Posts Tagged ‘south asian wedding’

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We learn something new and beautiful about the Indian culture with every South Asian wedding film we produce. Sapna and Vijay’s gorgeous destination wedding in Aruba was no exception. The week of festivities would be a memorable departure from the norm, with the island serving as a picturesque backdrop for the Atlanta natives’ lavish two-day South Asian wedding. The celebration joined friends and family from all over the world to partake in the couples’ Vidhi and Pithi, outdoor Sangeet and Hindu wedding ceremony overlooking Palm beach. In this piece, the challenge was blending the rich visual symbols of a modern Hindu wedding with an homage to the distinct sights and sounds of the Caribbean islands. Central to our approach was a focus on water as a theme, for its recurrence in the rituals of a Hindu wedding ceremony, to its ever-presence as a symbolic motif in Bollywood cinema. From the blue/green hues in the color palette to the literal moments of washing and rainfall itself, water as a symbol of renewal and purity was a link common to both Hinduism and the couples’ chosen destination of the island.

But the idea to attempt a pseudo concept engagement session in the rain was inspired at the last minute by weather reports showing scattered showers the week of the trip. We are always looking for inventive ways to try new things. So to pull off the shoot, Sapna and Vijay were “on call” the day before festivities were set to begin, and none of us knew if or when we would see rain. But it managed to fall at the perfect moment and we hurried to produce the impromptu shoot on the very same beach as their ceremony. The same-day-edit premiered at their reception just prior to their grand entrance on the last night of the trip. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results and were honored to document this memorable event for such a fun couple. Wedding coordination by Nirjary Desai of KisCubed Events, with Mehndi, hair & makeup by Susmita Patel of Studio Sush, and florals by Ragini Patel. Production assisted by Matt Mangham, Ray Tsang and Ishwar Daryanani.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Westin Aruba Resort | Event Coordination: Nirjary Desai, KisCubed Events
Mehndi, hair & makeup: Susmita Patel, Studio Sush | Florals & Decor: Ragini Patel | Photography: 6 of Four

Ami & Sidd arrived in California by way of Boston just days before their epic week of South Asian wedding celebrations. Friends and family arrived from all over the world to participate in the festivities, nearly one year in the making. The fall coast, overlooked by Pelican Hill in Newport Beach and The Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, could not have served as more perfect backdrops for the auspicious occasion. The stage was set with stunning decor and event design by Pink Rock Events, makeup by Jeannie Jeffries, and an all-star photography team of Dina Douglass, Yoshi Morimoto and Robert Evans. But it was Ami & Sidd’s infectious joy, the true love they share for one another, and their families’ reverence for the timeless traditions of a Hindu wedding that made it easy to celebrate their incredible 2-day event in this very special same-day-edit, which we premiered at their reception. Assisted by Drew Renner and Matt Mangham.

Ceremony Venue: Pelican Hill Newport Beach | Reception Venue: Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Event Coordination: Pink Rock Events, LLC | Photography: Andrena Photography

Be sure to check out:
Sameepa & Beeren’s South Asian wedding film in New York City
Melissa & Samir’s epic Indian wedding movie “City of Lakes” shot in Udaipur, India

When Sameepa’s sister, Preeti Shah, creator of Spotlight Style & the Shaadi Studio, first contacted us to capture her sister’s South Asian wedding celebration in New York city, I was humbled by the invitation and knew this would be an opportunity to create something special. Little did I realize that spending the day with Sameepa and Beeren would leave such an impression. Rarely does a couple come along with such grace and tenderness. Sameepa & Beeren’s gorgeous Hindu wedding, held at espace, in the heart of the theater district in midtown Manhattan, is among the most beautiful we’ve had the privilege to capture. And that is due in no small part to the true love these two share for one another. We hope you enjoy their trailer. Assisted by Adam Forgione and Anthony Quintano

Ceremony & Reception Venue: espace NY | Event Coordination: Spotlight Style
Photography: Ryan Brenizer Photography

Be sure to check out:
Ami & Sidd’s South Asian wedding same-day-edit at Pelican Hill Newport Beach & The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Melissa & Samir’s epic Udaipur, India wedding movie, “City of Lakes”

There are so many ways to tell a story…

And so much a wedding symbolizes. So many questions it tends to raise: What is love? What is faith? It was our hope to explore these themes in a far more dramatically engaging way than we felt possible in a traditional documentary… Perhaps there is more within this story then meets the eye.

In the fall of 2009, Melissa & Samir embarked on an incredible journey to Udaipur, India, to fulfill a lifelong dream of having their wedding in the country of their ancestry. This transcendent place, affectionately called the “CITY OF LAKES,” located in the breathtaking region of Rajasthan, would be the setting for their extravagant, three-day marriage celebration, and the backdrop of our unprecedented film production - shot entirely on-location. We believe this to be the first ever live event/scripted concept production ‘hybrid’ film ever produced on this scale. It was shot entirely on DSLRs, the Canon 5D Mark2 and 7D. We hope you enjoy the trailer for “CITY OF LAKES” and look forward to sharing the film with you soon.

Pacific Pictures presents “CITY OF LAKES”
Starring Melissa Kumar, Samir Shah, Anubhab Saha, Sharon Chawda & Rushad Rana
Written & Directed by Kevin Shahinian
Produced by Kevin Shahinian & Patrick Moreau
Line Producer Pravin Thakur
Director of Photography Patrick Moreau
2nd Unit Director Joe Simon
2nd Unit Steadicam Casey Warren
Film Editor Kevin Shahinian
Jib Operator Chris Geiger
Set Photographer Amish Solanki

With special thanks to Canon & Tiffen/Steadicam, Dennis Wood and the entire Cinevate team for their support.

Relevant links:

“City of Lakes” teasers contest at Cinevate.com

“City of Lakes” feature on Lensflare 35 with Dave Warner

“City of Lakes” article on EOS HD


What The Heart Knows | How does a shy M.D. win the heart of a gorgeous pharmacuetical rep? Find out in “Dil Jaanta Hai (The Heart Knows),” starring Anuja & Nirav, an original Bollywood-inspired short we produced for their 6.6.09 wedding. The couples’ surprise big screen debut premiered on two massive screens just before their grand entrance to hundreds of unsuspecting family and friends.  Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes featurette coming soon to EventDV-TV.

-Kevin

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