Mohini + Chander’s Wedding Part 3: 12/30/2010 – Where do I even begin? It’s currently 3:33AM, and I’m wide awake reliving Mohini and Chander’s wedding from 10 days ago. I honestly don’t know where to begin explaining the experience of traveling to a new world and documenting two strangers-now good friends’ big day. It’s funny, I can’t even say wedding day like I normally do, as Mohini and Chander planned a week’s worth of activities for all of their guests.
Also, it just hit me that there was a good possibility I might not even had the chance to capture these moments. If it weren’t for Chander’s sister Anita flying into Los Angeles a few weeks before the wedding to visit her good friend and one of my past brides Anna, her husband, Lonngren, and little Adriaan, then I wouldn’t have ever known about Mohini and Chander’s wedding. Then if it weren’t for lots of coordinating, trust, and patience between the bride and groom, wedding planner, and Anita, I wouldn’t have been considered as their photographer.
Then if it weren’t for physically going to the India Embassy in San Francisco and getting a Visa in the mail on the day before I had to leave, then I wouldn’t even have had a chance of stepping foot in India. But guess what? All of that DID happened. And as crazy as it sounds to be complete strangers until the week of the wedding, that’s exactly what happened as well between myself and Mohini and Chander. Looking back, I definitely wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Even after looking through thousands of photos and picking out my favorites, these images just don’t quite explain what an experience it was for me and how grateful I am to have been able to capture Mohini and Chander’s wedding. The day started at 10AM for me, at Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi, where Mohini, Chander, and most of the guests got ready. Then everyone headed on over to the Cathedral Church of the Redemption for the ceremony via shuttle buses. Afterward, while the guests took another bus ride an hour away to the reception site at Sankriti Greens, Mohini, Chander, myself, and the team of other photographers and videographers :P, headed on over to India Gate (I think the heart of New Delhi if I’m not mistaken) for some portraits.
What started out as a quiet and calm morning at the hotel quickly turned into a spectacular, action-packed afternoon and evening full of unforgettable memories. I’d be lying to you if I told you I didn’t pray at least a dozen times for everything to go smoothly, at least on my end :). Every photography-related lesson I’ve learned, all the mistakes I made in the past, and every ounce of random knowledge I’ve gained came in handy at the wedding. I know I keep saying this, but it was truly the experience of a lifetime, one I wasn’t quite able to visualize while on the plane ride over to India.
From spending the morning with Mohini and her cousin Victoria in one room and Chander and the guys in another…witnessing a sacred and marvelous yet intimate ceremony at the church…back peddling blindly while shooting, as Mohini and Chander walked between two lines of guests and escaped the myriad of flower petals thrown at them…fighting through the hundreds of locals at India Gate to get a few shots of the couple (probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a wedding day!) and praying no one would steal my camera roller case (only my life savings is in there :P)…
…knocking out on the ride from India Gate to the reception and hoping my driver wouldn’t make me late for the evening festivities (btw I l accidentally left a 5DM2 battery in the backseat, first time losing something on location :P)…showing up to one of the most beautiful reception sites I’ve ever seen…standing toe-to-toe with an elephant and capturing Chander riding it (if I ever get married, no matter what, I’m entering the ceremony/reception on an elephant!)…hearing some of the most AMAZING toasts ever…and ending the evening on a bus ride back to the hotel with some of the most wonderful individuals I’ve ever met…
Thank you. Thank you to Anita for making all of this possible and helping me out every step of the way. Thank you to the cousins, aunts, uncles, all the relatives, and guests for treating me more as a friend than a stranger and allowing me to capture YOUR moments and memories. It’s these relationships I’ve made with each of you that I’ll cherish more than anything else from the trip. Everyone from Toronto, the US, United Kingdom, Switzerland, India, and everywhere in between, I sincerely hope to cross paths with you again. Thank you to the wedding party, brothers of Mohini and friends of Chander, for being so kind and helpful to me. Thank you to both sets of parents for always starting a conversation with a warm smile and ending it with an even warmer hug or hand shake. There’s no questioning on where Mohini and Chander got their wonderful traits from.
Last, and most certainly not least…thank you to Mohini and Chander. Photos, words, and other forms of communication, can’t fully portray how blessed I feel to have met you both, and how thankful I am for the opportunity you’ve given me. I couldn’t help shed a tear or two when I heard the words spoken by your fathers, brothers, friends, and one another during the toasts…on the lives you’ve lived, the impact you’ve made on everyone, and what you mean to each other. It’s truly inspiring. I wish you nothing but the very best; I’ve no doubt we’ll see each other again in the future.
Ceremony location: The Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi, India
Reception location: Sanskriti Greens in Delhi, India
