I am so grateful to photograph beautiful weddings like these in beautiful places such as St Kitts. Did you know they have monkeys in St Kitts?? Monkeys everywhere, on an island the size of the suburban town I grew up in! This was such a wonderful wedding, with wonderful people, and a lot of dancing and drinking and joyfulness.
In the sixth grade, I was pretty dorky. I would wear the pant portion of a salwar kameez (probably would go over much better these days), and a Washington D.C. panda tshirt with my black nike high tops. I was new in the neighborhood, my parents had just divorced and we finally moved out to Upland, where my family has lived ever since. I never brushed my hair, always wore a dirty pink headband, and never really changed my shirt. My mother was very excited to learn that two doors down on our culdesac was another Indian family, and they had a daughter a year or two older than me. That was Mayura. I remember her gangly arms, her frizzy hair, and her friendly smile. I don’t remember much else other than that her smile always made you feel like you were her friend. Her warmth and her kindness are genuine. Her laugh is hearty and loud. She was, and is, magnetic.
I only just met Ananda on their wedding day, and not only did he completely change the way I see my Bengali family after one conversation (he’s Bengali, too!), but his quick smile and kind spirit compliments Mayura in a way that is beautifully harmonic. Their love is sweet, their passion clear.
It also was a reunion of sorts – I got to catch up with some old friends! Grateful to have been a part of this beautiful day.
Below with Mayura is my friend Meghana from high school. This is pretty typical of them both.
Oddly, as an Upland High School Alumni, my formative years were filled with a lot of scottish stuff. Our symbol was the Highlander, and there was a mural of a man who looked like he was on steroids with a kilt waving about his muscular legs, painted on the gym floor. Our mascot was the Scottie Dog, and we had a bagpipe band. And about half (or more) of that bagpipe band was made of up Asian people. Including Mayura, and some of her bridesmaids. So as a surprise they had THE current Upland High School Bagpipe Band make an appearance! They took this gig verrrrrry seriously. And it was amazing.
And so was her reaction.
Nice, very nice pix
Lovely. Thanks for sharing
I have had the distinct pleasure of spending 5 days of my life with Betty (and Kent!). 3 for her wedding in Kona where was lucky to spend my summers growing up, and two in Honolulu, where I had the honor if photographing the resulting baby bump. I am so grateful to have the honor of documenting their most life altering moments on film. Really on film, not just metaphorically speaking. Thank you for brining me to my favorite place on earth, feeding me my dream food, making me laugh, and hiking to Lost land with me! I hope to find an excuse to spend another day with you!!
OM, what a wonderful way to document Betty’s pregnancy! Since you took such awesome photos, no doubt she and Kent will have you back to photograph the baby! (Betty, are you reading this?)
The Huftons! Jeremy and my dear Huz where high school pals, and here we all are met in the sunny(ish) patches of February in the Southwest from the cold winters of the northeast. Maren grew up not far from me, and I wonder – when you grow up, bathing in all this sunshine, what more could you want then to raise your children in the embrace of a mild, coastal yummy winter sun! And so! Upon our arrival in the home state of my roots, the Beans and the Huftons were fast friends. And I am honored to show them to you, and Bennet and now Ellie.
This wedding was really special to me. It was the first time in, well, maybe a year, that I could come home and sleep in my own bed afterward. And Sarah and Howard are exactly the kind of people that make me love what I do so much! And that is why there are so many images here. So you can see what I saw on that beautiful January day.
Goodness! Every one of your sets of photos brought tears to my eyes… You are a wonderful photographer!
by punambean
love, love, love, love, looooove! especially the first pier photo!