Maharashtrian Wedding Photography - All You Need to Know About It

Maharashtrians are known all over the country for their vibrancy, exuberance and simplicity. And of course, the Maharashtrian wedding ceremony reflects this and so much more with a set of unique, simple rituals that are gorgeous to witness. If you are having a Maharashtrian wedding ceremony, then you are truly lucky. And a ceremony this beautiful deserves to be captured by some really talented photographers so that you can re-live and cherish the moments of your most special day.

While hiring a wedding photographer, you not only need someone with experience, you will need someone who can understand the ceremonies and significance. There are plenty of professional photographers who will cover the whole event, right from the mehndi onwards.

There are also several photography options for you to choose from, like traditional wedding photography, candid wedding photography, and cinematic videography. Unlike traditional wedding photography, a candid photographer would take a fly-on-the-wall approach, and will not ask you to pose for photos.

No matter what photography team you work with for your Maharashtrian wedding, make sure that you follow their portfolio carefully before picking the right people. Don’t go by their name alone, but make sure that he/she makes you feel comfortable. This will be the most important thing for you to get some truly stunning pictures of the most special day of your life. Also, bear in mind that there are several photographers who will offer you lucrative prices. Not all candid photographers would charge you something over a lakh a day.

Kelvan And Sakhar Puda

These are the two main pre-wedding ritual that leads up to the much-anticipated wedding day. When both stars align for an auspicious date, the kelvan ceremony is conducted. A prayer to the kuldevta (family deity) is offered by both the groom’s and bride’s families. A purohit conducts the ceremony, with both families present. After this comes the ritual of sakhar puda (literally meaning “sugar puja”). The families of the bride and groom feed each other sugar and sweets to commemorate the union between their families.

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Haldi And Mehndi

On the day before the wedding, haldi (turmeric paste) is applied on the bride and groom in their houses. This is considered an auspicious and beautifying ritual, which will make the happy couple glow with joy. Once the haldi is applied, the bride and the groom are not supposed to leave their houses. It is considered bad luck to do so! After that, we have the mehndi ritual, where gorgeous mehndi designs are drawn on the bride’s arms and legs. Traditionally, different members of her family take turns applying it on her. But today, professional mehndi artists are much in demand.

Morning Pujas And Ceremonial Breakfast

On the day of the wedding, we will first see the seemant pujawhich marks the entrance of the groom’s family to the venue. After that a Ganesh puja is held, where the destroyer of obstacles is venerated. The couple seeks blessings from Lord Ganesh for a long and prosperous marriage. After this comes the grand ceremonial breakfast. During this time, the bride is busy performing the gowrihar puja, where she prays to Goddess Parvati for a long and happy marriage.

Both the bride and the groom wear mundavalya on their foreheads, which is a string made of flowers ad pearls. This is considered auspicious and sets the Maharashtrian bride and groom apart from the rest of them.

Antarpat Rituals

The bride is escorted onto the mandap by her maternal uncle. The antarpat is a silk shawl that is placed between the bride and groom, while sacred mantras are chanted. At the time of the muhurat, the couple chants mantras that officially binds them as husband and wife. Relatives throw rice on the happy couple as the antarpat is removed.

Kankana Bandhana

Once the muhurat is done, male members of the bride’s family draw a cotton thread around the couple, which is tied together with turmeric tuber by the purohit. This is believed to ward off all evil spirits.

Kanyadaan And Pheras

The father of the bride, in a universal gesture, gives his daughter’s hand to her new husband. The groom then ties the mangal sutra on his wife. He then anoints the parting of her hair with sindoor, while she applies a sandalwood teeka to her husband’s forehead. After this, the bride and groom take seven pheras around the fire, symbolizing their union for seven births to come.

Satapadhi

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The bride steps on seven betel nuts to seek blessings from the Gods. On the eighth step, she puts her feet on a grindstone, while the groom holds her foot. This symbolizes that she needs to be strong, and that he will always support her.

Finding that right photographer will make sure that you have some amazing photos for each of the beautiful ceremonies that make up a Maharashtrian wedding. There are some great professionals who will suit every budget. Feel free to browse through our vendor listings to find the perfect photographer for your Maharashtrian wedding.

Image Source: Navdeep Soni, The Cheese Cake Photography