The wedding of Boston-based Charmi and Sachin was a lavish celebration that blended Sri Lankan and North Indian traditions. This was my first experience with a Sri Lankan wedding, and I just loved it. Plus, I love being a photographer who gets to work at beautiful sites like Saddlerock Ranch. Charmi and her bridesmaids started the day at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, which proved to be a perfect getting ready location. To say that the bridesmaids dresses were gorgeous would be a total understatement. And Charmi’s beautiful ivory sari was the perfect complement to the traditional pearls that were given to her as a wedding gift.
After the girls were finished getting ready, they proceeded to beautiful Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu for the wedding and reception. Sachin’s baraat included an entrance on my favorite elephant, Tai (who actually remembers me now, since we’ve worked together so many times). Despite the heat, the relatives engaged in more than an hour of cheering and dancing as Tai slowly walked Sachin down the long path to the ceremony site.
Charmi’s processional was preceded by Sri Lankan dancers and drummers, and it was truly a breathtaking sight to behold. She was led in by both her parents, and Sachin’s smile nearly broke his face in two when he saw his beautiful bride. A modified Sri Lankan ceremony took place first, with a South Indian ceremony directly after. I truly loved the beautiful orange/peach color of the garlands. After cocktails and dinner, the couple’s guests danced past midnight under two canopies of stars (a canopy of white stars in the sky and and a canopy of red stars hanging from wires just above the dance floor), surrounded by beautiful florals and decor throughout.
Coordination by the wonderful Mary Sushinski at Occasions. Dazzling floral artistry by Jill Nomura and the team at M’s Flowers. Hair and makeup by my cutie-pie Oscar Naranjo at Ziba Beauty. Elephant rental by Have Trunk Will Travel. Videography by the lovely April and the team at Robles Video. DJ artistry by Parag and the team at Kumba. Lighting by Aspect Lighting. Cake by Erica O’Brien Cake Design. Mini donuts by The Fry Girl. Catering by Manohar’s Delhi Palace.
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