Sukhpreet & Pushbinder | a Punjabi wedding at Chennai and Bangalore
Weddings become very special when the groom is your former colleague. This pompous Punjabi wedding happened in Chennai, but they made sure they celebrated their sangeet ceremony in Chennai as well as Bangalore.
The album opens with a picture of Sukhpreet and Pushpinder, hoping to instil a sense of familiarity around Punjabi weddings for you. And where there’s love, warmth can’t be far away. The essence of Punjabi weddings can be often read into the intricate Mehendi designs in the bride’s hand, a traditional representation of marriages in North India. And there’s never any missing of the Haldi ceremony! It’s a bright, fun-filled day and everyone’s busty smudging some turmeric on the bride and the groom. It makes their skin glow, they say. Cannot beat the glow of the dancing family members though!
But, like in all wedding ceremonies, we see the children, bored and curious, staring with wide-open eyes at the extravagant ceremonies, or nibbling their time away.
Our Kudi Patakha, or Sukhpreet, is getting married to our Mehendi-laden-on-his-hands Pushpinder, who looks amazed at the ceremony, yet proudly shows it off to me.
Punjabi weddings hold their dhol very close to their hearts and dance their hearts to the beats. The men and women participate with all their energy and emotions in all the ceremonies, as do the old and the young.
In another frame, we see the women getting dolled up, while the ones waiting in line doze off for a bit. The scenario of every make-up room, I suppose. We see assi star playing on a local Punjabi channel in the midst of all the glamorous and fabulous women. They really are the stars of every show.
The groom in Levis, the bride in her lehenga, both preparing to walk the walk of life together. No groom can be content without a perfect turban, of course, so his best men help him fix his turban, perfect to every fold and turn.
You’ll catch moments of the couple sharing very emotionally intimate moments, and there’s where you see the true reflection of their reflection. Their traditional sides shine during the prayers and engagement. It is so vividly visible how loud and fun Punjabis like their weddings to be in the pictures of the hour. If you’re in the right frame, you might also witness the father’s emotions during his daughter’s wedding. Overshadowed, but they make you feel the bond of blood. But the party takes us on a rollercoaster of fun and dancing where everyone’s giving their best shot at their moves and grooves.
Everything settles down with a sense of calm on the day of the wedding, almost like a halt in time, when you look at the bride being blessed and the groom fixing up his buttons, engrossed in thoughts of the beautiful future. His eyes speak for him. The bride looks at the frame, beautiful in a shade of pink, matching with the turban of the groom, and the Gulab band starts playing the baajai that’ll cheer up everyone.
The groom passes by a higher secondary school on his horse, and the boys dream of a future as such from behind the railings. Do we all evolve to love and be loved someday? The happiness instilled in this wedding makes me believe so. The rituals at the Gurudwara are peaceful, solemn and drenched in holy prayers. The couple looks stunning, and they share so many moments with filled love and promises in those pheras.
You see, once the vows are made, their chemistry shines even brighter. Just as vidaai gets closer by the hour, the smile of the bride is befriended by teary-eyes, the sorrow of leaving her home and the happiness of entering into another can be truly overwhelming. But before we leave you to see the beauty and fun of this wedding for yourself, let me remind you to scroll down and have a look at the lovely portraits I got to capture of the wonderful couple in Bangalore just before the wedding. Away from the glitter and glamour, Sukhpreet and Pushpinder still manage to be the light of the frame.
Instagram: dropdstudio weddings
