While the venue was being decorated and everyone was hanging around, it was time for some traditional pooja to give the day a head start.

Oh Look!

After the initial ceremony outside, there was this small pooja inside in the room, where I had no room to walk around 😛

Room or no room, emotions are always around 🙂

Aradhana’s grandfather, probably the most respected person in the family always made sure everything was going as per their traditions. Something you’ll see in their wedding as well.

Oh look again!

And after the small pooja, the actual mehendi artists came and Aradhana was occupied.

Moving forward to the evening’s after-party, there was much more than what I’d have expected from a party! A beautiful mix of tradition and culture.

Talking about the blend of tradition and culture, Ghoomar was the most interesting thing at the party, by far. Over the years, I have seen lot of weddings having this Indian touch of Rajasthani Ghoomar dance where performers are called and they entertain people by the dances. What made this one different was, the people performing the Ghoomar were not outside artists. They were the family ladies who knew every step by heart and performed the dance beautifully!

One very important thing while photographing any dance form is to anticipate when the dancers are going to turn around, in advance. Thankfully because of my experience, I could count the beats and know exactly when they would turn 🙂

And after that beautiful bit of tradition, it was time to get on the floor!

And that was Aradhana’s Day one of the celebrations. I’m sure you got a taste of what their wedding was, through this post. In my next post, I’ll take you through one of the most beautiful and traditional weddings I have shot in recent time. And no points for guessing, Aradhana & Divaj. Stay tuned!