Growing up in a small town south central Texas, I wasn’t exposed to many other cultures. I attended my share of quinceañera, and Tejano culture was about it. Going to college and later living and working in Austin, I’ve had the pleasure of being around many more cultures and seeing them blend together in interesting ways. Jay and Samira’s Heart of Texas Ranch wedding was another great example of that.
This Hindu-Christian fusion wedding wasn’t our first fusion wedding, but we continue to really enjoy the melding of cultures. Each wedding approaches the fusion differently.
Jay and Samira’s wedding stuck to the compact wedding day form used in most US Christian services. You could be forgiven for mistaking a more traditional Hindu wedding as a multi-day festival (which is really what they are). Instead, Jay and Samira had a Sangheet on Friday and a simple service and reception on Saturday.
What is a Sangheet? The word means music, and a Sangheet in this context is a pre-party. There is often a Henna artist at the Sangheet working on the bride, and other female wedding guests.
A First Look
Almost every culture, including Christian and Hindu, have a tradition of keeping the bride and groom separate until the ceremony. It’s suppose to make the ceremony extra special (and also dates back to a time when it might literally have been the first time you saw your new spouse). Some people adhere to the tradition, but many others have started a new tradition: the first look. It gives the couple a chance to have that special moment privately with the exception of the photographers of course.
Wedding Ceremony Under the Oaks
Heart of Texas ranch is nestled in the hill country near Marble Falls. There are few things more ubiquitous in the Texas hill country than live oaks. Jay and Samira had their outdoor wedding ceremony under the canopy of majestic oaks.
Central Texas Wedding Portraits
Heart of Texas Ranch Wedding Reception
Wedding ceremony over, formal portraits in the can, it was time to party.
Josh loves a good adventure and some of his favorite wedding and engagement shoots have involved “getting crazy” or going somewhere special to the couple.
Josh is a Texas native and long time Pflugerville resident. He started his photography business in 2009 and has never looked back. His photo business even allowed him to be daddy-day-care before his two sons reached school age. Over the years his business has expanded to include just about every type of photography including automotive, editorial portraits, corporate events, sports and food. Through it all, he has continued to love wedding photography for genuine moment, the fast pace and the diversity of subjects it offers. Josh is a co-founder of North Austin Pfoutographic Society and a resident instructor at Precision Camera & Video in Austin, Tx.