Setting the Scene
Karishma and Shay chose Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as the breathtaking location for their luxury Hindu wedding. Deciding on Mexico as a destination made their exuberant celebrations a bit more intimate given that generally Hindu weddings have over 500 guests in attendance.
Karishma and Shay are undoubtedly one of the sweetest couples I have ever met. Karishma exudes authentic self love, daily doses of positivity, style and health on her must-follow Instagram @KP.fitstyle. Since their wedding, I’ve also had the pleasure of photographing even more milestones including their one year anniversary and Karishma’s 30th birthday.
The Ama by Aisha photo + video team captured five incredibly intricate traditional events over the course of three days. From an artistic point of view, Puerto Vallarta certainly served us with many diverse backgrounds, light and textural treats. Marrying organically beautiful earth elements with vibrant decor and wardrobes without a doubt resulted in this visually stimulating gallery. I’m pleased to share it with you here.
Welcome Night
The first of five events was a white linen themed welcome dinner that took place on the beach of the Marriott Hotel Puerto Vallarta. This party featured a sunset dinner, formal portraits, bridal mehndi by Neha Assar Panchal, a traditional groom “Coke Ceremony” and several performances. The event culminated in a brilliant firework show.
Nirali Shah Events is the wildly talented planner behind this exceptional wedding. An impressive multi-tasking planning machine with all the sweetness of the human touch would be how I would describe Nirali. She and her supportive team executed every detail flawlessly and overall ensured that all events ran seamlessly.
Pithi
Cleansing the body and soul of the bride and groom is the primary significance of the Pithi Ceremony. A highlight during this Hindu wedding ceremony was the application of the Haldi paste, generally made with turmeric, rose water and sandalwood. The Haldi paste is intended to beautify the couple’s skin before the wedding. We aimed to capture the details of the many rituals, active guest participation and the emotions evoked. Hopefully you will feel as if you also attended the ceremony.
For this outdoor event, the talented team at Prashe Event Design and Ale Magana Flowers created a stunning installation and floralscape.
Satak
Before the ceremony, we seized the opportunity to shoot dramatic, motion portraits with the golden hour glow cascading over the Pacific Ocean. The Satak Ceremony began around sunset and lead into evening. The ombre transition of light over the rich color palette produced some particularly impressionable visual eye candy.
Sangeet
An array of energetic performances and lively entertainers made Shay and Karishma’s Sangeet a show stopping event. Award-winning entertainer Nihal Singh unquestionably brought the party to the next level. Overall, we opted for a cinematic approach to capture the electric vibe of the Sangeet.
Ceremony & Reception
Following a series of sensational events, the buildup to ceremony and reception was palpable. The agenda of the third day included bridal portraits, groom portraits, the Baraat, the Puja, the Pokhvanu, the ceremony, a few games, formal portraits and last but certainly not least, the reception. Every aspect of this Hindu wedding was undeniably curated with an exquisite attention to detail. Every single moment was an artistic opportunity for us.
Vendor Acknowledgements
Cinematic Video
In addition to the featured cinematic video, the Ama by Aisha videography team created a playlist with all documentary videos. This included ceremonies, speeches and performances.
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