Over the course of three days on Memorial Day weekend we had the pleasure of capturing Sheela and Eric’s amazing fusion Indian and American wedding at Gardener Ranch in Carmel Valley, CA. This venue is amazing and all their friends and family stayed there over the weekend to celebrate with the couple.
Sheela and Eric live in the East Coast and both attended Harvard Business School. They are very smart and are deeply in love with one another. They come from two cultures but are part of the same tribe and they compliment each other perfectly. Eric is the adventurous one and has gotten Sheela to do things that are outside of her comfort zone, while Sheela has helped make Eric even a better person and together they are a stronger unit than as individuals.
The first day included a rehearsal/welcoming dinner for everyone that came in for the wedding at a local restaurant in Carmel Valley. For this event we did candid photography that focused on friends and family interacting and having a good time hanging out and getting to know each other.
The next day’s event was the traditional South Indian wedding ceremony that took place at Gardener Ranch. We started shooting extremely early in the morning with the bride and groom prep. Once they were ready we did a “first look” so that the couple could have some time alone prior to the ceremony.
The Baraat procession was a ton of fun for all their guests and the ceremony was done under a beautiful Mandap amongst the trees and hills. After the wedding everyone enjoyed a fabulous lunch catered by Silver Spoons, which is by far the best food ever by the way!!!
Once lunch was over all the guests were invited to the lawn area where garden games and drinks awaited them. There were a variety of games for guests to enjoy and is was a very casual and chill time.
The following day was the reception that included a very nice poolside cocktail hour and then dinner on the lawn where there were a variety of food stations that guests could sample different items. I loved the garden, chic, vintage decor that we don’t get to normally see at Indian weddings. Instead of cake there were homemade pies, and there were smores at the bonfire too!
Our photobooth was a hit and the best part ever was the lip sync contest where the bride and groom’s side had two teams that competed against one another. The bride’s side won and it was highly entertaining for everyone!
We are so happy that Sheela and Eric chose Wedding Documentary to do their wedding photos and films. We had such a great time working with them and shooting at this new location that we have never been to. There were so many unique aspects of this wedding that we will never forget and we wish them the absolute best!
Sheela + Eric | Cinematic Fusion Wedding Highlights from Wedding Documentary on Vimeo.