It was an incredible privilege to photograph M + A’s North Indian wedding at Tanque Verde Ranch. They were referred to me by one of my favorite Tucson wedding planners, J Robertson Events. I’m so glad she thought to connect us for their colorful, family oriented celebration. It was my first Indian wedding and it was such a joy to be apart of. As a photographer, I get to experience so many different cultures and traditions and lived experiences. Being apart of M + A’s weekend is something I’m continually grateful for. You’ll see the joy, love and connection in the photos below.
To start of the weekend, they couple and their family and friends held a mehndi night where Michelle and her guests received the special henna on their hands. The night was also filled with delicious food, dancing and exchanging of gifts.
The next day was the wedding ceremony at Tanque Verde Ranch. We started the day getting ready at Westward Look. The bride and groom got ready separately, assisted by their families in beautiful and honoring traditions. I loved witnessing all the detail and intention that went into each of the ceremonies. It felt like a very loving way to prepare both partners to celebrate the wedding ceremony and the rest of the day.
After their times of getting ready, and before seeing each other for the first time, the groom was surprised by a friend in one of the funniest “first looks” I’ve ever seen.
Thankfully, the next person to walk up to him was in fact the bride 😉
We then traveled to the main wedding venue, Tanque Verde Ranch. Before the ceremony, the groom entered the venue on horseback with a spirited parade of friends and dancing and music and smoke bombs! This is called a baraat, a celebratory procession. The groom was especially brave entering on a nervous horse in the wind. It was memorable for sure!
Before the ceremony began, the families of the couple did something incredibly special. The had a milni ceremony where one member of each family exchanged gifts and hugs with the other. The mom on one side with the mom on the other, uncle on one side with the uncle on the other, etc. What a beautiful depiction of two families and two different cultures coming together. I was definitely moved to tears.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying the beauty of the desert at and the joy of togetherness with family and friends! Many hugs were had, dancing was enjoyed, and friends were celebrated. Thank you so much M + A for having me apart of your wedding weekend!
To see more of this gorgeous couple, check out their Tucson engagement session here.
M + A’s North Indian wedding at Tanque Verde Ranch had an amazing vendor team. Here they are below:
Venues:
Mehndi Night and Getting Ready Location: Westward Look
Wedding Day: The Barn at Tanque Verde Ranch
Wedding Planner: J Robertson Events
Cake: Ambrosia Cakes
DJ/Entertainment: In the Mix Entertainment, DJ Adi
Florist: Element Design and Events
Photography: Meredith Amadee Photography
Videography: Laughing Dog Productions
Mehndi Artist: Raksha Patel
Rentals: Frostings Event Design
