At the end of 2013 we had the pleasure of documenting one of our favorite weddings, Neha + Neelav. The wedding took place the Westin St. Francis in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square. Two days before at the bride’s home was her Ganesh Pooja and Pithi ceremonies followed by her Mehndi application.
The Ganesh Pooja is when the bride and her family ask for the wedding to go without obstacles to Lord Ganesh. During this ceremony offerings are made to Ganesh and a variety of mantras are spoken by the Priest, parents of the bride, and the bride herself.
The next ceremony took place immediately following and it is known as a Pithi. This is when friends and family of the bride apply a paste that is made of Tumeric to the bride’s skin to give her a radiant glow. It is also a fun experience for her family who gets to have a fun covering her in this paste which makes for some very nice candid images.
Later in the day, the bride’s Mehndi was applied to her hands and feet by Ravie Kattaura, one of the Bay Area’s best Mehndi artists. This process is very beautiful and was a great opportunity of Neha to chill and relax before even more festivities that night at their neighbors house.
We hope you enjoy some of our favorite images and please come back to view more soon!
