Grand Muslim Wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Grand Muslim Wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Grand Muslim Wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh

At the outset of this beautiful year 2019, we covered one of the most grand muslim wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh. And there is a bit of a small back story we would like to share here.

Anupam says – “When I first got a call about a wedding in Dhaka, I hardly believed the person on the other side. A wedding planner in Kolkata approached for the so called wedding. He was infact speaking on behalf of Bangladesh’s biggest wedding planner and decorator Sygmaz. By the time the event got confirmed it was only 11 days left to complete all the visa formalities and travel arrangments. This would have otherwise been impossible considering it takes 10 days to just complete visa formalities and that too it had to be done from Kolkata. Being in Mumbai didn’t help at all. But all that was made possible by the event planners flying us business class and getting a stamped visa signed by High Commissioner in Bangladesh. This is hands down one of the most lavish wedding we have covered till date and to be frank it was a humbling experience. Especially when the bride’s father Mr Abdul Wahed, owner of DBL group is the textile king of Bangladesh. Striking thing is despite his wealth & the fame, he was very kind and humble. One thing we learnt is the people in Bangladesh have very similar values to ours and whether it is the language or traditions there was hardly any difference. The only gripe we had was that there were multiple teams almost 4 other teams which really made it a mess to cover the event. Nevertheless very proud of what we were able to manage and have only very fond memories and hope to go back to Dhaka soon.”

What started with an arranged marriage match for Sadia & Abraar, led to multiple meetings, and eventually they fell in love. And it’s such a beautiful match, Sadia says he treats her like a crown on his head, while he says she has changed his life in all beautiful ways. We have covered several international destination weddings (Kenya & Thailand), and this one remains our favorite

The wedding festivities spanned for four days, the events were – Holud (Haldi), Sangeet, Wedding & Reception. Sadia & Abraar already had their Nikaah earlier. Since there were not much rituals involved, we had a lot of time for the portraits & couple shoot. The first day was Holud, and it was lavish and joyous affair, and when Mika Singh was also in the house, one can only see the energy and spirit at sky-high. The next was sangeet at Abraar’s house, and it was yet another fun event. It was followed by the wedding which happened at Radisson Blue, Dhaka. Sadia & Abraar entered hand-in-hand and she left everyone in tears as she headed for her new journey. It was one of the those difficult moments that we photographers have to witness time and again. And the last and finale day was the reception. All the other functions were in Pan Pacific, Sonargaon, Dhaka. Striking decor was the major highlight in this wedding. Some of the important wedding makers : 

Thanks to Sadia & Abraar and their families who gave us so many fond memories and loads of stories. Lets take you through their wedding film, and then the photo-stories. Our work in this wedding got us the Great Indian Wedding Award 2019 by ICWF in Photo-Stills category. 

 

Maharashtrian Wedding in Aurangabad

Maharashtrian Wedding in Aurangabad

Maharashtrian Wedding in Aurangabad

Sanket & Monika got married at Ajanta Ambassador, Aurangabad and it was such a beautiful & vibrant wedding filled with colours, emotions, love & warmth. It was maharashtrian wedding, but very different from the usual ones 🙂

What started as an arranged marriage match for them, ended in finding the truest love. Sanket did his part of surprising her several times in their courtship period, and thus wooing her eventually. A dreamy proposal sealed their deal. They were staying in two different cities, Sanket in Pune & Monika in Aurangabad. This is their story in Sanket’s words –

We were introduced by our parents as it’s was an arranged marriage. The initial stage was confusing and our parents were gracious to provide both of us with enough time to take a decision on each other. We were glad and equally happy for us that we moved ahead together. Out of the 3 months of our courtship period, It took us almost 2 months to have our first picture clicked as both of us were of shy nature and took our own time as we also didn’t get to spend as much time as we wished. However the next month, we bonded and fell in love. I was the one who started falling for this relationship first so that meant I had to be the one taking more efforts. She planned to watch a movie with me for that I would travel all the way to her city Aurangabad , if we had a fight although because of me, again I had to travel to the city to make it up to her. It was 26th December 2018, when I proposed her. So the plan started 2 months ago and in that time period I had a rough idea of what I was thinking to do for that special day. I wanted it to be done on a lake with lanterns and on a boat with fireworks. I made sure that she wears the clothes that I bought for her on that day so I had to buy 4 set of clothes to let her have options and choose. I planned to travel 1100 kms in 21 hours thanks to my car so that I could pick her up from home and take her to the place where I planned to propose her. And I was totally thrilled when she said yes. That was the month where she and I got to know each other on a different level. On 3rd January 2019, we got engaged. And now both of us feel like that yes we can’t wait and to get married, so don’t know if it’s an arranged or love marriage.😅

They were looking for best candid wedding photographers to capture their wedding and that’s how they approached us. We were privileged enough to spend a day with them before their wedding, for their pre-wedding shoot at Dapoli. Together with them, we explored the amazing beaches, ran with the windy breeze, played with splashy waters & danced along. And of course, took some pictures. They wanted to re-create their proposal story. The set-up with the curtains, lights, ballons, candles, wine, chocolates, cushion pillows & “name it & they had it all” possible goodies made way in creating the most beautiful proposal we had seen. Monika said yes once again to Sanket. The fact that we bonded so well made us look really forward to the wedding, by the end of the shoot. Before you check their wedding photo-story, checkout their beautiful wedding film.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSSC5R9Kx9A

