West Belmont Place Indian Wedding | Washington DC Wedding Photographer | Arvind + Nithya

West Belmont Place Indian Wedding | Washington DC Wedding Photographer | Arvind + Nithya

In case you missed it last week, I told the story of how I came to photograph not just one but TWO Indian weddings in one weekend this summer! On the second day in a row I woke up at 4am after what felt like a long blink of sleep the night before and headed out to a new day with Photographick Studios.

Arvind and Nithya love nothing more than each other, and they fell in love through the years traveling together. He was nervous before he saw his bride, and she had jitters until he held her close. Where Arvind is planned and ordered, Nithya is spontaneous and adventure-loving, and together the two make a perfect pair.

Their wedding day was incredible from start to finish at West Belmont Place in Washington, DC...

Washington, DC Indian Wedding | Multicultural Wedding Photographer | Tejen + Vashruti

Washington, DC Indian Wedding | Multicultural Wedding Photographer | Tejen + Vashruti

Back in the summer, one of my goals for the year ahead was to photograph an Indian wedding. I had no idea how this would even happen, since I didn't have any in my portfolio at the time and no leads on the way. Just one month later I was on my way to Washington, D.C., to photograph not just one but TWO Indian weddings in one weekend with Photographick Studios. It's crazy how things happen so quickly!

The first day was both beautiful and a shock to my system all at once. I was on my feet for about 20 hours starting at 5am and it was almost nonstop. Everything about an Indian wedding ceremony seemed different - it lasts for hours, people come in and out and are even talking during each event because it lasts so long. The bride switches outfits for the reception, and there are so many cultural differences between a 'normal' American wedding and one from a different culture.

By the end of the first long day, though, I was hooked...

Downtown Nashville Winter Wedding | Nashville Wedding Photographer | Jon + Shannon

Downtown Nashville Winter Wedding | Nashville Wedding Photographer | Jon + Shannon

Shooting a wedding in Nashville, Tennessee, was the best way I could think of to wrap up the 2016 season, and there’s no couple I would rather have traveled so far for as Jon and Shannon. Nathan and I have known Jon for years, and I remember when Shannon first entered into his life. He told me after a few months of dating her that when they got married, he wanted me to be his wedding photographer. As excited as I was for him at the time, it felt like a dream that I actually got to be there on their most special day.

As well as I know Jon, I know that he and Shannon are a perfect match for each other. They met at Union College in Nashville and bonded over their mutual love for music and the Lord. Her feisty personality and his uniquely hilarious sense of humor saw them through several years and many ups and downs as he moved to another state to pursue his future bride. Together at last, Jon and Shannon could not keep the joy off their faces as they became husband and wife.

The Musician's Hall of Fame was the perfect setting for a reception blanketed in twinkling lights, evergreen wreaths to celebrate the winter season, and candles that lit the entire hall in glowy yellow light. Crimson bridesmaid dresses and classic bowties tied the whole day together perfectly, and a sweet heartfelt ceremony with a shared communion in the middle was a reminder of the true purpose behind the wedding...