The Couple
Gagan and Rashmi’s wedding was simply magnificent. It was, in fact, an epic wedding, if you will. Every event, from the Sangeet to the Reception (including everything in between) was planned with precision, every single detail carefully considered and executed--because an event is the sum of its parts. And if the parts are perfect, then perfection prevails overall, and indeed it did.
Following our initial meeting with the couple, we took a tour of the wedding venue: Sarkaria States. We often visit venue sites, beforehand, just to acquire a sense of space and energy, so that we can translate such elements onto the screen effectively. The first event, the Sangeet, featured quite a lot of energy with music, performances, ceremonies and a mouth watering menu. Then came the Sikh Ceremony. We arrived early to cover the preliminaries--the getting ready and the general prior pandemonium. It was an early morning for us and those tend to be tough, but, as always, once the event began and we became absorbed with the task at hand—ensuring full and creative coverage—it all flowed seamlessly. The simple but elegant ceremony was followed by the photoshoot.
According to Sikh Tradition, before entering the groom’s home as his bride, the bride must first be given away by her parents, at her own home. In a highly symbolic procession, the groom leads her out of her (former) home as her parents follow her departure. But since Rashmi’s parents flew in from their home in Africa, the Rukhsati or the “giving away” ceremony took place at the Hotel, where Gagan sang his self-made musical masterpiece: “Rashmi Rashmi tu Kithe Hai, Tu Darwaje Se Bhar Nahin Andi” (“Oh Rashmi, Where Are You and Why Don't You Come Outside?”)—a truly unique touch—one we can honestly say, we’ve never seen before (and we thought we’d seen it all!)
While filming some general footage, we requested Gagan to allow us to mount our Go Pro cameras on his beloved Aston Martin, but he wasn’t too keen on the idea—understandably. But no quandary ever plagues us for long. We simply mounted them on our own car and acquired the footage beautifully.
Like any film, the finale had to be grand and it certainly was. Following the Rukhsati, both bride and groom drove to Gagan’s house in Gagan’s Aston Martin and then took a romantic ride on a Horse Carriage. The grand finale carriage ride was shot with 2 Go Pros, mounted on our vehicle and and then there were 3 separate cinematographers with DSLRS. It was: quite a ride.
Finally, our heartfelt congrats to the couple and a warm thank you to the Sarkaria and Pradhan families for their hospitality and for the opportunity of allowing us to cover their epic event—Cheers!
Technical Details
Two Canon 5D, Canon 60D
35 f1.4, 50 f1.2, 85 f1.2, 135 f2.0, 70-200 f2.8
Steadicam Merlin
Cinevate Atlas 10
Manfrotto Monopods
Adobe CS5
August 9th, 2011, 05:53 AM
