For this Indian elopement, I partnered with Nisha of Bridelan, an Indian styling company. We went on a Calcutta trail; partly to rediscover my and Nisha’s roots and partly to bring the Calcutta of our collective consciousness to the contemporary lens.

The Bengali life is full of nostalgia and we aimed to capture this perspective in our shoot. We took our inspiration from the venue, the Raj Bari, a historic elite mansion turned luxury hotel on the outskirts of Calcutta.

We styled two bridal looks for the elopement. The first, a lace gown, is by Naeem Khan, who has an ability to bridge cultures in an elegant and understated way. The second look is by Sabyasachi, India’s most famous bridal designer. In India, brides from Bengal traditionally wear red for the Hindu conjugal ceremony. However, in a departure, we kept it white. Our inspiration was the white wedding dress made in Indian style, paired with red accents of Bengal.

The florals were simple and pulled inspiration from the colors of the environment. Bright fuchsia greeted guests in the main hall of the Bari. Then we used those colors to create the tablescape and ceremony backdrop. The cake design was inspired by the celebration of the most important goddess to Hindy locals, Durga. The minimalist cake design by the Rogue Cafe was, as with the rest of the shoot, a beautiful blend of cultures. 

See more of this Indian elopement and read more of our inspiration for the shoot on Style Me Pretty.

Indian Elopement Vendors:

Photographer Bonnie Sen Photography Film Fuji Film Styling & Creative Direction Bridelan Florist Orchid Garden Banquet Cake Rogue Cafe Jewelry Raniwala Hair & Makeup Bhavani Kumar Calligrapher Bawa Studios Venue The Rajbari Bawali Video Devang Vyas Film Scanning Goodman Film Lab Creative Consulting Linda Ha Wardrobe Naeem Khan Paper Goods Niru & Baku Wardrobe Sabyasachi Producer Shaikh Ayaz, Sinaya Khan and Tom Milavec

In the city that never sleeps, there are very few things worth waking up at dawn. Rachel and Jon’s NYC engagement shoot was one of them.

We will be shooting Rachel and Jon’s wedding this November at the St. Regis in DC. The pair lives on the Upper West Side so we headed up for a NYC engagement shoot. We love capturing our couples in the cities where they have built a life together.

We started the day at sunrise with the classic Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. The gorgeous morning light and early hours free of tourists made for one of those magical NYC moments only true New Yorkers get to experience. After a quick outfit change to a second Rent the Runway look, we ventured to SoHo to finish off the day.

It is no secret that my husband Tom and I love all things architecture.So when we met this adorable couple, with an architect groom, we knew it was a match made on a blueprint. Hayley and John are getting married later this year in Annapolis but for their destination engagement shoot we headed north to Rhode Island.

Second only to architecture is our love for travel so we love a destination engagement shoot. We absolutely loved visiting Newport, Rhode Island for the first time. It is impossible to not feel like you are in a Diane Keaton movie as you stroll along the beach and staring up at the stunning houses. If only I hadn’t left my perfect cream turtleneck at home!

We will be back near the water in September as these to tie the knot with the help of Strawberry Milk Events and can’t wait get these two behind the camera again.

An Eastern Shore wedding was an obvious choice for Jackie and Ari’s wedding celebration. Jackie has been visiting Maryland with her family for years so the shore is already full of happy memories. Fast forward past a Bumble swipe and a waterfront proposal in NYC, it was time for Jackie and Ari to pick a wedding venue. The couple knew they wanted a spot where their guests could all be together, relax and enjoy a weekend away. Enter The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Golf, Resort, Spa and Marina.

This gorgeous property gave the couple everything they wanted in a wedding weekend: a quick escape for their friends and family, a waterfront ceremony and a gorgeous ballroom (no rain plan worries here!). After a waterfront ceremony under a modern wooden chuppah the celebration moved indoors for dinner and dancing. Jackie and Ari worked with the amazing Leslie of Elizabeth Bailey Weddings and Jeff of Blue Vanda Designs to bring the outdoors in to the Hyatt’s ballroom.

Jackie envisioned a “California chic vibe” with decor that was “natural, lush, organic, effortless, and feminine.” Leslie and Jeff achieved this look with a mix of different sized tables and centerpieces including a tree centerpiece made of privet and camilla leaf branches growing out of the table, a head table with a runner of greenery, rocks, succulents, moss, and terrariums and place cards with names calligraphed on magnolia leaves.

The celebration was rounded out with a few quintessential Eastern shore wedding details. Nothing says Maryland more than a crab cake entree and Smith Island Cake wedding cake (the state cake of Maryland). Top it all off with a little confetti!

See more of Jackie and Ari’s celebration in Modern Luxury Weddings Washington DC.

Eastern Shore Vendor Team:

Venue: Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina
Wedding Planner: Leslie McKenzie of Elizabeth Bailey Weddings
Bride’s Gown: Matthew Christopher
Alterations: Zoya’s Atelier
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bride’s Hair & Makeup: Becky Watson, Oxygen Salon
Groom’s Tux: MySuit
Groom’s Shoes: Gordon Rush
Rings: Stuart Krell, F. Silverman Jewelry
Florals: Blue Vanda Designs
Cake: Smith Island Cakes by Angie Pendry
Invitations: Ruby The Fox
Calligraphy: Miya of Layers of Loveliness
Reception Tables: Syzygy Event Productions
Rentals: White Glove Rentals, Select Event Rentals and Table Toppers
Lighting: EventPro
Entertainment: SoundConnection from Andy Kushner Entertainment
Videographer: Ryan Geldermann Cinematography

Around town, another shoot with creative direction and styling by Bridelan. Bridelan and I both have roots in Kolkata and a strong fondness for the city. My parents were born and raised in the city, although their stories imply that it was a very different place. I still remember going to visit my relatives and taking these yellow ambassador cabs everywhere.

The first few steps from the train station were always in a yellow ambassador cab going across the bridge from the train station to the downtown of the city. Which is why the Howrah bridge as an iconic symbol of Kolkata so we has to be featured in the background of this fashion shoot around town.

Poised on the banks of the Hoogly river our model imitated the structure of the triangulated bridge. The colors in her jewels and her golden Lehenga by Raw Mango are a nod to the fact that the bridge is one of the jewels of the state and region.

Fashion Shoot Vendor Team

Fashion & Wardrobe Stylist: Nisha Kundani, Bridelan Makeup: Bhavani Kumar Jewelry: RaniWalla Jewelers Wardrobe Designer: Raw Mango Model: Helloise Cunha, Inega Models