Sharon and Nikolaus at Vivanta by Taj Kovalam, Kerala
Kerala’s natural beauty, traditional dances and rich rituals comes alive splendidly in Nikolaus and Sharon’s wedding film shot at Vivanta by Taj – Kovalam by VikhyathMedia
The slow motion shots at the start of this wedding film showing Sharon and Nikolaus silhouetted under palm trees at Kerala’s Vivanta by Taj – Kovalam imparts a languid air to the proceedings spread over two days, which were skillfully captured by VikhyathMedia.
Kathakali dancers add drama to the opening frames which show Sharon dressed as a traditional bride, while drone shots capture the stunning location from above, doing full visual justice to the surging Indian Ocean, calm lagoon and lush greenery.
Sharon, a UK-based Indian is an MBA student in the US, while Nikolaus is an Austrian who currently works in Frankfurt, Germany. They first met at an official gathering and fell in love over time. They had a civil wedding in UK and a church wedding in Austria before their two-day event in Kerala which included a mehndi and sangeet on the first day, and a wedding reception on the second.
A romantic Malayalam song forms the soundtrack at the start of the film which is interspersed with sound bites by the couple sharing their excitement. One sweet moment is when Sharon says that Nikolaus looks like a ‘Maharaja’ in his wedding attire. The film features many such interesting moments, and the intercultural aspect of the event is competently captured in the little details – be it Austrian guests wearing pretty sarees and sherwanis and dancing to the beat of traditional drums, Caucasian ladies getting mehndi applied on their hands, wearing ‘maang tikkas’ with elan and enjoying exotic Kathakali performances.
The film is a visual feast – be it the images of the bride gliding through the scenic lagoon on a boat decorated with bright pink drapes, the groom on an adorned elephant and stunning dancers gracefully escorting the pair to the reception venue.
The team at Vikhyath Media share that the bride’s parents – UK-based Dr Basil Skinner and Dr Aneetha Skinner – were very particular that their daughter’s wedding be no less than a fairytale. “The Skinners came down to Kerala almost 10 months before the wedding to brief us on their plans and the venue. Vivanta by Taj – Kovalam is a wonderful, serene property with a beach and lagoon on both sides. It could accommodate all their guests from India, US, Austria and the UK. The mehndi and sangeet were organized at the beachside venue, while the wedding reception was held on the lawn facing the lagoon. Both the ceremonies were accompanied by music, dance, and fireworks.”
VikhyathMedia, based out of Trivandrum, specializes in destination and luxury wedding photography and cinematography. It was set up by Kiran Chandran, an IT professional and passionate photographer, and his wife Devu Sukumar.
Cinematographer– VikhyathMedia
