May 10, 2025 marked the day I had my earliest work morning – a 4am wake up for a 5am call time.

Christine & Aditya wanted to honor both of their heritages, which meant starting their wedding day with a beautiful traditional Hindu ceremony. Getting ready was a multi generational affair, with Adi’s family helping everyone properly dress, & many many coffees.

Their ceremony procession corresponded with the rising of the sun.

Aditya did his Vara Aagamanam, straight into the Ganesh Pooja. After the traditional proceedings of this portion of the ceremony, it was time for the arrival of the bride, called Kanya Aagamanam. They continued proceedings into the Kanyadaanam, & then it was time for Sumuhurtham & Jeelakarra Bellam. Aditya shared with me prior to their wedding day that this would be an espeically important moment. At the Sumuhurtham, the couple place an inseparable paste of bitter cumin (jeelakarra) and sweet jaggery (bellam) on each other’s heads, symbolizing unity through life’s bitter and sweet moments. The curtain is then removed, marking their union in marriage. He shared that for south Indian Hindus this was officially the moment they became husband & wife. You can see the joy on both of their faces in this moment, it was so special to document.

The ceremony continued with Mandalya Dharanam (Tying the Sacred Thread & Exchanging Garlands) The Mangalsutra is a sacred yellow thread with two gold discs, symbolizing the marital bond.The groom ties it around the bride’s neck in three knots. The couple then exchanged garlands to honor their love and acceptance of one another. This celebration also brought in so many of their loved ones, as guests were invited to pour rice onto the couple as a blessing for them & their futures.

Now, time for getting ready part II:

Prior to the Persian ceremony to celebrate Christine’s culture, we got to document special moments of joy & connection.

When I arrived to document the Sagreh Aghd set up at the ceremony space I was floored. The Sagreh Aghd is a traditional Persian wedding spread rich in symbolism. It represents a sacred space for the union to take place. The display holds ancient cultural significance and symbolizes the hopes and blessings for the couples future together. There were many beautiful symbols on their table, but to name a few there was A mirror, which represents reflection and the couple’s bright future together. There was a needle and thread to bring the two families into one, & Incense wards away the “evil eye” & any negativity from the sweet.

The Persian ceremony gave their guests another opportunity to showcase their support for the marriage, as people took turns rubbing two sugar cubes over the couple. This symbolized blessing them with sweetness in their relationship.

The rest of the evening was pure celebration!

Joy was palpable in this crowd, & can be felt through these images.