Veena and James found my documentary wedding photography services through a website called NJWeddings.com. It was really the first year I had tried the web site and wasn't sure what to expect. What kind of clients would come knocking on my door? What would their expectations be? Why was wedding photography important to them?
Well, when Veena called and described to me exactly who she was looking for and what kind of work excited both of them, I knew we were on the same page. It was a matter of putting our thoughts to paper and finalizing it with an official agreement. Veena was completing her degree in Law and James was deep into his Phd. program at Duke studying political science. Neither one of them could make it up to where I live; Connecticut. No worries. Sometimes my clients and I do get to meet and sometimes decisions are made using the phone and corresponding by email.
The wedding was no ordinary Hindu ceremony. Veena's family trace their roots back to Shenkottai, a town bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in India. As Sankethi, they are Brahmins (the priestly caste) and so one of the most interesting parts of the wedding was the chanting of the "Purusha-suktha" by family and friends. One of the images you will see below is of all the uncles practicing outside the ballroom. Find out more about the Sankethi community at the North American Sankethi Association.
My thanks go out to Veena and James, Veena's twin (and yes, identical) sister, Aruna, their parents and family for making the day go so smoothly for me. I also want to thank Preeti Desai, who assisted me when I created formal portraits of the couple and their families.
The Hyatt in Morristown, New Jersey is a terrific venue for intimate weddings. If you have a guest list of 250 or less, this is a great option for you. I found the staff extremely cordial and the wedding was deftly coordinated by Monica Boswell. I only wish the hotel was landscaped. Being that it is a "downtown" hotel, there aren't too many places to go to photograph large groups or even the couple. All Event Decorators, led by Jyothi did a wonderful job transforming a ballroom. Dan and his partner of DJNYC spun tunes from the corner of the dance floor which was hopping. Moghul Catering's delicious dinner was a hit. Varsha Patel was in charge of hair and makeup and Veena looked stunning in her multiple outfits. The cake, which you will see below, was designed by Christine Pereira of Design Cakes.
And, now on to the images! |
Blog RSS feed