The Wedding
The Wedding festivities started with the haldi. They had kept a “south indian” themed haldi. It started with a ceremonial bathing of the bride and groom in the open amidst cloudy skies. Thereafter, rains visited as a surprise, all of us had to rush indoors. The next ceremony of haldi was supposed to happen outdoors, and all of us including the couple, family & friends waited anxiously for the rains to stop. Every cloud has a silver lining, they say. Its very true indeed! The rains stopped and they had a beautiful haldi ceremony with so much fun scenes happening. Like literally, even the photographers weren’t spared by the bride. It was followed by a few rounds of grand flower shower on the couple. Looked surreal, gorgeous & stunning as we freezed the moments in our cameras.
The Sangeet started with a grand entry of the couple in a chariot. That magical evening saw a lot of performances from the closed family, friends and relatives. Monika enthralled the audience with her performance. We had gotten to believe by then that Sanket & surprises go hand in hand. And, he pulled off a surprise dance performance for Monika. It was a very emotional moment for her, and we loved seeing her reactions as he nailed his performance. What followed next was a beautiful couple dance performance and then the families got together on stage, the happy scene being lit with fireworks. The last day before their big day, and we saw everyone overwhelmed with emotions.

The wedding day started with the bride and groom getting ready in their respective rooms. Soon thereafter, the wedding vidhis started. There were smiling glances and happiness throughout the wedding. It was followed by the baraat & antarpat. And thus, vows for lifetime togetherness was sealed. The wedding ended with a surprise music performance by Gilbert Gauci (Sanket’s friend from Scotland who is an amazing singer)

The grand reception in the evening was a perfect culmination of all the events put together. And we loved the way Monika & Sanket made an entry amidst the pyro fireworks & thai dancers. There are some special people who continuously worked to make sure that bride & groom aren’t stressed & deserve a mention – Meenal, Kaushal, Shrikant, Aditya, Rohit. Thank you guys, you all were super amazing and super supportive. Thank you Sanket & Monika for letting us be a part of your big day, you both are adorable.

The Wedding Venue, Ajanta Ambassador is one of the heritage properties in the country and shares a lot of history that is reflected in its interiors with antiques and designs. With that heritage set-up, a new story with timeless photographs got written. One more unique part of this wedding was that all the events happened in the open. With stunning decor for all the events, your pinterest board will get loaded from this wedding!
Important Wedding Makers :
1. MUA : Ritika Grover
2. Event Planner : Event 365
3. Monika’s Attire : Reception @kshitijchoudharylabel
4. Sanket’s Attire : Wedding @groomsofsabyasachi
5. Venue : Ajanta Ambassador, Aurangabad

Farmhouse Shoot

Farmhouse Shoot

Farmhouse Shoot

 

Our second shoot of this wedding season was with Shreyas & Shruti, in Mangalore, Karnataka. We were already smitten by the pristine beaches, greenery, array of coconut trees, temples and churches that Mangalore had to offer. Thereafter, we got to know we were shooting the couple at their gorgeous farmhouse the next day post their wedding. 

Shruti & Shreyas got married as per south-indian rituals at Shreyas’s hometown in Mangalore. The wedding blog is coming in the next installment. What we could not wait, but to share is their beautiful post-wedding shoot at Shreyas’s farmhouse near Mangalore. Shreyas & Shruti moved to their farmhouse just after their wedding. The same farmhouse which Shreyas is very proud of. They were really looking forward to a photoshoot there. When we reached there at 6 am, we were truly mesmerized by the greenery, various plantations and the setting of his idyllic farmhouse. In the pictures, you will see the beauty of the green banana leaves, the sun’s first rays falling on them, tall and narrow supari trees which also yield chemical for paints. Shruti got a first hand glimpse of the farmhouse, which she had heard so much from Shreyas, over the long course of their relationship. And just like us, she was so amazed. All these made for some stunning photographs. 

This is something we had wanted to do since a long time! Thank you Shreyas & Shruti for trusting us and giving this beautiful treat with natural beauty!

 

Pre Wedding shoot in Lavasa

Pre Wedding shoot in Lavasa

Pre Wedding shoot in Lavasa

Ishita & Snehasish, are one couple we came across, who are totally pumped up and are always at the edge of their seats when it comes to planning and executing — their Pre-wedding & Wedding! You have to see their kickass pre-wedding shoot to believe us when we say that! 

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLUkuFyio20

Dating each other since a decade, knowing each other in and out, they still have those cute moments of immense love and intense playfulness. Re-creating some of their favorite memories and never shying away from trying new things, we had a ball in Lavasa, where we shot their pre-wedding. Exploring the coloured walls, strolling the streets in a cycle and lighting up their smiles in the night, each frame has a story from that crazy day. Ishita ensured our energy were restored from time to time with tea breaks and small stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian wedding in Navi Mumbai

Christian wedding in Navi Mumbai

Christian wedding in Navi Mumbai

This time around we got an opportunity to cover the wedding of Albert and Rebecca who got married in Nerul church through Syrian Christian customs followed by a grand reception at the CIDCO exhibition center. So most of our clients are predominantly the couple who first get in touch with us. But of late we are finding that parents are now increasingly getting in touch with us, which is a testimony of the paradigm shift which is taking place in Wedding Photography. These days parents are increasingly understanding the value of good photography and are ready to get the best for their children’s wedding. In this case as Albert works in UK with Apple Inc, his dad was in constant touch with us and brought us on-board. 

Albert hails from Mumbai while Rebecca is from Chennai. Their wedding took place in Nerul church atop the hill in Navi Mumbai. You will get to see the story of the day unfolded more through the groom’s side as we were hired to do so. We love covering Christian Wedding as they are not so hectic in their schedule and are really fun and have a lot of character to them.  Will now let the photographs tell the story.