One of my favorite events for an Indian wedding is the Mehndi night. I love it so much because it is usually my first time meeting the bride’s immediate family and friends. I get to hang out with them usually at their home and get to know them, while doing mostly candid photography and cinematography. That is right! I often shoot Mehndi parties solo so the artist does not have an entourage hovering over them while they work. It gives me the ability to work fast and get a variety of angles without having anyone in my shot. I blend in and capture moments that happen very fast but are totally unscripted, natural, and thoughtful. No one really knows if I am shooting stills or motion and sometimes I really like that. They end up not paying attention to me at all and then they reveal their true selfs.
So what is Mehndi all about and why do they do it? Thousands of years of tradition is the main reason but in a nutshell, the mehndi on the hands and feet of the bride beautifies her and brings her good fortune on her wedding day. She appears more elegant and Maharani (princess) like. It’s an opportunity for her to spend time with her family before she goes away and her friends entertain her with dancing. Lots of food, laughter, music, and of course henna, makes for a very happy occasion.
The Mehndi night is our chance to connect with the family of the bride and get to know her parents. We use this opportunity to photograph in a casual and candid manor so that the following days of events, the family is also trusting and familiar with us. When people trust they ultimately look and feel their best and we are able to produce our best work.
Here is a short clip of Deepika’s Mehndi highlights. As mentioned I did the photography and cinematography. Our goal for the edit of a Mehndi party such as this is a 2-4 minute highlight style video that showcases the process of the Mehndi application, as well as, showing the friends and family that gathered for the event. If there are longer performances or other activities taking place we will communicate with the couple to decide how much should be included in the final edited piece.
I highly recommend Neeta Sharma to do your Mehndi for your wedding events in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has such amazing and unique designs. The intricacy is so beautiful and she loves it so much that she is constantly taking her designs to the next level. You can find her at her site here: http://www.mehndidesigner.com/