April 14th and 16th - India meets Japan

This wedding started with a traditional Indian Engagement Sari presentation and party on Thursday. The bride and groom met outside first for some portraits and then entered the building with family, 2 at a time. The bride received her gifts, including a Sari which she then was ceremoniously dressed in. Tilak, also known as Bindi, was then applied by the future inlaws and a handfull of rice was pressed into the vermillion dot. The amount of rice that sticks is to signify the amount of children they will have. Jewelry was then presented and adorned. Once this Beauty was blessed and dressed it became the grooms turn. Then they were presented gifts from all members of the family and then other members of  both families took turns on the dias receiving blessings and gifts to come together as one family.

The actual wedding ceremony was then held on Saturday at Taj Hall. The hall was filled with Gold and white to celebrate the wedding. The families enter, once again, 2 at a time. The groom sits in his throne and awaits his Bride. They sit together with witnesses standing behind them while the priest recites the ritual chants and tosses rice at the couple and toward the witnesses. Following the ceremony the entire hall lined up to congratulate the couple and present gifts. The Party that followed was one of the best celebrations I've ever had the privilege to capture!