They say, happiness within you radiates to everyone surrounding you. No wonder, Priya & Avnish’s Nirankari style wedding at Samode Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan, was just that. Now Rajasthan, in all its culturally vibrant glory and intricate architecture, has always been on every couple’s destination wedding wish-list and naturally that means it’s become a second home to us! The warmth and hospitality often pulls us back. We had shot a wedding in Samode (when the team was smaller) exactly 5 years ago and felt surreal to be back on the exact same dates years later. Samode stood the test of time and was beaming of all the excitement, the nerves, in the hues of its noble and magnificent past. We were excited to capture this wedding where we captured the spirit of a couple that lives adventurously and loves uncontrollably. The liveliest groom Avnish and the loveliest bride Priya went the extra mile to make each moment count.
Avnish being the owner of Neerus (The popular Indian clothing store) has helped design the wedding outfits for so many couples. He in fact, felt like a model from one of his own ad campaigns, with all the spotlight around him. No wonder the wedding was a sartorial delight, we couldn’t help from noticing the fashion statements the families made.
Haldi was heady fun, full of laughter, leg-pulling, amped up to an extent where, Avnish’s clothes were ripped apart by his friends and he was tossed into the pool (water being freezing-cold, given Jaipur winters), with the rest of the groomsmen, and we loved the camaraderie! Sangeet, was a no-staged, merry-making affair, and the intimacy of the function was adorable.The wedding was a beautiful Nirankari ceremony during which the couple was showered with love and rose petals. The varmaal exchange was followed by a lovely sermon given by Guruma. This wedding was extra-special because we got to photograph a very different kind of ceremony where everyone was seated for a change! No panditji coming in our way or people shooting on their phones. Every guest was actually involved in the ceremony (Not seen often in Indian weddings), throwing petals and there was a sense of calm with tears streaming down many peoples faces while listening to the sermon. The most innocent moment was when Avnish touched Priya’s feet during the ceremony, it goes to show the amount of love and respect they hold for each other. We witnessed this extraordinary thing called love when we saw the depth of the relationship Avnish shares with his father, from the many cherished moments they shared during the festivities (You’ll find them all in a minute). It was everything a photographer would fancy! They both took time out, for their photographs after the wedding inspite of being extremely tired. But it all paid off – the photographs came out great! Priya is from Jaipur locally so we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her earlier but we did a portrait session right after the wedding. Pro tip: Always take photographs in your wedding outfit away from the crowd. Before or after – doesn’t matter. You’ll be thankful you did! It’s a once in a lifetime memory, after all.
We shot and live-edited the film, that was showcased to the guests at their reception, three days later in Hyderabad, and oh, maybe we underestimated the power of excessive love. We could absorb every speck of it during the screening! Editing this at our office for once, was a refreshing change.
Scroll through the feed below and let the story unfold. And wait, don’t blame us if you get sentimental while you’re at it!
Photography & Filming by WeddingNama
Photographers: AA, Jay, DD
Cinematographers: AA, AB, KD
Assisted by: Naren Edited by: Bijal
Creative Head: Ankita Asthana
Production Head: Akash Agarwal
Location: Samode Palace, Jaipur
