Virginia Indian Wedding Photographers

Trust.

That 5 letter word holds so much weight.  It is a word that we carry around with us everyday.  A word that is thrown around loosely and yet when compromised has devastating effects.  This simple and yet complicated word is something that I hold dear to my heart when it comes to our business.  A wedding day is a one day celebration.  There are no reruns.  There are no do overs.  We get one chance to get it right.  We are so grateful for the trust that our clients put in to us.  And we never take this trust for granted.  We guard and protect it and always try to go beyond.  This brings me to this wedding right here.

Akshat & Pruthvi… Our first Indian Wedding

Pruthvi contacted us earlier this year.  She was excited and a little overwhelmed in the wedding planning department.  As excited as we were that we had our first potential Indian Wedding… We had to be honest.  We had never shot or even attended such an event.  We had no idea what to expect and yet we were more than willing to learn.  Despite this knowledge Pruthvi was sold on us.  She said she loved our style and was willing to walk us through the process.  She was willing to put her trust in us despite our lack of experience.  This spoke volumes to us.  And we concluded we not let them down.

Pruthvi stayed true to her word.  Her & Akshat explained the events in detail, sent many articles and blogs that showcased the type of wedding she would have.  All the information they provided were a huge help before the big days!  I say days because this was a 3 day event we were gearing up for!  We also met up with them for their engagement session as we do all our couples to get to know them.  We learned that they are extremely down to earth and love to have fun!

The days finally arrived!  I wish we could say that we went into this with all the confidence in the world.   But unfortunately we didn’t.  We questioned ourselves over and over why are we doing this.  Do we really have what it takes?  The first night was the Mendhi celebration where the bride has her henna applied and the close friends and family of the bride celebrate the upcoming union.  During the night we were full of nerves and at one moment Pruthvi with such sweetness looked me in the eyes and said,  “don’t be nervous.  You got this.”  That was all I needed.  I told Luke that we just need to do us.  They hired us because they loved our work and we need to give them Luke & Ashley.  Not what we have seen others do.

We did just that.  Pruthvi’s sweet encouragement was all we needed to push through the anxiety and outside voices.  Luke & I cannot thank Akshat & Pruthvi enough for believing in us.  Even when at times we didn’t believe in ourselves.  The following 2 days were AMAZING!   Not just the colors and clothes, but the family and the traditions.  It was all such a dream to be apart of!

Today I am sharing the first part of their wedding celebrations!  The early part of the second day Pruthvi was surrounded again by friends and family.  This is called a Vidhi Ceremony. This is a ceremony where the both the bride and groom are covered in a yellow powder that is made into paste.  The bride and groom have their own ceremonies and usually invite their close family and friends. The Pithi is used to cleanse the bride and groom before the wedding day. The paste is said to brighten and soften the skin to produce that healthy glow.

Later that evening was their Garba Celebration.  Think of it like an American wedding reception but with lots more color!
The Garba is usually held the night before the wedding and involves plenty of dancing. It provides the opportunity for the each side of the family to meet, greet and have some fun before the wedding begins. The main event is the Raas which is a dance involving pairs of people and dandia sticks. The dance involves hitting your partner’s sticks while following the rhythm of the music. The Garba is also an ideal place for future couples to meet and begin their own stories.

Everything about this was an experience!  We are truly grateful for such an amazing opportunity!  If you think these pictures are amazing just wait until I share their wedding day!  More to come soon!

Back in Hair & Makeup!  Getting Ready for The Garba!  

To see Part II of their Wedding Visit Here!

Vendors: 

Wedding Coordinator: Simply Perfect Events

Vidhi Ceremony: Hellenic Community Center

Hair: Hair by Sam

Hair & Makeup: Sarah Rillion The Makeup School

Decor: Le Reve Creations

Lighting: Stage Right Lighting

Catering: Bombay Express

Videographer: Advance Video Solution

Garba Celebration: Hampton Roads Convention Center

Henna: Bhavana’s Henna & Art

Band: Ramzaat Group