p.1 #1 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
My biggest challenge will be lighting. The Mandap will be in a barn with very dark walls. The barn isn't all that big to begin with so it's going to be crowded. I'll probably set up one of my studio lights above the Mandap and aim it at the top so as to create a large light source to light the interior of the tent. I'll bounce another couple of lights into umbrellas set in the opposite corners.
The bride sent me a list of the ceremonies and their meanings. I'll keep it with me so I can steal a quick glance at what's coming up next. I'm assuming that I'll be able to get pretty near the Mandap so I can get an unobstructed view but I'll check with the bride beforehand.
Any advice for shooting Indian weddings will be appreciated. I know I'll be shooting a lot of detail shots of hands, etc.
Here's a list the bride sent me.
The Entrance
The bridesmaids dressed in traditional Indian attire welcome the groom with the ashtamangalyam (*****), the changalavetta (a sacred lamp) and thalams (brass plates holding several auspicious items). The groom, accompanied by his parents, enters the mandap and sits on the right side awaiting the bride’s arrival. The bride is next led to the mandap by the bridal party and takes her place to the left side of the groom.
The Readings
****
The Exchange of Vows and Rings
The Tying of the Thaali
After the bride and groom exchange their wedding vows and rings, they will perform the tying of the thaali. The groom ties the thaali, a sacred thread that has been blessed by a priest, around the bride’s neck. Next, the groom places a vermillion dot (kum kum) on the bride’s forehead, signifying their union.
The Exchange of Garlands
The couple will then exchange garlands as a gesture of acceptance of one another and a pledge to respect one another as partners. The bride places the garland around the groom first, reminiscent of the ancient system of swayamvaram, in which the bride chooses a husband from a group of gathered suitors.
Groom’s Gift
The groom gives the bride a sari, symbolizing a pledge of support for life.
The Giving of the Bride
The bride’s father will give the bride away by placing her hand in the groom’s right hand.
Circling of the Fire
The ceremony ends with the bride and groom circling the altar three times taking their first steps together as husband and wife. Circling the fire represents a request for the blessing of Agni, the Hindu god of fire and prosperity....Show more →
p.1 #8 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
j.curtis wrote:
Just a bit disrespectful and uncool.
Are you serious? Oh, right, you were the same person who had an issue with Pingol 'advertising' his free seminar. I have many indian friends, and a few family members - one I've JUST asked has said you're *profanity* about this.
p.1 #9 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
In the midst of my first Indian wedding this week. 4 days long... Yes you heard me... 4 DAYS!
Finished 2/4 as of last night. Couple things to take note of from my limited experienc:.
1. Its organized chaos. There will be people talking to each other in groups while the B&G are going about their stuff.
2. It gets crowded! Bring a chair or stool! When the guests swarm there is no way you will get in front of them.
3. Bring something wide. I don't typically use 16-35 but had to bust it out once in a while because you have to be right up front to get a good view but too close for anything longer than 24.
4. Eyes wander like no other! There is so much going on and so many P&Ss from people that when the couple gets swarmed but needs a photo get their attention! Took me a couple tries to get everyone in the photo looking at me.
Maybe my couple was unorganized or what was planned didnt go as they wanted but so far its been pure mayhem.
Colours are awesome, food is delicious, and the dancing is always plentiful.
p.1 #10 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
Jim,
Most of the weddings I cover are Indian weddings, so here are some tips:
1. Prepare yourself for a LONG day. Most Indian weddings are much longer than a Western wedding. There is normal time, and Indian standard time... which means that everything will have an hour delay almost. If they hired you based on hours, your hours may well be up before some of the main ceremony has begun.
2. You more than likely won't be able to get similar shots as you would at a normal Western wedding, so try to freestyle it a bit instead of having a lot of planned shots. Now it can vary on how traditional or how modern the couple are, so this can vary a bit.
3. Prepare for the most amount of Uncle Bobs you've ever encountered. For some reasons, at Indian weddings, every cousin, uncle, aunt, and friend has an SLR and will try to get the shot. As RL15 stated above, a crowd can easily surround you and make it almost impossible to work. Make your presence be known, and don't hesitate to tell people to leave the area for your shots.
4. Eat something before you start, and have a drink nearby. You may not get a chance to eat at all, and be sure to stay hydrated.
5. There are lots of ceremonies and customs. Find out which particular ones are the most important to the family and the bride and groom, and focus more on those. Some small things may be very significant depending on the family... so find out in advance.
6. Again, as RL15 suggested, people in group shots and formals get distracted VERY easily. Be sure to speak up and let them know to look at you, and take the image more than once just to be sure. If you don't get these right, parents can become a nightmare after the wedding.
7. Have a good time, and enjoy it. You will meet a lot of friendly people, and may even find yourself in the middle of the dance floor near the end.
Indian weddings in general can be very hectic and sometimes stressful, but they are also very fun. So make sure you enjoy it as well, and stay cool throughout the day.
