Shy and Prameet were married in late June in a Muslim ceremony.  The first day of festivities was held at the Phoenix Airport Marriott and was full of stunning color and traditional entertainment in the form of one very talented belly dancer!  We were very honored to be asked by this couple to do their wedding photography!  Shy and Prameet own and operate the Dulhania Bazaar South Asian Bridal Expo.  Understandably it was a true honor to be asked by a couple who regularly has contact with many great wedding photographers and vendors to photograph and take part in their wedding!  Thank you both so much ... it was a spectacular experience!!

The Dulhania Bazaar South Asian Bridal Expo is being held this Sunday, October 31st, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix from 11AM-5PM.  If you are there, stop by and visit our booth!

I don't even know where to start with Nelda and Preston.  These are two wonderful people and we were so glad they contacted us!  Originally, Nelda had emailed us inquiring about our services for her "dream wedding."  She moved forward with hiring us and we set up there engagement shoot.  Just before that shoot would happen, the couple fell on some hard times, making their dream wedding seem a lot less attainable.  They said regretfully, they would no longer be able to afford our services and would have to back out.

This made us sad as we felt we had gotten to know her through our extensive email correspondence and we just felt we needed to do somehting to make this happen.  Nelda and Preston have been together for a number of years now and have two beautiful children together ... this wedding has been long in coming for them.  On top of that, Nelda had made it clear in the beginning that wedding photography was very important to her and now she was going to have to sacrifice that.  We contacted her back and offered to do the wedding at no cost.  This was her response:

OMG!  When I read this I just got teary-eyed and my jaw dropped to the floor!  I wanted Sierra Blanco to photograph my wedding from the start when I first saw your photos from the Monument Valley wedding.  I would love to accept your offer, but I would feel bad not repaying you this precious and wonderful gift your giving me on my wedding day.  Well, I should start saying "us", huh?  Ha, Ha ...  Thank you soooo much!  Your helping one of my wedding dreams come true!  Thankful and Happy Bride-to-be, Nelda!

That was all we needed to hear and the joy that was felt thoughout the wedding day was payment enough.  The wedding was a beautiful, traditional Navajo event and it was held at Nelda's parent's home in Cameron, Arizona.  The couple thoughtfully presented us with a gift basket and a beautiful Navajo Wedding Basket which we now proudly display in our living room.  Thank you both so much for the opportunity to give back!  It was an honor!  Your families were so welcoming to us and you are both a joy to know :-)!!  We are glad you finally got your dream wedding!

Enjoy! XOXOXO

The last half of the day revolved around the Christian ceremony and wedding reception.  All in all, the day lasted 15 1/2 hours.  It was certainly tiring, but well worth every minute!  This was an amazing Indian wedding that we will not soon forget.  Prachie and Aaron are both amazing and accomplished people and it was a joy getting to know them over the course of those three days.  Equally wonderful were Prachie's parents and sister, who graciously invited us into there home and treated us like guests the entire time!  Thank you all so much and we hope you love the photographs!

I also want to give a special thanks to my wonderful second shooter, Melissa Dunstan, for her wonderful work, friendship and for sticking out for 12 hours of the wedding day :-) ... thank you so much Melissa!!

Another great shot by Melissa!

Aaron is a very talented musician, as are his friends that you have seen in the photos above.  He wrote a song for Prachie and played it on the piano ... it was breathtaking!

Melissa and I getting a little silly after 15 hours :-).

 

 

Prachie and Aaron's wedding took place on the third day of festivities at the spectacular JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix.  This venue is amazing ... and huge!  It contains several venues spread across the expansive resort grounds.  The first part of the day was dedicated to the Hindu Ceremony.  Prachie's dress was stunning and all the details and colors were mesmerizing!  Prachie's mother is from Nepal and so aside from the Indian customs there were also some Nepali customs infused into the wedding as well.  I just loved all the pagentry, beauty and meaning that is implied in every aspect of the hindu ceremony!

On Friday, day two of Prachie and Aaron's Indian wedding, we again spent the day at Prachie's parent's home, this time for the Haldi, or Turmeric, ceremony.  Turmeric is a yellow spice which is made into a paste that is then applied to the bride by her family and friends during the ceremony the day before the wedding to give her radiant skin.  The Haldi was very festive, with music playing and everyone having a great time!  Following the Haldi ceremony, Prachie changed into a beautifully beaded dress and prayers began, after which guests arrived for food and the Mehndi Party, where all of Prachie's female family and friends had their henna done.

There were so many cute kids at this wedding :-)!