An Indian Engagement

Other than watching a few Bollywood movies, my knowledge of the Indian culture is slim. I know I like the food, the hookah and the nose rings. And that’s about all that I know.
Recently, I had been invited to photograph the engagement ceremony for one young Indian couple.
The experience left me wanting more of my family in my own life.

Americans are independent and proud of it; to a point of loneliness and depression.

This bride-to-be’s family was ‘all up in her business’. They were a part of the entire ceremony-from decorating the ballroom, to dressing her, to planning and organizing the event and pretty much anything else a family member could do to make her day special.

Her mother and her aunt literally spent hours putting her veil on in just the right way. These women were very patient…even when the men begin calling every five minutes to say the guests were hungry.
Men.

The bride-to-be wears an intricately decorated scarlet dress to the engagement party-as traditional as our white dresses on our wedding day. She looked like a foreign queen.
I want to be a foreign queen.

She was then escorted into the ballroom, surrounded by her family and protected from anything that might ruin her day.
I can’t wait to see what the families will come up with for the actual wedding a year from now.
It’s going to be quite the party…and I love parties….

(There are two more series along with this shoot: a Henna Ritual and the Indian Ceremony)