Tag: ‘Fiji’



Sheena & Ganesh’s Wedding & Reception

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Following up on the previous posting about Sheena & Ganesh’s pre-wedding festivities, I wanted to share some of the moments from the big day. The activities moved from Milbrae over to San Mateo Marriott for the wedding and then to the Burlingame SFO Marriott for the reception. You may recall seeing Molly & Vid’s wedding photos from the San Mateo Marriott as well and it’s indeed a wonderful courtyard location for an afternoon wedding ceremony.

And I can’t proceed further without a thanks to AK Sandhu for second shooting with me!

And another call-out to Sheena’s aunt, Indra who actually served as the wedding planner/coordinator!

Sheena had this amazing custom designed wedding outfit brought over from India…by a designer not to be named here :)


As you can see here, Ganesh had a blast during his baraat! Once Sheena’s family welcomed him into the hotel, some of the Fiji specific traditions began, like the Dwaar pooja where you notice Ganesh and Sheena’s father sitting across from one another.

And let’s not forget that Ganesh’s family is Tamil so there was also an Oonjal ceremony before the start of the main wedding ceremony. I actually really liked how the families meshed their unique traditions into a single event.

As the evening approached, I took Sheena & Ganesh out for their portraits in their reception outfits. Purples were the highlight color for the evening!

Now before proceeding further, I’ve gotta comment on the decor. As you can see in some of the photos, there were flower elephants, peacocks, and an amazing array of other decorations. None of it seemed over-the-top, but the families clearly spent a lot of time ensuring these elements made a lasting impression. Those charger plates with the peacocks on them were actually custom designed favors which the guests got to take home with them. Oh, and if you’re wondering why there’s a Cabbage Patch Doll on the sweetheart table…well, Sheena’s cousins actually arranged to have Sheena’s “lost” Cabbage Patch Doll flown to India and outfitted in an outfit identical to the one that Sheena wore for the reception. Pretty cool and thoughtful!

And finally…who could forget that cake! WOW! The cake actually took well over 30 mins just to assemble on-site and it was worth the effort. The peacock menagerie, as I like to call it, had so much detail in it and the colors really popped. I noticed guests coming over to look at it most of the night!

And, of course, what’s a wedding without a little dancing?! Since Ganesh is a lawyer and Sheena will be a doctor, the party started off with a little MD/JD dance-off. Thanks to DJ Bitsy for keeping the crowd jumping all night.

Sheena & Ganesh’s Pre-Wedding Events

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of photographing Sheena & Ganesh’s wedding weekend. With multiple events and traditions spanning 3 days, there was a lot going on. Here are just a few highlights from the weekend.

I had known both Sheena & Ganesh through previous clients who are friends of their’s and since I had also photographed their engagement portraits, when I arrived at Sheena’s house on Thursday night, it was great just catching up with them. Meeting the rest of the family was also great since that helps to put all of the traditions in context. In this case, Sheena’s family is Fijian Hindu and Ganesh’s is Tamil Hindu so there were a variety of elements combined into a weekend of fun.

If you’ve ever been to Fijian Hindu events, you’ll notice that while many of the rites seem familiar, there’s just a bit of a difference as compared to, say North Indian Hindu traditions. Yes, there’s a fire, there’s flowers, turmeric, and coconuts, but have a look at the photos below and you’ll see some of the unique elements!

Many thanks to the talented AK Sandhu for second shooting with me!

Check back in for highlights from their wedding day!

 

All Images Copyright Samay Studio 2005-2010
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