At Fruitlands Museum, there are two beautiful outdoor spots for getting married; in front of the fountain, or overlooking the valley. While the fountain is lovely, you just can’t beat that amazing view over the hills and valley and woodland … and the fact that the ceremony will then be perfectly back-lit makes it a no brainer as far as photography is concerned. I am so very happy that both couples I’ve photographed at this beautiful venue chose the photographically superior spot. 🙂 Here’s the setup …
Nipa’s sister Alpa officiated the wedding, and did a spectacular job of it. It was beautifully paced, rich in thoughtful words, and both humorous and emotional.
Although it looked somewhat like a traditional western ceremony, the content came mostly from Jain and Hindu traditions – my first Indian wedding, then! The sounds too – amazing Indian music flowed through the ceremony, from maestros Natraj Music. Act I included the processional and Namokar Mantra, followed by the Kanya Daan, or giving away of the bride. For this, Nipa’s parents joined the couple and holy water was poured from their hands, through Nipa’s hands, into Jordan’s hands. This ritual also includes the bride’s parents asking the groom to treat her as a loving and equal partner. I love this – what a far cry from the “obey” line in traditional western wedding ceremonies!
Act II opened with a reading by Jordan’s mom and sister, followed by the Hasta Melap, or joining of the hands:
Act III included the Saptapadi, or seven sacred steps walked together, then the vows and ring exchange. One of my very favorite photos is of Alpa getting all choked up during the vows:
After the ceremony, I made a mad dash around the tent to grab some detail shots. The light was just beautiful in there, and the decor, though simple, was very pretty (kudos again to Blooms of Hope who provided the gorgeous flowers).
While guests enjoyed the views during cocktail hour, I took Jordan and Nipa off for a few more couples portraits …
I really like this quick grab at the end of cocktail hour – it was quite the sunset!
Throughout dinner there were dances and toasts:
And partway through the reception, Jordan surprised Nipa by serenading her with Neil Diamond’s Hello. Classic! We were all laughing and crying and laughing throughout. It was pretty cute. 🙂
The rest of the night was spent dancing like crazy – DJ Nate Oinonen of White Label DJs did another awesome job of keeping the dance floor packed all night:
One last sunset photo to end Part Two … and the super fun Indian reception will be along shortly!
Hi Kate,
You have captured the memories and all precious moments that are filled in our hearts and minds for ever. You are amazing photographer and we are so fortunate that Nipa and Jordan found you.
Thanks … Dilip and Sunita