with a zest, seeing the beginning of their lovely daughter stepping into a new life. Amidst the scenic beauty of a farmhouse in Lonavala all the ceremonies and smiles captured in the pictures speak for the excitement that everyone looks forward to for her wedding day.
