The year was 2006, and I was excited to document my first Indian wedding. It was to take place in Newport, RI on the water at the Hyatt Regency. I often reflect on this wedding, because there’s a lot to the story which I’ll explain.
Read moreDivya and Zach, Five Bridge Inn
It's always such a special treat for me to document Indian weddings. It's especially nice when I see many familiar faces from past weddings. This was the case with Divya and Zach's wedding. But perhaps the best treat of all, was seeing the two of them perform to their closest friends and family the night before their wedding at the Sangeet. Divya on the bass, and Zach on guitar; they harmonized together - a perfect match! They totally nailed it and that set the tone for the rest of the weekend!
I felt so grateful the first time I documented an Indian wedding; and that couple was there at Divya and Zach's celebration along with their two beautiful children. And over the years as I've matured (well, in some ways), I sense an even stronger spiritual connection. It's not just with Indian weddings and it's hard to explain, but it's being extremely present, and in the moment. There are very spiritual things that are spoken under the Mundap, and it's hearing these things over time that have reinforced the connection. I have to admit that at one point as the families embraced, I nearly lost it! Yeah, I began to well up, but hey, I still got the shot! Divya and Zach, I can't thank you enough for the great performances, and heart felt connections that weekend. Congrats to you both!
Vinita and Trevor at the Providence Public Library
It was a great pleasure to be invited to spend the weekend with both Vinita and Trevor, and their families. I felt the warmth and love from the very moment I showed up, and this really made me feel even more present in the moment with them. While their overall color theme for the wedding was purple, I think just about every other color was represented in the ornate outfits everyone wore. Everything was held at the Providence Public Library. The architecture in and outside of this building is just incredible. It really is the perfect setting for a wedding. And it was so cool to see it transformed complete with an Indian mandap. If you've never been to an Indian wedding, I highly recommend adding it to the bucket list. The culture is so inviting, and the words spoken during the ceremony really make you stop and think of how grateful we must be to be here, living. Congratulations guys - see you again later this summer for your sister, Wendy's wedding!
