Arjun + Aayami | Mehndi + Haldi Wedding Celebration

Our weekend-long Indian wedding celebration started on Thursday (yesterday) for the Mehndi party. I’m staying the weekend up at Mt. Hood, which means prime editing time in between the events spread over three days.

Close friends and relatives of the bride and groom came to the Mt Hood Resort villas to join in a Haldi ceremony where loved ones smear turmeric paste on the bride and groom. It’s to purify and beautify the bride and groom before their wedding day. Afterward, everyone had a party together, ate great food, and took turns having henna applied to them. The bride started close to 4:30 with her henna and would not be done until close to 10 or 11. I LOVE photographing these types of events because they are so perfect for epic journalism to take place. I love documenting and capturing stories like these. Having a big family myself, it’s delightful seeing other families truly come together to bless and celebrate with the bride and groom.

Wedding Planner - Jodie (@aislereadyevents)
• Make Up & Hair - Poojasri (@makeup_by_poojasri)
• DJ - DJ Anjali (@anjaliandthekid)
• Mehndi (Henna) - Rashmi (@sharp_henna)
• Floral - Wendy Warner (@lushfloraldesignspdx)
• Venue - Mt Hood Oregon Resort (@mthoodresort)
• Lighting - Twinkle Trees (@twinkle_trees)
• Dholi - Adam McCollom
• Friday Sangeet:
◦ El Mas Chingon - Sangeet Taco truck (@el_mas_chingon.or)
◦ Bombay Chaat House - Sangeet Chaat truck (@bombaychaathouse)
◦ Ash Wood Fired Pizza - Sangeet Pizza truck (@ashwoodfired)
◦ The Mini Donut Company - Sangeet dessert (@getminidonuts)
◦ The Mobile Scoop Shop - Sangeet dessert (@themobilescoop_icecreamcaterer)
• Saturday Lunch and Reception: 
◦ Chennai Masala - All Saturday food (chennaimasala.net)
◦ Kulfi PDX - Reception dessert (@kulfipdx)
Photography and videography @petermaharphotography

At the start of the Haldi ceremony an auntie applied Vaseline to the brides nails to help prevent staining.

Arjun (the groom), getting ready for his first relative to apply the paste. Some were nice, some not-so-nice (putting it in his ears).

I think this would be every kid’s dream, but this is Arjun’s nephew, so even more reason to be excited.

The bride’s brother won for applying the most on Arjun, and in the most intense of ways.

Arjun and Aayami after the celebration. They then went to clean up and change before the rest of the night’s festivities.

The bride getting set up for the next 5+ hours of henna being applied to her arms and legs. She tore one or two ligaments before the wedding, so Arjun is putting ice on it for her while she sits.

Friends and family flew in from all over for this wedding, like their niece here, who flew in from Charlotte, sacking out with mama.

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