It’s not every day that there is an Indian wedding taken place at a barn in middle Georgia. It is also not every day that this Indian wedding is between a Philippine Catholic and a man of Indian descent. Frans Beltran was born in a Catholic Philippine home, and her now husband, Nishi Patel, was born into an Indian family. Nishi was born in Macon, but he and Frans both are working up North as doctors, so we did not meet them until the first day of their wedding celebration. We had the incredible opportunity to not only shoot this wedding, but also experience the rich traditions of the Indian Hindu culture at a place so close to home.

The wedding celebration started off with the traditional ceremonies of a Hindu wedding. It started on Friday with Mehndi Night. Mehndi Night is a traditional event that takes places when the bride and the women of the family are painted with mehndi, also known as henna. The bride is painted on the hands and feet with intricate designs to promote health and relieve stress. The tradition started because mehndi was found to help calm the nerves of brides because getting married is a stressful event. The darker the mehndi turns out is supposedly a sign as to how much the bride will be loved by her husband and mother-in-law. The event was unlike anything we had seen in a conventional wedding of the south. Brilliant colors and designs filled every inch from the women’s traditional dresses to small candles. The ceremony was beautiful.

The next day, Saturday, was the Vidhi ceremony, which went on for hours. The Vidhi Ceremony consists of three different ceremonies on the day before the wedding. First, Mandva Mahurat & Griha Shanti in which the parents of the couple asks Mother Nature and the nine planets for their blessings. Second, Pithi, a ceremony in which the paternal uncle’s wife, or kaaki, prepares the pithi on a decorated plate and blessed by a priest. The pithi is then applied to the bride’s skin by the women of the household. The yellow paste was smeared on Frans and Nishi while they laughed and celebrated with their guests. Lastly, Mameru or Mosaalu during which the bride receives gifts from her uncle. That same day a before wedding reception was held called the Garba Dance. The Garba Dance is a Indian folk dance that represents the circle of life, from life to death to rebirth, by preforming dances in ring form. The women in the family dressed in beautiful, colorful dresses and created circular motions as the turned in the ring the form! It was spectacular!

Sunday was the day of the wedding. It took place at Two Oaks Farm, and we spent a few hours photographing all the details because we did not want to miss anything. The day started with the Bahra ceremony. The groom was escorted to the wedding by all the guests. He was was held on the shoulders of some of the guests, and was surrounded by cheering and dancing. The ceremony was loud and crazy filled with laughter and fun unlike anything we had seen at a wedding! There were tiny statues from the bride and groom and the parents of the couple, a beautiful alter, and the bride’s dresses. Frans Beltran, the bride, had seven dresses! Each one was as beautiful as the next and she wore them over the course of the three days. In the wedding ceremony, the couple was bonded by the mangal sultra, a necklace of which takes the place of a wedding ring. Because the entire celebration had followed traditional Indian rituals, it came time to celebrate in a more contemporary way. During the reception after the wedding, Frans wanted a more conventional celebration with wedding cake and a more contemporary dance party. We were thrilled to have been asked to photograph this wedding, and wish nothing less than a joyful, health filled, and lifelong marriage for the couple.

Vendors:

Venue: Twin Oaks Farm
Cake Designer: Amanda’s Cakery
Cinema and Video: Ava Ryan
Caterer: Bhojanic
Ring Designer: Brilliant Earth
Hair Stylist: Brooke Woode
Makeup Artist:Katrina Causey James
Tuxedo and Men’s Attire: Brooks Brothers
Tuxedo and Men’s Attire: Ladlee Fashion
Floral Designer: Lawrence Mayer Florist
Event Planner: LLC Events, LLC
Equipment Rentals: Macon Tent Rentals
Event Designer: Natasha Decor
Invitation Designer: Parekh Cards
Bridesmaid Dresses: Rey Humberto Villegas Design
Dress Designer: Shehnaai Studio Couture
DJ: Volcanik Entertainment