Oh, and to Jeremy's Genie pic... I can see how it may be somewhat disrespectful to some, but I really don't think that's his intention here. I'm Indian myself, and I didn't find it offensive at all. Although I gotta say Jeremy, you should've pulled the Genie out for the middle eastern thread instead
p.1 #11 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
Sahid Limon wrote:
Oh, and to Jeremy's Genie pic... I can see how it may be somewhat disrespectful to some, but I really don't think that's his intention here. I'm Indian myself, and I didn't find it offensive at all. Although I gotta say Jeremy, you should've pulled the Genie out for the middle eastern thread instead
I just think of Aladdin when I hear sacred lamp. Nothing derogatory intended, and thank you for reaffirming.
p.1 #13 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
jcolman wrote:
Thanks guys for all the advice. Very helpful!!
Sahid, this will be a combination Indian/western wedding so they're keeping it much shorter.....or so I'm told.
Ah nice. So then you may not even run into a lot of the dilemmas that I mentioned above. Good luck, and be sure to post the pictures once they're ready!
p.1 #14 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
Sahid beat me to it, but +1 to pretty much everythign he said. Keep your elbows out and make sure you get the Uncle Bob's in the chin... seriously, lol. Make sure you FIGHT for your space as they will run on top of you if you don't.
It just starts to go down hill from there, so you need to learn crowd control. Be firm and keep reminding people as a lot of them just don't care about rules and who the pro is.
p.1 #15 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
Saad Syed wrote:
Sahid beat me to it, but +1 to pretty much everythign he said. Keep your elbows out and make sure you get the Uncle Bob's in the chin... seriously, lol. Make sure you FIGHT for your space as they will run on top of you if you don't.
It just starts to go down hill from there, so you need to learn crowd control. Be firm and keep reminding people as a lot of them just don't care about rules and who the pro is.
Major L.O.L's at that picture. What's even worse, that's one of the milder ones Saad, as I'm sure you alredy know and experienced yourself.
p.1 #16 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
I only second shot one Indian wedding but we did formals before the main crowd came in on the first day(Thursday).
The groom arrives with his whole entourage and friends, singing and dancing to drums ( I was hoping to see him on a white horse, but he came in a Hummer). Here you can use a second shooter also, as you may want to get wide angle of the groups and the arrival but also close-ups (from within the crowd) of the groom and his friends, also details of the 'gifts' presented to the bride's family so you have to be closeby, this is an important part of the events
During the actual ceremony, the main entrance was crowded by the video guy with tripod and the main photographer, crowd could not see the ceremony, but did not seem to mind. Older women were available near the 'windows' to provide items needed for the ceremony and these ladies provided a spot for me every time
Since the main shooter had access to the front of the 'ceremonial tent', I used a 70-200 most of the time and shot through the windows. At one point the pundit (priest) said "no photographs, this is sacred" and I was about to move away when the father of the bride told us to continue as the photographs are very important to the family.
After the ceremony, friends and relatives presented gifts to the newlyweds and each presenter expects a picture with the B&G, this went on for a long time
We got group shots and B&G images without the crowd following us, as this was determined beforehand, also, there was an interval of about three hours between the ceremony and the reception (an hour away).
Time is not very important, example on Friday, the arrangement was for 8:00am yet nobody was around at that time, the Pundit showed up at 9:00am and things got underway at around 9:30am in the bride's home.
Be prepared for very long days, we left around midnight on Thursday, 2:30am on Sunday, after starting at 7:00am for the bride's preparation shots.
It was very fascinating, I think you will really enjoy this one (don't forget to drink a lot of water).
p.1 #17 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
I had a young uncle bob with 2 Nikon SLRs (and a bunch of rented lenses) strapped on each side of his shoulders at my Indian wedding!!
But yeah expect chaos! And one thing I learned is that it might be best if I had just taken my shoes off to walk around because the area where the ceremony is performed is sacred and you cannot enter with shoes.
p.1 #18 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
Very helpful information peeps!! Much appreciated. My only real concern is that my usual assistant can't make it for this event so unless I find someone else, i'll be flying solo.
p.1 #19 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
yup .. agree with all above .. ! i shot an indian wedding once too and right after, i slept for 2 days straight !!!!!
best thing that happened to me since i dont know the indian traditions .. i got real buddy buddy with one of the grooms/best man and he basically advised me on what's coming up and what is really important ..
and yes .. get ready to be kicked out of the hotel that you're shooting in .. cuz they run late into the night!
didn't get home till 3am and 3800 images later
oh .. by far the indian wedding DJ music was totally off the hook !! .. talk about mixing indian songs with up to date's hip hop beats .. if you're into that kind of stuff
p.1 #20 · I've got my first Indian wedding coming up
great thread !
I have my first indian wedding in a few weeks time too. Only booked for 13 hours though and it's 1/2 Indian and 1/2 british.
But all great things to know.
getting scared by what you said EV088, I have another (british) wedding the day after....
looking forward to what you come back with jcoleman !
Thanks all
