I have always wanted to go to India. I can still remember watching Indiana Jones as a kid (which looking back, is an incredibly skewed representation of the culture!) and going to the local Indian restaurant in town with all my friends. By my 3rd week in India I realized that for the first time, I was drawn to a country not for its landscapes, but for its people.
Maybe it was just luck, but when I arrived in India, I connected with all of Ishan and Preeti’s friends and family on such a level of comfort and familiarity. This led to something incredible that I never expected. In addition to the outstanding hospitality that everyone showed me, I felt very included on a cultural level. From music and food, to the ceremonies, and even traditional clothing, I had the incredible blessing to be part of a way of life (world) so vibrantly different from the one I am used to living. I had so much fun at Preeti and Ishan's wedding, that I kept having to remind myself I was there to photograph it.
Pretti and Ishan’s wedding took us all over India. We started in Surat with the henna ceremony. The next day we were on a 12 hour train ride to Rohet Garth, where the wedding would take place. Rohet Garh is a little slice of paradise in the desert. And lucky me, I'm the first to shoot a wedding there! Everything about this place is top notch.
Because Ishan and Preeti are also very talented wedding photographers themselves, pictures were very important to them. After the ceremony, we drove to one of the venue’s other properties, Mihir Garh (which wasn't close by any means). This place was beautiful on so many levels!
I’m still decompressing from this amazing trip, and I’m sure I will reflect on it for years to come. I truly want to thank Ishan, Preeti, and both their families and friends, for making sure that I was comfortable, and for the opportunity to experience such a beautiful culture first hand. I love you all and I’m glad to call you my friends.
