Taran & Samit – Udaipur, Rajasthan

A Photographers Perspective..a Destination Wedding in Udaipur
An Interview with UK based Martin Hill who photographed Taran and Samit’s amazing wedding in Udaipur

Describe your experiences of all the events you covered at Taran & Samit’s wedding celebrations? 
Wow, where do I begin? From the moment I landed at Udaipur airport I knew my experience was going to be one to treasure. The sights, the sounds, the culture are all a photographer’s dream, let alone a wedding photographers dream! Of course Indian weddings are very different from our usual traditional English wedding we are used to in the UK. It’s true to say that I completely fell in love with the whole Indian culture. I just loved every aspect of the romantic story an Indian wedding told me.

Bride wearing traditional fresh floral jewellery at the Ganesh Puja Ceremony with the Groom

Oberoi Udaivilas Courtyard

Sangeet Night Extravaganza

Photo booth with a difference, keeping with traditional mehndi colours!

Mehndi night theme lit up, after a whole day of events with snake charmers, massage therapists, child’s play area, etc

Designer couture worn by bride during the festivities

What struck me most of all was the journey Samit and Taran went on during the five days of the wedding. From joyous laughter, to the tears of separation from family, to the romance of the wedding ceremony, to the amazing parties of dance and celebration. They both must have been physically exhausted but totally elated. For me though, my favorite moment was during the Mehndi ceremony. Such colour and artistry on display and a real exciting buzz about what was to happen the following day.

The special moment of the happy couple conducting the Pheras

An intimate moment shared as they tied the knot

The happy couple as husband and wife just after finishing the wedding ceremony

The groom leads his bride to the awaiting boat just after the Vidaai Ceremony

Walking the pier, hand-in-hand, bride and groom

The wedding day itself was a day that will last in my memory for a lifetime, full of colour and symbolism. Every single item at the wedding had a meaning, making things so very humble. Taran was a beautiful bride both inside and out, and it was an honour to have had the privilege to have photographed her.

One final highlight for me was when I had the opportunity to photograph Samit & Taran on the Saturday after the wedding day. Simply walking through the streets of Udaipur capturing some amazing images. Something I’ll never forget.

Spectacular fireworks show compiled to music

A joyous night of champagne and star studded entertainment for all

Sonu Nigam interacts with the guests throughout the performance

Wedding reception dazzled with a performance by Sonu Nigam

What is your focus and mindset on when you capture wedding photography especially when it is a destination wedding?
One of the biggest and most important aspect of a destination wedding, is organisation. From the simplest of details to the most complex, it all needs taking care of. Once these issues are taken care of, I can then set about and focus on putting together a shoot plan for the day. It’s important that we understand the wants and needs of our clients and shoot accordingly. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph many multi-faith weddings and its important that we understand the culture and traditions of each one. By having this understanding it makes things much easier in preempting various situations and picture opportunities.

It’s also crucial to work closely with the wedding planning team. When away from home these guys are your family and you are there to support one another. Weddings are very much a team effort and I was blessed to work with Anita Patel and her team on this shoot.

A day after the wedding, the newlyweds opt for some street shots in Udaipur

This couple ooze with laughter and joy at the best of times

A serene moment the day after the celebrations, reminiscing the city of Udaipur and all that it offers

The images you took are superb in terms of quality, lighting and composition, how much effort goes into this aspect while on the job?
Thank you for the lovely compliment! Over the years I have spent many hundreds of hours perfecting my lighting techniques and ability to see a picture. The ultimate goal is to create amazing images for your bride and groom with as little fuss and disruption as humanly possible. I am acutely aware that a wedding is a celebration and not a photo shoot, so I need to work quickly and effectively without to much disruption. So I guess all the effort in learning my craft really pays off during a wedding day.

How did you get selected to do the wedding photographs for a destination wedding in Rajasthan all the way from the UK? 
I was lucky enough to shoot an amazing Hindu wedding in England a couple of years ago and Anita’s team from Tania-Tapel Events were the wedding planning team. I sent them a link to my images from the wedding and they loved them. The rest as they say is history!

What were the highlights for you as a UK photographer coming to India? 
For me there were just too many highlights to put down on paper. It took me quite sometime to come down from my trip once back in the UK. It’s funny but when I started to edit the images I took, it brought it all back in floods!

The moment the bride is escorted by her brother and cousins under a handcrafted fresh floral doli

The city of Udaipur in all its glory

Captured….the essence of this beautiful couple and their wedding of the century

Photographs
Martin Hill Photography, Somerset, UK
www.martinhillphotography.com/

Wedding Planner
Anita Patel at Tania-Tapel Events
www.tania-tapel.com/weddings

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