Weddings in Bangladesh, as we’ve discovered, are usually very elaborate affairs with beautiful details, decorations and emotions. After the bride & groom holudh and the mehndi, comes the main highlight – the actual wedding day itself. It was a spectacular event with hundreds of guests. We enjoyed photographing every single element in this wedding.
Prior to the wedding of Azrin & Samiul, I had a foretaste of what a Bangladeshi wedding was like. I had a little insight on Bangladeshi weddings when I did the image editing for Nabil & Maisha back in 2011. With great anticipation and excitement, I was given the honour and privilege to cover the wonderful wedding of Azrin & Samiul in Dhaka Bangladesh together with Eric Ooi.
It was indeed an eye-opener for us to be able to witness the sights and sounds of a cultural Bangladeshi wedding. It’s a real life experience & nothing beats the “real deal”.
Azrin and her family greeted us with such warmth. We even got the chance to try out some delicious Bangladeshi cuisine at her home. They were so yummy and we had a hard time controlling ourselves! I was greedily trying all of them but Azrin warned us not to overeat or else we might get an upset stomach, which did happen to Grace during her last trip to Bangladesh (She claims it was the delicious biryani that tempted her).
Azrin and Samiul’s wedding started off with 2 individual events, called the holudh. They were held on different nights, each day to celebrate bride and groom separately. I was amazed at the detailed decorations and the vibrant colours. It was really eye-catching and beautiful! Here are some images from Azrin’s holudh.
Ceremony: Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Temple, Shah Alam
Dinner Reception: Rumah Puspanita
Photographers: Grace & Mark
It has been 10 years since they started dating in college. The rain, an umbrella, and a ‘mamak‘ session brought Siva & Sumitha together. Their friendship blossomed over time, and soon, they discovered that they truly enjoyed laughing and poking fun at each other.
And now, 10 years later, they are married. I have never met a bride who slept 2 hours the night before her wedding day, woke up at 2am to do her hair and make up (for 4 hours! I admire Indian brides for their tenacity!) and then stayed energetic throughout the whole day till the dinner ended at 10.30pm.
She was still smiling from ear to ear. Way to go, Sumi!
Here are some of my favourite shots from their Hindu temple wedding and dinner. If you’d like to view their engagement portraits that I shot sometime back, click here.
Click to watch the same day slideshow. Press play, then pause for it to load fully before playing again.
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Sumi is just gorgeous in that turqoise saree.
This temple is so full of character!
First part of the ceremony is for the groom. He has to undergo a series of rituals before he sees his bride.
Then the groom leaves, and the bride comes in for her part of the ceremony.
After these 2 ceremonies take place, the bride and groom see each other for the first time. And another round of ceremonies happen until the highlight of the event – the Thali tying. The thali symbolizes the fact that the bride and groom are finally married! Sumi waiting in anticipation of the tying of the thali.
Siva & Sumi’s dinner location had really funky lighting!
Halfway through dinner, Sumi’s sister gave a wonderful singing performance. She sang about how Siva and Sumi met under the rain. :) You’ll find a similar theme (umbrellas and rain) in their engagement portraits!
Siva & Sumi, I appreciate the both of you, and the fact that we’ve become friends over these past few months. Thank you for giving Mark and myself the opportunity to document this beautiful day.
