As an Indian wedding photographer in Cyprus, I am continuously inspired by the beauty and majesty of traditional Hindu weddings. As part of the world’s oldest religion, Hindu wedding rituals are steeped in over 5000 years of enduring history, kept alive by faith and devotion. They are an age-old celebration of life, love, and the power of human connection. Over several days, they create a meeting place between this world and the realm of the spirit; one where hearts and families are joined forever… A profound journey that, for Tara and Anish, began with this Indian couple’s pre-wedding shoot in Limassol.
As soon as I met Tara and Anish, I could sense how at home this beautiful couple was in each other’s company. Walking hand-in-hand along the windswept shore, they radiated quiet anticipation for the days to come. As I clicked the shutter of my camera, they smiled at each other as if they were the only two people in the world, soaking up this time alone before the busy festivities to come. Then – to my surprise – they waded joyfully into the surf, laughing as the gentle waves lapped at their ankles. Before I knew it, they were running together, the freedom in their hearts giving wings to their feet.
Unable to hold back his excitement, Anish gathered Tara in his arms, lifting her up and spinning around, his eyes smiling into hers. In that moment, I saw love’s power to renew and remake us: To lighten all of our burdens, until our hearts are once again as innocent as a child’s; as pure and spontaneous as nature itself.
No matter how long I have worked as an Indian wedding photographer in Cyprus, scenes like this never cease to fill me with awe and wonder. I know that as long as love like that shared by Tara and Anish exists, hope and joy will continue to anchor this world.
For the next stage of this Indian couple’s pre-wedding shoot in Limassol, we climbed high into the cliffs overlooking the bay. As we walked, clouds gathered overhead, temporarily obscuring the sun – but Tara and Anish were not deterred. Wrapped in each other’s embrace, they gazed out over the horizon… Then suddenly, a stunning interplay of light and shadow erupted in the heavens above. As if foreshadowing the ascension of light over darkness that lies at the heart of all Hindu marriage ceremonies, the clouds parted, allowing the sun’s radiance to pierce through.
In that moment, I captured some of the most beautiful images of my career: Tara and Anish, resplendent in their love, silhouetted against a backdrop of billowing slate clouds and the peach-gold fire of sunset. I could not help but feel like nature itself was offering its blessing for their union in this divine interplay of the elements – earth, air, fire, and water dancing together as one. I was reminded that the love we carry within is a mirror of the love that moves the universe, and that: “The one who loves all intensely begins perceiving in all living beings a part of himself. He becomes a lover of all, a part and parcel of the Universal Joy. He flows with the stream of happiness, and is enriched by each soul.” (Yajur Veda)
As twilight fell on the day, we left the cliffs of Limassol behind, closing the curtain on one beautiful experience to make room for another. I knew that tomorrow, the sun would rise on a wonderful new chapter for Tara and Anish…
