Charlotte & Jeremie got married in Longpont in France, a super cute city. The reception took place at the local Abbaye which is nothing short of breathtaking.

Fun fact: I used to be in Classes Préparatoires with Jeremy, about 10 years ago (where we studied Maths and Physics 15 hours a day). We lost touch when we graduated, and then bumped into each other again last year at a wedding I was taking photos at. Le monde est petit.

Jennifer and Mark got married in Ealing near London. The ceremony took place at the lovely St. Mary’s Church, Hanwell, and the reception was at the Brentham Club.

The Bou Baran is the welcoming of the bride at the groom’s home. The bride steps into a plate containing lac dye and milk before being led into the home.

There was also a game with the rings, and whoever wins is said to be the one who would wear the trousers in the relationship.

Kirtika won the first round…

… but Rohan got the next two!

Rohan’s mum wanted me to replicate some of her wedding photos with Kirtika. It was a really good and touching idea and I hope that their future children will do the same!

And finally, one of the very last photos, a photo of me with the bride and groom

It was such an amazing opportunity and I had the best time thanks to the help and kindness of everyone in both families.

It was a truly unique experience, and it’s in those moments that I realise how lucky I am to be doing what I do!

After four days of celebration came the actual wedding ceremony!

Sindoor is applied to the parting-line of Kirtika’s hair. It is considered an auspicious sign if it falls on the nose during the process

The fire is sacred and considered a ‘witness’ to the wedding.

After everyone had left, we had time to do a few portraits.

No time to relax yet, as close friends and relatives stay up all night chatting with the happy couple. It is called the Basor Raat.

Both the bride and groom get it applied on the face, arms and feet by family members. The catch here is that it’s the same powder that is used for both of them

The haldi is applied using grass brushes, on feet, knees, hands, shoulders and head seven times. It gets very playful!

The Sangeet is an event held a few days before the wedding ceremony, during which friends and families perform for the bride and groom.

Where in Europe people would prepare a few speeches and powerpoints, here it’s taken to another level with choreographed dances on Bollywood movies soundtracks .

There is an exchange of rings, but it is an informal one.

The performances began after the exchange of rings, with a brave first dancer…

You might have heard about henna, and Mehndi is simply the application of henna as a form of decoration on the skin.

The process can be very long, especially for the bride, and in this case lasted most of the day.

I had the chance to take photos while some expert hands applied the henna on Kirtika’s arms and feet.

Kirtika then had her make-up and her hair done whilst the Mehndi continued…

Ai Buro Bhat is the last meal that the groom eats as a bachelor in his household.

It’s a kind of familial bachelor party where as well as eating, people show their artistic fiber and perform for everyone

Rohan’s family has many talents, and we were treated with some amazing dancing and singing…

Second preview post of Kirtika & Rohan’s wedding, with a small sample of the Henna ceremony, as well as Kirtika getting ready for the Sangeet…

If the Henna is typically indian, the getting ready part is similar to what most western brides do

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to shoot the Indian wedding of Kirtika & Rohan in Delhi and Kolkata.

The ceremonies spanned over a few days and I’m still editing the photos, so I thought I would post a few preview posts as I go along.

Those ones were taken during the dance practice (for the Sangeet) in both families.

There was a dance teacher on Kirtika’s side in Delhi, and the afternoon was really fun (I did dance a little bit but there are unfortunately no photos).

And two days later, in Kolkata, it’s the turn of Rohan’s family…

I will post more photos this week, including the Henna, the colourful Haldi ceremony and the Sangeet for which everyone rehearsed