I had lived in Assam for several years as a student, but this was the first Assamese wedding I photographed in Guwahati. I lived in the hilly town of Haflong which predominantly has a tribal population, away from the hustle-bustle of the city life. This wedding made me familiar with the Assamese Culture. I found out about Juroon for the first time at Himakshi’s wedding. It is a pre-wedding Assamese ceremony, which signifies the acceptance of the bride by the family of the groom. They shower her with gifts, love and blessings. It’s on the day before the marriage or the morning of the same. The wedding happened later after this ceremony, and the grand reception by the groom followed soon after.

This wedding was more than an assignment for me. Himakshi and I studied together, and we have known each other for a long time now. Hoping to capture the zillion emotions that the bride, the groom, and their families go through on these auspicious days, I stumbled upon moments that I hold dear to me till date. The vermillion lights up Himakshi’s face like never before. She looks at herself in the small mirror and adjusts her earrings. The bride is ready. The ultramarine shades of blue on her saree complemented the deep pink royally, as it complimented the beautiful smile of hers.

It was a joyous wedding, laughter caught all around the ceremony. The traditions of this Assamese wedding in Guwahati was followed to the last dot, and this enhanced the piousness of this marriage. The bride posed anxiously, while the rest of the family were busy fulfilling the rituals and ceremonies. Himkashi’s expressions speak for the share of fun she had. Just before we step into the make-up room, we see her walking away with a laugh.

The busy bride that she is, she still manages to look the most gorgeous in the room. The traditionally draped saree and the millions of smiles and conversations keep the night young and alive. The elders walk towards the groom and greet him. We look at his face for the first time, and his eyes catch our attention. He’s soon settled with a garland on his head as he immerses himself in the ceremonies. The old and the young watch the night slowly grow intense. The bride and the groom begin their holy union, but there’s no moment where the best men of the groom can stop themselves from cracking a joke! Tears take over Himakshi’s face as anticipation does on Abhijeet. The two of them share a moment or two before they finally step into a beautiful life. They really can steal hearts in every frame, even with the most beautiful flowers aligned right behind them. Their happiness is addictive, isn’t it?

This wedding was special for one more reason. Himakshi and I studied together. This is what the bride says about my work.

“I’ve always admired Nishal’s work as a photographer, especially when it comes to wedding shoots. I really like his way of storytelling and capturing the essence of weddings. It’s almost like he not only seizes the moment but also the emotions in his photos. And weddings I believe are all about very special emotional moments. 

When it was about choosing the photographer for my own wedding, I definitely wanted someone who does amazing work but also someone who would really want to be a “part of the wedding” and not just be there only to get the job done. And when I shared this idea with a (travel) photographer friend from my hometown, he instantly suggested that I should ask no one else but Nishal. 

I did and it turned out to be a great choice! Having done our master’s together and being friends from then on, it surely felt like he was a part of the family and not just “the photographer” for our wedding. Besides, hailing from the same part of the country added on to the homely (Northeasterner) feeling.   

Nishal, as a person, is very warm. He can genuinely make you feel comfortable at once – something, which I feel is very important while doing wedding shoots. For me, I could just be myself with him, even when there were times when I was obviously nervous. Honestly, I never had to worry about looking good in the photos or striking the perfect pose. I was just living the moments and Nishal was doing his job – a great job! He and Abhijit had never met before, but they connected pretty well during the wedding which made it a lot relaxed and easier for us to do the post-wedding outdoor shoot. It was like old friends meeting up and talking – while he was smartly getting the work done.  

To make things easier, we asked Nishal if he could take up the entire wedding shoot (photos and videos) for both sides of the families as one big project. He agreed and the ball started rolling. And trust me, we didn’t have to worry about anything – big or small. From planning to execution to editing to getting the final photos and videos delivered, he got everything sorted for us – just like a good friend and a professional photographer. We probably couldn’t have asked for more.    

Thank you, Nishal for creating some everlasting memories from our wedding through your beautiful photography.”

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