Part I of II: Vivek & Kinita’s Garba Dandiya Raas | Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel | Maryland South Asian Indian Wedding Photographers

When family and friends play a part in your match making you know it’s a sure bet that those who have known you your whole lives are bound to select the perfect compliment to your personality. Kinita is just that to Vivek’s kind, gracious and generous demeanor. Vivek’s probably the first groom I’ve met who I can honestly say wears his feeling right there on his sleeve – by far the happiest person – seriously like all the time – that I have ever crossed paths with hands down as if his portraits don’t exude that!

Garba was meant in the past to be that of a traditional dance performed in honor or the Goddess Durga to stage a bit of a mock fight between the Goddess and Mahishasura a demon-like king and the sticks referred to as dandiya being portrayed as swords in the fight. To witness Garba Dandiya Raas (*although most refer to it as this we typically only see dandiya raas taking place) done in large groups of Gujarati’s is mesmerizing as it’s poetic and synchronized eventually creating all these harmonious circles of dancing, out of all the South Asian events one of my favorites to photograph as there’s movement and expression available for non-stop capturing in which all genders and ages participate!

Courtesy shout out to some amazing planning by: Sumeet Bagai of www.dreamshaadi.com