This is the second of three weddings we are shooting connected to Jessica’s wonderful family. Back in October of 2006, we shot Nicolle and Danny’s wedding (Jessica’s brother) and this coming October, we’re shooting Nicolle’s best friends wedding! Jessica & Gino’s wedding at the beautiful Bel Air Bay Club was a stunning event. Jessica was so beautiful, she looked like a super model. Gino wasn’t too shabby himself. Fabulous flowers by Green Leaf Floral Design, and one of the best DJ’s we’ve worked with in a long time, Jeff Ames of Off the Record. Congratulations guys! We love you and love being part of your family!!

Getting buttoned up.

It’s the “in-between” shots that can make the most interesting images…

Some reception details.

About to make the grand entrance.

Super fun sparkler exit!

Another big entry, but hopefully worth it! What an amazing day this was! It all started at Roni’s parents house getting his turban wrapped, then off to the Buena Park Sikh Temple for the Barat. There really is nothing like a great Barat, with everyone dancing and hugging and the beautiful horse. An incredible sight. The Sikh ceremony was so different from the Hindu, it was really interesting to see the contrasts. Much more subdued, but still heavy in ritual, it was beautiful to see. The gurus were so nice to us, and wanted to explain what they were doing, as well as offer us a sample of the sweet that was given out as part of the ceremony. I asked what it was made of, they said wheat flour, sugar and butter. My response: “3 of my favorite things!”, they seemed to like that. And yes, it was tasty. A fabulous lunch followed the ceremony (have I mentioned yet how well we ate this weekend???).
The evening reception took place at the Omni Hotel downtown. Another fantastic line-up of vendors made this evening stunning and unforgettable. Mary Sushinski and her fabulous team from Occasions coordinated the event to perfection, stunning florals from Flowers By Leah, gorgeous table linens by Elegant Design, striking lighting by Aspect Lighting, yummy cake by Great Dane Baking Company, and Sheila’s perfect hair & make up by Couture Beauty. Enough of my babbling, here it is:

This is going to be a longer than usual blog entry. So many amazing things happen in a Hindu wedding, we have SO many shots to pick from. This is actually the first of two ceremonies they had, Sheila is Hindu and Roni is Sikh, so they decided to have two ceremonies for both families. I love how in a Hindu ceremony so many people are involved. Besides the bride, groom and priest, both families are up at the Mandap and all take part in different roles within the ceremony. Khrishna Chari performed a wonderful and always entertaining service. The morning ceremony was at beautiful Calamigos Ranch and the day ran as smooth as silk, thanks to Mary Sushinski of Occasions and her team of coordinators. Flowers by Leah created beautiful center pieces and a stunning Mandap. Here’s the day:

I love this detail Nate captured of Sheila’s mehendi and rings.

Sheila about to make her may over to the ceremony.

Getting her first (of many) garlands before seeing Roni for the first time.

Before making their way to the Mandap, relatives got them up on their shoulders so they could toss more garlands on each other.

Lots of blessings to be made.

Roni tying Sheila’s wedding necklace.

First steps as husband & wife.

The priest took some ash from the fire and gave to Roni to put on Sheila’s bindi.

Sheila finds the ring, which means she is the head of the house (as if it would be any other way :))

Family & friends blessing the new couple with flower petals.

Fabulous flowers by Flowers by Leah (her website is coming!).

On Thursday, Sheila & Roni’s wedding celebration continued with the Janasavam. I met Roni at the Malibu Hindu Temple, and had a chance to get some pictures of him alone while we waited for his family. The temple is made of beautiful hand carved stone in typical Indian style. Inside, he received a blessing from the priest, then everyone went back to Sheila’s parents for a Barat, followed by a short ceremony, which included both sets of parents being presented with a copy of the wedding invitation and program.

Traditionally, the groom rides a horse (or an elephant) for the Barat. Roni took some liberties and rode in on a mustang.