Mat Crawford

Nina and Ravi - Married!

2010-07-20

If there is one thing I love, yet do not get to experience enough, it is exposure to other cultures.  Having amazing, yet quite young children does not allow for one to travel the globe with ease.  Some day maybe - but for now Kristin and I must experience other ways of life within the confines of the North American continent.  Luck for us we live in one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, so there is plenty to see in out own backyard.   I have had the privilege of photographing well over 100 weddings as the lead photographer in the past 6 years, but almost all have been versions or variations of Protestant or Catholic ceremonies with the culturally appropriate events associated with an "American" wedding.  When Nina and Ravi approached us to shoot their wedding I was extremely excited, and when the days arrived (it is a three day event) I was not disappointed!  Witnessing other cultures allows me to assess my own from better vantage point, and I see what is lacking as well as what I am thankful for.

Day One:

The henna party is a celebration before the wedding.  Henna is a red dye that is placed upon the bride's hands (as well as any other female guest who want to join in) in amazing traditional Indian designs.  When the dye stains the skin it is removed and leaves red markings on the skin for weeks. Nina had hers done the day before (it took six hours!).  As a wedding photographer I have always envied other shooters who have a great shot of henna hands in their portfolio - I was so happy to capture a few shots during the party as well as the next day, partially because I was able to fulfill my longing for that addition to my portfolio - but primarily because I was able to capture and save for Nina all those hours that went into such beautiful decoration.

During the henna party people would perform for Ravi and Nina.  Her close friend from college gave a spirited dance which was a treat to experience.

Kristin helped me edit this picture below to the left and it is turning out to be one of my favorites.

Day Two:

The second day was the actually wedding day.  Nina began early in the morning with a ceremony which involved her relatives dipping her bracelets in milk and placing them upon her wrists in preparation for her wedding.

Kristin's pic below to the right is great!  The anklets Nina is wearing were passed down from her great grandparents.  Thinking about how important heritage is for each family during these days made me lament the fact that many of us modern westerners do not value our elders or our lineage.  More than ever I thought that some day - generations from now - Nina and Ravi's great grandchildren might look at their wedding photos and have a sense of honor for Ravi and Nina's love for each other.

As a Sikh, Ravi's preparation for the wedding was of great importance.  One of the "rights of passage" (as I understand it) for a Sikh is the ceremonial wrapping of the turban.  Ravi's father wrapped his turban which is a unique feature of Sikh religion and culture.  Sikh's only make up a small portion of India's population (or the world's for that matter) and the turban is a visible element that is important to their faith.  David - one of our studio photographers - captured these shots while we were with Nina.

There are numerous reference in western culture to the groom riding in on a white horse to "take" his bride - but in this case it was literally true.  With a processional of traditional drums mixed with bagpipes (Ravi is originally from the UK) and a crowd of his dancing male relatives in front, Ravi and his family approached the Temple to greet Nina's family outside.

The actual ceremony was in Punjabi (a language spoke in the Punjab region of India - the traditional home of the Sikh faith).  I only caught a few words in English, but the parts I did were very similar in content to other weddings I have been to.  One illustration was on the unity of a husband and wife.  The officiant describe Niagara Falls being owned by both Canada and the USA, but no one can distinguish down the river which water is Canadian or not.  In the same way, husband an wife must be one.  It was a great illustration and could have been read at almost any wedding I have ever attended.  The truly unique part though was the lack of vows.  In the Sikh religion the couple makes passes around their scripture instead of saying vows.  Though this is unique - it was very much like an Orthodox (Greek or the like) wedding.

Fort the outdoor shots after the ceremony we went to Whipp's Ledges in Hinckley Ohio.  I grew up not to far from here and have heard about these ledges for ages, but I have never gone.  I scouted out this area earlier in the week and was blown away.  It is amazing - but there is a little hike to get to the best part.  I was nervous that Nina would not want to hike a bit in her terrific but heavy garb.  Boy was I wrong.  When we arrived she literally ran up the trail (full dress and all) and beat all of us to the top.  She apparently loves the woods and showed us all up. 

This next shot might be my favorite - it is hard to tell there are so many.  Nina just climbed up on this rock and sat there - we were not even caught up to her yet - to enjoy the location and day.  I literally think my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw the potential for this shot and I could not have been more thankful for her just being herself.

These rocks are the craziest (in a good way of course) textures one could ask for in Ohio. 

These next to detail shots might be my favorite detail shots I have taken.

After our shooting in Hinckley - we went to Nina's home for a going away/goodbye ceremony.  It was a very emotional event to say the least.

Then we joined them at their new home with Ravi's family for a welcoming ceremony.

Day Three:

Day three is the reception.  The reception was the event that most mirrored a typical western wedding.  It was a beautiful time at the Intercontinental Hotel in Cleveland and the Indian food was amazing (not only this day but every day) - I could not get my fill.

There were special performances from a dance team from Toronto as well as plenty of general dancing.  I think I might be one of the few non-Indian wedding photographers who went home after three days and wanted to listen to more music in Punjabi - the rhythm was excellent and the dancing was so fun!

The drummer - Rocky - to the bottom right was quite a character.  He was posing a bit for the camera - but I am not complaining.

Blessings Ravi and Nina - It was an amazing experience.

Tags: sikh wedding Indian wedding cleveland wedding north east ohio northeast ohio Punjabi wedding Punjab wedding Henna party gudwara Milni Lavaan Phere Doli Phera