Tag: ‘Tamil’



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!

Mayuri & Kunaal’s Engagement Ceremony

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

You might recall a previous post on Mayuri & Kunaal’s portraits. Well, the couple had their engagement ceremony back in May to make it all official. Yes, their engagement was more elaborate than many weddings, but I’m sure a lot of Indians will relate to the importance of the engagement ceremony.

Everyone joined the couple at the Sunol Valley Golf Club for breakfast, the ceremony itself, and a lunch reception afterwards. Without further ado, onto the photos!











Kunaal even got down on one knee to put the engagement ring on Mayuri’s finger!


Check out that bouquet! And don’t forget about the groom in the background ;)




The lunch reception started immediately after the ceremony ended. And since the clouds and winds had hung around all morning, people were happy to head indoors!

Mayuri and her friends had a sweet Bollywood dance for Kunaal.



Congrats you two! Can’t wait to hear about your wedding plans in Seattle!

Pallavi & Neil’s Reception

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Finishing up on Pallavi & Neil’s wedding weekend, here are some highlights from their reception….Enjoy!

They had a cute fuschia & orange theme going on…



I love the texture on the fondant on this cake!


Neil’s cousins had a lot of fun with some dances they did for the audience.









And, of course, everyone spent the rest of the night dancing away…



The sweetest thing at the end of the night was when Neil & Pallavi’s friends conspired with the DJ to play their First Dance song while all their closest friends & family did a nice big group hug to end the dancing. I must say, in all the weddings I’ve photographed, this was about the sweetest way to finish the night!



Congrats Neil & Pallavi. Thanks for having us at your wedding!

Pallavi & Neil’s Wedding

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Following up on the previous post about Pallavi & Neil’s truly multi-cultural wedding, here are some highlights from the wedding ceremony itself. The wedding & reception were held at the Canyon View Dining Hall in San Ramon. It’s a beautiful venue with a view out on the hills in the back. The ceremony itself was held outdoors so the light was just amazing especially as the sun was setting.

For folks not accustomed to Indian weddings, the fact that the ceremony was held outdoors is a bit of novelty since it’s actually pretty tough to find a nice outdoor location that can hold the large number of people that are usually invited to such affairs. Safe to say, we photographers are so happy when we get such amazing light ;)

Onto the photos!













The ceremony was split into 2 halves. Following her Tamil tradition, Pallavi changed her sari half way through the ceremony. Amongst other tradtions, the second half included the mangala darna where Neil ties the traditional Tamil Thali around Pallavi’s neck as she sits in her father lap. This is different than the North Indian tradition which usually involves a small Mangal Sutra and the bride doesn’t sit in her father’s lap.


I just absolutely LOVE the look in Pallavi’s eyes here! Can ya guess she’s happy?! :)

And as with most Hindu ceremonies, it can get chaotic on the mandap. In this case, numerous people had to help Neil tie the thali since it was actually difficult for him to see around all the flowers, etc. It’s actually pretty fun to watch & document the little things going on like this. It’s not something which the audience sees since it’s usually hidden behind a bunch of people on stage who are all trying to help. So many times, I feel blessed at the chance I get to capture these little moments between family members like this one where Pallavi’s aunt is explaining to Neil’s sister just how the knots should be tied.


Just one more post to go for Pallavi & Neil’s wedding! Watch out for the highlights from their reception coming shortly!

Pallavi & Neil’s Pre-Wedding Traditions

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

As we mentioned in the previous post, Pallavi & Neil had an action packed wedding weekend with elements of both Gujarati & Tamil wedding cultures mixed in. There was a traditional North India baraat, Tamil oonjal, and lots of other tidbits pulled from the variety that is Indian Hindu culture.

So let’s start off with the events leading up the actual wedding…

Of course, a beautiful blushing bride starts her day with her sisters and mother in the hotel room :)

These are actually Pallavi’s sister’s saris…dontcha love the colors?!







Everyone wants a sneak peek at the bride!





If you’re wondering why that umbrella’s there, it’s not because of rain, it’s part of the tradition of a Tamil groom going to Kashi for his education. The tradition goes that the groom doesn’t really want to get married and would rather further his religious education. Before he meets the bride, the priest and families must convince him to get married for the good of both families. Here, Neil’s coming back to the wedding milni with his grandfather who convinced him to return to his wedding ceremony :)


A little Gujarati tradition with Pallavi coming out so that they can both garland each other. It may not look like it here, but their both on the shoulders of their relatives. The game it to prevent the other from getting the garland on. As usual, a wedding day is filled with lots of little games to keep it fun!

And just to clarify, even though Neil is following the Tamil traditions and Pallavi is following the Gujarati traditions, it’s actually Neil who’s Gujarati and Pallavi who’s Tamil. Basically, the whole family ensured that everyone participated in the various traditions and made the entire weekend a load of fun. Some people say that a marriage isn’t just about two people getting married, but actually about two families coming together. That may be a cheesy line during many speeches, but I truly believe that to be the case for multi-cultural weddings.


And moving onto more Tamil traditions, Neil & Pallavi had a Oonjal (swing) ceremony…







And to finish this post off, an afternoon portrait of the bride, groom, and groomsmen. Love it!

Look out for more from their wedding day soon!

 

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