Guys, I was nervous for this wedding.
It was my first Indian wedding, my first time second shooting, and I just had a lot of jitters and feels going into this day. Buuuut, the minute I met Niranjani those all went away! She has such a calming and positive presence to her. Weddings can be stressful days for some brides and looking at this wedding from the outside I would have guessed that N would be! Destination wedding, family flying in from all over the globe, a 4AM wake up call for bridal prep, and a 3 hour traditional Indian ceremony ahead of her. That’s enough to make your head spin, but not Niranjani. You knew this was HER day and she just couldn’t wait to celebrate with her family and marry her man!
The Indian wedding day is full of tradition and rituals. Blessings from family, gorgeous flowers, and it’s truly a celebration!
The couple is separately paraded outside to begin the festivities. Then the uncles of the couple harass them and try to pull them apart as they loop their flowers onto each other. It’s a very active event with live music, cheers from onlookers, and giggles from our gorgeous bride.
The gorgeous ceremony space:
They hold hands as they walk into the ceremony space. Inside a large swing sits at the back of the venue and the couple sits down as everyone looks on. It’s a super fun atmosphere as people sing, take photos, and take turns participating in all of the rituals. I realized that this day was really about these two families celebrating as they joined together. And I love that!
The couples parents join them on stage as they continue on with the traditions. I’m not going to pretend like I know what was going on lol. Niranjani’s dad did an amazing job of narrating and explaining each step of the process in english for all of us who were lost. They also had a program that explained step by step. Very helpful and so thoughtful!
Midway through the ceremony the bride leave the stage to change into a new saree. This marks number two of three vibrant and stunning looks that Niranjani has planned for the day! Back on stage the ceremony continues.
The perfect blend of cultures
N & J took part in lots of western wedding traditions too with the exchange of rings and vows. I love that the ceremony bounced back and forth between traditional Hindu ceremony and the weddings that we’re used to seeing. It really felt like it perfectly represented both N & J, their cultures and their hopes for their future together.
One of my favorite parts was when everyone threw rose pedals at them.
Another part that just made me laugh: The couple goes outside to look for a specific star. The couple asks each other “do you see it” and reply with “yes”, but since it was about 11am and nothing but clear blue skies… no stars were to be found. I joked with them that their marriage started with a bit of a lie.
Once the ceremony was wrapped up we went back outside for some super quick portraits – like literally 5 minutes start to finish! N & J knocked it out of the park and stunned with that newly wed glow!
Their best friend joined us for portraits and encouraged them to dance. I love this image so much! They’re all so happy and ready to party – which is exactly what comes next. Be sure to check back for part 2 of this wedding blog! Niranjani and Jon celebrated with family and friends at the Boathouse at Mercer Lake. Jon wore a tux and Niranjani slayed in a red and gold wedding dress! You won’t want to miss it!
If you or someone you know is getting married, click that “contact” button at the top of my site to reach out! I’d love to chat about your wedding day plans and how I can help you celebrate! I travel all over for weddings and offer custom packages with minimal travel fees.
