Santa Ana and Huntington Beach Pre-wedding events- siddhi + ashish

June 11, 2015

 

 

An embrace under a clear sorry night and fairy lights during the boat party for Siddhi and Ashish,

What I love most about Indian weddings is the sense of communion – how two families come together and become one. The welcoming, respect, love and joy that people show is incredible. And it was probably more distinctive during this wedding as it was five days of shooting more than ten events with family and friends that traveled from all over the world!

Once Siddhi and Ashish met, there was little to keep them away from each other even though one lived in Los Angeles and the other one in Chicago. Hours and hours of phone conversations and huge cell phone bills and a lot of flyer miles and it was obvious they wanted to make things work. Siddhi (the co-founder along with her twin sister Riddhi of a very successful online business) was ready to make the move to Chicago where Ashish has his medical practice.

Little did she know that her mother and her very good friend and very talented wedding planner and décor specialist Smita Mohindra, had been ‘plotting’ behind the scenes, pairing up colors, saris, décor details and creating themes that no one would ever think of before they even had a wedding in sight. So it is fair to say that this wedding was years in the making, and once we talked to Siddhi about her weeklong events, it seemed like it was planned to a tee thanks to a wonderful team of vendors.

Image during the beginning of festivities at Siddhi’s parents home

The ceremonies started at Siddi’s parent’s residence in Santa Ana with a very emotional Puja (prayers) and then Pithi (the covering of the bride/groom with turmeric to purify the skin). At the end of that ceremony the bride and everyone else jumped into the pool and danced! Later – an evening of Devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at the Khara Residence followed by the Mehndi (henna) party on Wednesday night.

On Thursday we went towards the ocean for the Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach with an Indian Bollywood theme with live music, dancing and delicious food put together by Smita Mohindra and her team. I was floored by the performances that both families put together several days in a row!

On Friday there were two parties: a Yacht Soiree created by Sheer Romance (can you say amazing?) and a fun ‘Parents Party’ at the Hyatt before the wedding day on Saturday.

At the end of all this wedding extravaganza I ended up with so many great pictures that I had a very, very hard task to pick just a few for a blog post so I have divided everything in three posts: The Pre-Wedding Events, The Ceremony and Reception.

I hope you love these images as much as I loved shooting them… l will be posting the rest of this amazing Bollywood Wedding over the next couple of days so keep an eye out!

Thank You so much to the amazing Idena Beach, Attila Iuhasz and Jennifer Lourie Tapp for all your hard work as second shooters. Some of the images in this blog post are shot by them!

Event management, coordination and decor: Ethnic Essence

Pre-wedding events coordinator: Sheer Romance 

Wedding Concierge Service Coordinator: Blue Lotus Insights

Photography: Matei Horvath Photography

Cinematography: A&A Video

DJ/Lighting: 3D Sounds

Makeup: Nida Gazi

Venue: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach

The bride under a veil
The bride under a veil
Mandap setup for Siddhi’s puja

 

 

Pooja for Siddhi and her family
Puja for Siddhi and her family
The bride's reflection in one of the mirrors placed on tables
The bride’s reflection in one of the mirrors placed on tables
Puja for Siddhi and her family
Puja for Siddhi and her family
The future bride showered with rose petals by her family
The future bride showered with rose petals by her family
The future bride showered with rose petals by her family
The future bride showered with rose petals by her family
Siddhi's pooja
Siddhi’s puja
a wedding guest has very intricate nails
Pitthi for the future bride
Pitthi for the future bride
The groom’s family arrives at the pitthi for the future bride
Pitthi for the future bride!
Pitthi for the future bride!
Everyone in the pool!
Groom, Bride their families and wedding guests are thrown in the pool
Groom, Bride their families and wedding guests are thrown in the pool
The Bride in the pool
The bride’s and groom’s families jump in the pool.
The bride's and groom's families jump in the pool.
The bride’s and groom’s families jump in the pool.
The bride's and groom's families jump in the pool.
The bride’s and groom’s families jump in the pool.
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence. Welcoming the guests
An evening of Devotional Bhakti at the Khara Residence. Welcoming the guests
Portraits of the Bride and Groom
Portraits of the Bride and Groom
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancingg
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish’s Pre Wedding events
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish's Pre Wedding events
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish’s Pre Wedding events
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish's Pre Wedding events
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish’s Pre Wedding events

 

Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish's Pre Wedding events
Indian devotional Bhakti with singing and dancing at Siddhi and Ashish’s Pre Wedding events
Bride and groom during the Indian devotional Bhakti at the Pre Wedding events
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti

Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti
Dancing during the Indian devotional Bhakti

 

Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Indian devotional Bhakti
Bride's Mehndi
Bride’s Mehndi

Portrait of the bride to be on a swing

Portrait of the bride with gorgeous mehndi on her hands and feet
Portrait of the bride with gorgeous mehndi
A custom flower wall and a custom mend design.
A custom flower wall and a custom mend design.
Exquisite custom mehndi design.
Exquisite custom mehndi design.
Exquisite custom mehndi design. Santa Ana, California
Music and Dance show
Music and Dance show
Music and Dance show during Mehendi evening
Music and Dance show during Mehendi evening
A little boy seems absorbed by the show
Grandma gives a historic and very funny speech
Grandma gives a historic and very funny speech
one way to get a girl off the stage
one way to get a girl off the stage
Dancing
Dancing by the bride and her talented mother
santa_ana-pre-wedding-events
santa_ana-pre-wedding-events
Santa Ana pre wedding events

bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events
bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events
bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events
bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events
bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events
bride and groom portraits during pre wedding events

Ashish during his Pitthi
Ashish during his Pitthi
Ashish during his Pitthi
Ashish during his Pitthi
The Groom's Pitthi
The Groom’s Pitthi
The Groom's Pitthi
The Groom’s Pitthi

 

The Groom's Pitthi
The Groom’s Pitthi
The Groom's Pitthi
The Groom’s Pitthi
The Groom's Pitthi
The Groom’s Pitthi
The Groom's feet after Pitthi
The Groom’s feet after Pitthi
Huntington Beach Hyatt Hotel
Huntington Beach Hyatt Hotel
Portrait of the bride and groom Huntington Beach Hyatt Hotel
Portrait of the bride and groom during Sangeet at Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency
Portrait of the bride and groom during Sangeet at Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency
Portrait of the bride and groom during Sangeet at Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency
Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency Sangeet
Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency Sangeet
Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency Sangeet
Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency Sangeet
Spectacular entrance of bride and groom during Sangeet
Spectacular entrance of bride and groom during Sangeet
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
dacing at the sangeet
dacing at the sangeet
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Sangeet at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach
sangeet at the hyatt regency huntington beach

newport-beach-yacht-soireenewport-beach-yacht-soiree

Siddhi adjusts her beautiful diamond necklace

Siddhi and Ashish embrace at sunset on the yacht 
Last light in a tender embrace on the yacht
Siddhi on the yacht
Siddhi on the yacht
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
Huntington Beach Dinner Party
newport-beach-yacht-soiree
newport-beach-yacht-soiree

 

 

SHARE THIS STORY
COMMENTS
EXPAND
ADD A COMMENT