Reena and Andrew's wedding at the new Parliament House was one of the most magnificent, memorable weddings that I have had the great pleasure of capturing, and day two of their wedding at Florey Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre Canberra followed suit. One of the reasons I love weddings so much is that they're typically full of rituals. Cultural elements passed down through history, connecting couples to their ancestors, make such events deeply special and meaningful. Many traditions are connected with fashion, which was no exception for Reena and Andrew's traditional Indian wedding. Before the ceremony, Andrew was dressed by his best man in a golden, embroidered Sherwani. He is then hidden outside the temple away from the bride and cannot enter until he has bartered with the bridesmaids - more on that fun ritual later!

During the ceremony, Reena wore a type of sari called a panetar. Indian brides often trade their "something white" for "something red", which symbolises commitment, spirituality, and fertility. Reena's skin was adorned with Mehndi (also known as henna), a cosmetic paste made from the crushed leaves of a Lawsonia Inermis plant and lemon juice. In traditional fashion, Reena's bridesmaids arranged a mehndi party with female attendants only a few days before the wedding, much like a bachelorette party. You'll see that mehndi applied to Reena's hands and feet in fine lines to create paisley and floral patterns. It is believed that the darker the bride's henna appears, the stronger her marriage will be. Unlike tattoos, henna is temporary, lasting three to seven days. On Reena's forehead was a bindi, typically made from red kumkuma powder; it was traditionally a symbol of married women but is now more commonly just for decoration and good luck.

Reena and Andrew's ceremony took place under a canopy-like structure called a mandap. Each pillar is believed to represent the couple's parents, whose love, blessings, and support made the wedding happen. With a Hindu priest officiating, numerous relatives perform specific roles under his guidance. Verses were vocalised in Sanskrit and English for Andrew and his side of the family.

There are a lot of fun traditions surrounding Indian weddings. One of my stand-out favourites was when Andrew was denied entry to the temple until he agreed to a list of demands or 'the wedding contract' presented to him by Reena's bridesmaids. As Andrew's family is Australian and unsure how to navigate these traditions, some Indian guests stepped in for support. This fun and very loud negotiation about Andrew's future went back and forth at length. If Andrew disagreed or wanted to alter any of their demands, he could only do so by trading some crisp green notes - luckily, his best man came prepared with a few in his back pocket. 

Reena and Andrew's wedding has been by far one of my favourite and most memorable to date. From the Bollywood dancing during their wedding at Parliament House to the fun and games at their wedding at Florey Temple, I literally stood there thinking, I can't believe this is my job! I get to be surrounded by the most incredible humans for a living, and Reena and Andrew reinforced that blessing. Thank you for allowing me to capture such special moments.