Friday, June 26, 2009

nancy & ravi

I love Indian customs. I love their deliciously spicy food, their henna artistry, and especially the gorgeous colors and fabrics of Indian clothing.

Traditionally, Indian weddings are a three day affair, starting with a Mehendi party. This is a pre-wedding ritual, usually celebrated at the bride's home. A henna artist applies Mehendi (henna tattoos), on the hands and feet of the bride and her guests.

The following day, a Grah Shanti ceremony is held in the morning, followed by an evening of traditional Indian dance. I had the opportunity of shooting the dancing and it was so cool!

An Indian band began to play, and the bride and groom, Nancy and Ravi started the customary dance. As the song progressed more and more people joined in, continuously moving in a circle. Not only is it a beautiful custom, but QUITE a work out! The circle gets larger and larger as more people join in, and the dancing gets faster.

It was such a neat evening to witness. It took everything out of me not to join in!

To view a slide show of this, CLICK HERE