Candid Documentary Asian Wedding Photography
This wedding is actually one I photographed back in 2011. Around five years ago, I moved my website from hosting providers, and some of the older wedding stories didn’t make it across. Over time, I’m adding some of those weddings back to my archive.
And I’m starting with this beautiful Wedding of Kajal & Nik at their family home in Cheltenham.
They had three days of celebrations, and the images here are from the Indian Celebrations.
It was a wonderful day of love, colour, humour, and emotion. Several years later, I also photographed Kajal’s sister's wedding.
I started my day, as I often do, with bridal prep photography at the family home.
NOTE: All my clients receive every image in both black & white and colour.
Documentary or candid wedding photography captures the raw, genuine emotions and unscripted moments of an Indian wedding, providing a true essence of the celebration.
It tells a story, preserving spontaneous interactions and the vibrant, dynamic atmosphere, making the memories more authentic and relatable for years to come.
The Baraat
The Baraat is a traditional groom's wedding procession common in North Indian, Pakistani, and Sikh weddings, among others. During the Baraat, the groom arrives at the wedding venue on a horse, elephant, car, or, more commonly in modern times, a luxuriously decorated car.
This procession is typically marked by a lot of dancing and music, often involving live musicians, drummers (playing the dhol), and sometimes even a brass band. The Baraat is a vibrant, lively event with guests dancing and singing around the groom as they go to the wedding venue or where the bride's family awaits to welcome them.
Upon arrival, the groom and his procession are greeted by the bride's family in a ceremony called the "Milni," which means "meeting" or "merging." In this ceremony, the bride's family members welcome the groom and his guests with garlands, gifts, and sometimes a ritual exchange of embraces or tokens, symbolizing the joining of the two families.
Indian Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony in South Asian traditions, particularly in Indian weddings, is rich with various rituals and practices, with significant variations depending on the region, religion, and cultural background of the families involved. However, a few key rituals are commonly found in many of these ceremonies:
1. Ganesh Puja (Prayer to Lord Ganesha)
The ceremony often begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity known for removing obstacles. This ritual ensures a smooth and auspicious start to the wedding events.
2. Jai Mala (Exchange of Garlands)
The bride and groom exchange floral garlands, symbolizing their acceptance of each other. This is often one of the first interactions between the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony and is a moment filled with joy and playful competitiveness.
3. Kanyadaan (Giving Away of the Bride)
A pivotal and emotional moment, the Kanyadaan is the ritual where the bride's parents give their daughter's hand in marriage to the groom. This symbolizes the bride's departure from her family and joining the groom's family. The bride's parents see it as a big sacrifice and a noble act.
4. Phere (Circling the Sacred Fire)
One of the most important rituals is the couple's circle around the sacred fire (Agni) four or seven times, depending on regional traditions, making vows to support each other in various aspects of life. This ritual is known as 'Saptapadi' in some traditions, especially when the couple takes seven rounds, each signifying a specific vow or principle.
5. Mangalsutra and Sindoor
The groom ties a 'Mangalsutra,' a sacred necklace, around the bride's neck and applies 'Sindoor' (vermilion powder) to the parting of her hair. Both are significant symbols of a woman's marital status in Hindu culture.
6. Saptapadi (Seven Steps)
In many Hindu weddings, the couple takes seven steps together, each representing a vow or principle they commit to as part of their marriage. This is sometimes integrated with the Phere, as mentioned above.
7. Ashirwad (Blessings)
At the end of the ceremony, the newlyweds seek blessings from their parents, elders, and the attending guests, marking the conclusion of the wedding rituals and the start of their married life together.
These ceremonies are deeply symbolic, with each ritual signifying specific aspects of marital life and the couple's responsibilities towards each other and their families.
The Vidaai
The concluding part of an Indian wedding ceremony, often called the "Vidaai" or "Bidai," is the bride's formal departure from her family home to start a new life with her husband.
This ceremony is filled with mixed emotions, as it signifies the bride leaving her parents' home and becoming a part of her husband's family.
The Vidaai is an ancient tradition deeply rooted in Indian culture, symbolizing the joy of the new union and the sorrow of leaving one's family behind.
