Thanks for coming back for the final and most epic chapter of Rachna & Bharat’s Love Story! The 3 days we got to spend together was just incredible. I was able to witness not just a wedding day celebration where your friends and family come to hang out and eat your food…I mean they did that too, but this was a full on out community coming to support & celebrate the union of two families!
We started at the Sheraton where we met Bharat & his family getting ready for the main event. It was one of the few quiet moments of the day. I could feel the excitement emanating from Bharat as he read the note his Rachna had sent him. Afterwards we headed over to the gorgeous the Carolina Inn of Chapel Hill, NC. I was blown away by the incredible details of the ceremony area and had so much fun documenting it all. But before the ceremony started we got to take part in the Barat…not to be mistaken for Bharat…we had that conversation. 😉
It was one of the most fun things I’ve gotten to document yet! The groom mounts a white horse and is escorted by his family & friends to the ceremony location, and when I say “escort” I mean dancing and cheering to the most amazing music you’ve ever heard! Then Bharat was greeted at the entrance by his fiancé’s family.
Then we get to enter that gorgeous ceremony area that I mentioned before. It was all decked out in opulent golds & purples. It truly took my breath away. I was especially interested in the ceremony since I have yet to document this type of wedding. I’ve got the flow of a typical American wedding down pat, but this was brand new and fascinating to experience. I loved all of the personal touches, literally, like when Bharat’s mom & sister escorted Rachna back down the isle after she changed sari’s. There was something so special about that moment. The ceremony ended with everyone lavishing flower petals over the bride & groom in celebration! It was just beautiful!
There were so many more intricacies to their ceremony that I wish I could tell you about. I’m hoping that these photos share those things without words.
After we got family portraits done, some beautiful shots of Rachna & Bharat together, & they were nestled in their car off to the next event we had a chance to take pictures of the reception area. It was just as beautiful as the ceremony! The Carolina Inn sure knows what its doing! I especially loved the backdrop behind Rachna & Bharat’s sweetheart table. Its a-symmetry was just lovely! The reception was full of laughter, tears, and dancing! So many great moments of family & friends celebrating love. Something that I didn’t anticipate was how even the guests changed for each event. The gowns & sari’s were just gorgeous and a celebration of awesome for my eyeballs!
I really enjoyed my first Indian wedding experience and I’m so glad that it was Rachna & Bharat! They were up for everything I requested, even for standing in the December cold at night for some epic shots! Luckily they got to snuggle to keep each other warm. 😉 Thank you Rachna & Bharat for allowing me to document your day. It was truly, in every sense of the word, EPIC!
XOXOXO,
Mabyn
– Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding (how did you pick the venue, colors, funny stories, etc..): We wanted to have a traditional Indian wedding but in an intimate setting with southern charm. We actually saw Carolina Inn early in our planning process and fell in love with it. We wanted to do our due diligence though and looked at everything from a restored cotton mill to a historic home to a castle before landing back in Chapel Hill, where I grew up and went to school. Bharat and I are both detail-oriented, so even though we only had 5 months to pull off our wedding planning, we took our time with each vendor selection. I’m also a designer so was very particular about how things turned out visually… I designed the invitations, escort cards, table numbers, guest book, welcome packets (brochures and door hangers) and thank you cards myself. It was exhausting, but well worth it in the end. Special shoutout to our siblings for taking over some of the planning aspects of the Sangeet.
– What was your biggest fear before hiring me? Did it come true, and if not, what happened instead? We were a little worried that one photographer alone wouldn’t be able to capture the depth, detail and energy of everything going on at an Indian wedding. You more than met our expectations and maybe your fresh look at the event (since you hadn’t shot an Indian wedding before) even captured moments a seasoned Indian wedding photographer would overlook.
– What, specifically, was your favorite part of working with Mabyn Ludke Photography and why? More than anything, we felt super-comfortable around you and were able to be ourselves in the photos, which was very important to us. We also really appreciated your patience and rolling with last-minute changes and lateness. Lastly, you delivered on what we hired you for — your photography style, which captures moments in a natural but beautiful way.
– If you were to recommend Mabyn Ludke Photography to your best friend, what would you say? Mabyn is talented, sweet and fun to be around! Her energy and excitement are evident and contagious. You’ll walk away with not just memorable photos but also a friend.
all three of these posts have been nothing short of vibrant, beautiful and gorgeous. Stunning work my lovely friend!
Awesome job!!!
Very nice couple! I wish them well in their journey together! Very nice arrangements…..