Whenever a bride tells me she is getting married at a brand new venue and her wedding will be one of the first to be held there I get really excited! That is what happened with Parijat and Achyutha’s wedding! When we met them for their engagement session we instantly fell in love with their personalities and lively spirit. Parijat and Achyutha are a ton of fun to photograph because they are outdoorsy and down to do whatever it takes to get the shot. This sort of collaboration created some very cool images that could not have been made without their help!
The new venue is called Nella Terra Cellars and what is really awesome is that they have the full crew, being led by the very talented and dedicated Veena Roesler from Palmdale Estates in Fremont. I have known Veena for almost ten years and can say first had she is a really amazing woman to have in charge of the weddings at this venue. She cares about each one of the couples she works with and really ensures the day goes smoothly for all the events she manages.
The bridal suite at Nella Terra is amazing. When I walked in and saw all the beautiful natural light flowing through their many windows I was really stoked! So many times we see brides get stuck in rooms without any natural light or have to get ready in bathrooms with no natural light whatsoever. This room is perfect as it was big enough to move around and capture many different angles of her outfit, jewelry, makeup application, and finishing touches of her dress being put on. Achyutha was up in the house getting ready and his room was also cool because of the neat circular window which was very unique. Once he was ready he awaited to see her for the very first time for their “first look” among the grape vines.
Parijat and Achyutha shared a very touching minute together before we grabbed some portraits and swooped off with Achyutha for his Baraat which included him coming down the hill in a Mustang with his family and friends. The ceremony then started with the Ganesh Pooja and the washing of Achyutha’s feet by Parijat’s parents. The really amazing time came during Parijat’s entrance. She walked down the long set of stairs with her father and it was the perfect photo opportunity for all of us to capture this priceless moment. The ceremony was beautiful and lasted about one and a half hours and included all the sacred Hindu rituals such as Saptapadee, giving of the Mangulsutra, Sindoor ceremony, and final blessings.
After the ceremony the bride and groom did a Pooja at the groom’s house and then got ready for their reception. We did another photo shoot prior to their grand entrance and it was perfect timing too during golden hour. We shot in the vineyards, with the tractor, and among the various backgrounds Nella Terra offers. This part of Sunol is so scenic I even had to take this very first photo you see from the road. When I saw it I immediately pulled over because it felt right out of a dream it was so beautiful.
The reception included amazing food, dancing, really great speeches, as well as some dances that really knocked my socks off! Parijat and Achyutha put a ton of work into their wedding and made it very personal and really fun! We will be forever grateful for being given the honor of capturing their special day and cannot wait to see their family grow! Even though they moved to Texas we hope to see them back in California very soon!
