Aditi and Dhvanil are two of the most genuine people I have ever met. In first meeting them at their engagement shoot downtown st pete, I knew they were going to be a fantastic couple. They chose the Grand Hyatt for their beautiful Indian wedding with roof top scenery and balcony views that took our breathe away.
Indian weddings can be a very lengthy day with events happening from the early hours of sunrise to late night festivities after dark, but with this beautiful couple, there was never a moment in the day I felt tired or weary of the long hours. Their trust in me and connection they had for each other were truly magical and made capturing the wedding day a complete joy.
We started the getting ready process at the Grand Hyatt of Tampa Bay where the vibrant colors of the day had begun to show their face even before daybreak. Aditi and Dhvanil chose to see each other for the first time in the garden area and the emotions were extremely fun to capture on camera. The grooms ecstatic smile said it all.
We then moved on to the Indian Cultural Center in North Tampa and had a blast welcoming the groom in with dancing, music, friends, and family. The Baaraat was such a celebratory experience for me to photograph. Being in the mix of this energy and welcoming atmosphere really made an impression on me. It was evident the amount of love that would be present during the rest of the wedding events.
The groom was welcomed by his brides family with some fun filled customs. Vermilion and turmeric stained rice touched to the forehead and a little washing of the feet and we were ready to go celebrate this marriage.
During the traditional Hindu ceremony, I loved all of the customs unfolding before me on stage. It was great to actually take my shoes off and get really close to the action with everything happening right along side me. Everyone was so welcoming and enjoyed having me up close to the ceremony site. The ‘Phere’ was one of the moments that will stick with me forever as I learned the symbolic features of the fire. Each time the couple walked around the burning flames, each circle represented an unbreakable vow. Loved the symbolism and the representation of walking this life together moving forward. It was absolutely unforgettable.
When all of the day time events concluded with the Vidai and the brides farewell, we then went back for a second round of getting ready and wow was the sunset peaking at the right time for us. It was so unique to capture Michele Renee studio at work during golden hour and see how beautiful Aditi’s hair and makeup looked as the sunlight glistened red & purple in the distance.
The reception at night led us to more dancing, a ton of family performances, and even a special dance from the bride and groom that had everyone on their feet. The food was also one of my favorite things about this Indian wedding but that may be worth a whole other blog post.
Aditi and Dhvanils wedding was a very special day for me. I am so excited to continue to photograph more and more Indian weddings in the future. It is not only the vibrant color, the unbelievable food, the culture, and the traditions I loved…my favorite facet of the day was getting to capture a couple who was (and is) truly in love. I felt very blessed on this day.
”Aside from just being such an enchanting person, he's an incredible photographer. Choosing Jonathan as our photographer was undoubtedly the best decision we made regarding our wedding.
– Aditi & Dhvanil
