40 Real Wedding Photographs To Take Inspiration From

Amit & Martin

They met in person for the very first time in March 2011, at Laguardia Airport, when Martin flew in to see Amit for five days. "Amit ran up behind me and gave me the tightest bear hug, and I knew that was it," says Martin. "That hug changed my life forever; I knew I had found true love and I felt that I had finally found myself," says Amit. At the end of five days together, they were already in love.

Meenaakshi & Varun

Despite being in a long-distance relationship, Varun and Meenakshi quickly realised that they shared the same values and vision for life, with family being the most important aspect. One of the most telling moments of their relationship was when Meena and Varun were having a heartfelt conversation. Meena's father had passed away 6 months before the couple had met. One evening, they were enjoying happy hours after work, when they were remembering Meena's father. Varun looked Meena in the eyes and said, "I know this is odd, but even though I never met your father, I feel like I know him. I feel like he brought us together." This was something Meena had felt ever since meeting Varun....

Amit & Aditya

“Intimate, personal, and vibrant would be the three words I would use to describe our wedding. The entire experience was rather surreal. One of the most beautiful moments was having 18 members of our family and friends perform the puja with us. It was a beautiful scene and we are so lucky to have had that.”

Angela & Tyler

"He had mentioned that he'd like to take me to dinner in three weeks or so. Amused, I gave him my business card in return. I mean, who takes you on a date three weeks later right? The joke was on me. He sent me cute dog memes every day and arrived all dressed-up three weeks later, with a bouquet of lilies and a dinner reservation. Fast forward, we have an incredibly cute puppy of our own, and through grad school, job switches, moving cities and the wedding, a date-night has never gone amiss.”

Kanika & Ritik

“Walking down the palatial staircase of the Taj Falaknuma Palace, I saw the door open and my prince standing there in his sherwani. I had the jitters and had been feeling a little nervous, but in that moment, everything felt perfect and right. Even though we had so many guests looking up at us, all of it faded away, and for that moment it was just Ritik and I. We stared at each other and started tearing up. This is what dreams are made of! Our hearts were exploding with love, and we couldn’t wait to begin the rest of our lives, together.”

Priyam & Sarvesh

“My most memorable moment was an impromptu father-daughter dance at my wedding. As my dad got emotional, I hugged him and we whispered promises about how we both wouldn’t let marriage change anything between us. When he twirled me around, I saw Sarvesh dancing with my mother, and at that moment, everything felt right.”

Pragati & Rahul

"I’m impossible to surprise, so I knew it was coming. I had a serious case of wanderlust, and had pestered Rahul to plan a trip for us. He made me a puzzle for Valentine’s Day, and the answer was a ticket to Savannah, GA!  He played it off like it was a normal weekend, but I had a feeling this was it. At an art gallery, Rahul excused himself to the bathroom, as I was being shown around.  The host led me upstairs and there I saw him, standing in the middle of a bed of roses.  I can’t even recall what he said, but I know I said ‘Yes!’."

Rajvi & Mahek

“We are totally different from one another, and somehow, it’s the differences that made us stick. It truly is the perfect balance. Our wedding was absolutely surreal! My most memorable moment would have to be when my dad walked me towards the Varmala Ceremony, and seeing Mahek for the very first time before getting married.”

Tania & Anivek

“Our wedding was exactly how we had envisioned it. It was outdoors, on a bright, sunny morning. The most memorable moment for me was seeing both our families get along so well. They were so effortless with one another! During my mehendi function, I was left alone for a bit, and all I could see was how everyone was genuinely happy and enjoying each other’s company. Another special moment was when I saw Anivek on the day of our wedding. He looked so handsome; I couldn’t keep my eyes off him!”

Niti & Rachit

“I’m a very proud New Yorker, and my wedding venue had to embody that sentiment. When we toured the outdoor space at The Hyatt for the first time, I remember freezing for a moment and thinking, ‘Wow, I really don’t need to decorate anything. I’ve got the Manhattan skyline as my backdrop.'"

Sonaakshi & Nikhil

“I was always sure that I would be a ‘pink bride’ rather than a ‘red bride’. For my wedding, I wore a baby-pink lehenga featuring a lot of floral elements with a lotus playing an important role. I feel that the lotus embodies beauty, elegance and purity...Goddess Lakshmi sitting on the flower. The unique feature was that I had customized the outfit using my fiancé and my initials embossed and embroidered in the motifs. Then, in the blouse, I had cut-outs of his and my name in Hindi, on the back, on the dori. Basically, my name and his name came together with a dori, and that is symbolic of what happens at a Hindu wedding, where the bride and groom take pheras and tie a knot between them. So our names were united with the dori on the back!”

Swetha & Jesse

Both their roommates were dating at the time, and they set them up in the hopes that they would have a couple to go on double dates with. Little did they know that they would actually end up getting married! Swetha and Jesse now live with their two dogs, and travel...any chance they get.

Megna & Amish

"Philly-native Amish first met the California girl, Megna at a wedding. I know, classic. A few years later, at sunset on the coast of Santorini, Amish proposed and then, their Malibu wedding was underway. Held in Saddlerock Ranch Malibu, this is the kind of wedding I have been dreaming of photographing ever since I became a wedding photographer!," says photographer Vinuthna Garidipuri.