Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Carlsbad Indian Wedding
We met Aash 10 years ago when we did her sister’s Hindu wedding at the Newport Hyatt. We were beyond excited when she called us from New York and asked us to be her wedding photographer. We met her and Paul at their engagement party and did a quick impromptu engagement session, and then spent time photographing them with their friends and family.
Carlsbad Indian Wedding venue
They chose the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort to have their Carlsbad Indian wedding and it was truly a beautiful day! The morning started with a crazy downpour of rain, but it had cleared up by the early afternoon. The air was crisp and the sky was blue with gorgeous white puffy clouds! (see photo above) Victoria Weddings was the wedding planner for the day and did a phenomenal job organizing and keeping the day on schedule. The venue coordinator was Trish Santalla. She was very helpful, showing us some cool photo locations around the property. Here is a helpful map of the area.
The Bridal Party
We started with Aash and her girls getting ready in the villas. Paula, from Mayer Studios took care the makeup and hair and was so fast! The girls Sarees were brought over from India and absolutely stunning. Aash and her bridesmaids had their hands and feet painted with henna (Mehndi) Indian weddings are so different from traditional American weddings. There are so many details on the bride, alone! The outfits and jewelry, the bright colors- we always say, if we could ever redo our wedding, we’d have to go Hindu/Indian for sure! Brian headed over to photograph Paul and his guys getting ready once we were settled in. Paul wore the traditional Indian Sherwani and convinced everyone he belonged in it! Then when they were both ready – Brian took Paul to a location we had scouted and had him set up for the first look. They had some nice time alone where they could talk and just be with each other – without all the hustle and bustle. Once they felt like they had enough time alone we joined the groomsmen and bridesmaids for some fun photos.
Family
Not much later the family joined us for their photos as well. The families on BOTH sides were amazing! They were so sweet to each other and you could really see how much they loved each other and were overjoyed for their children to be getting married to each other. It made the mood of the day that much more! Paul (our Ohio native) was awesome. He embraced the Indian culture and did all the traditions. For the baraat he came in on a beautiful horse and then the families joined together dancing. Family members greeted and show their “strength” by lifting each other up as well. We were loving the traditions!
Ceremony
The wedding altar (Mandapa) was gorgeously decorated and when Paul was standing at the front of the Mandapa – the girls attempt to steal his shoes as part of another tradition. Throughout the ceremony there was beautiful music, lots of ceremonial traditions and tons of love from the guests and family. It was a really nice ceremony. Afterwards, we did formals and then the wedding party headed back into the hotel to change into Black Tie attire for the rest of the evening. Everything from the dances and toasts, to the cake cut and party was so great!
After party
After the formalities were done, traditional Indian dancers took over the dance floor! The band asked the guests to follow them to the ballroom for the after party. One by one, they filed out towards the loud techno music and bright flashing lights. The dancers put on a show on the new dance floor and danced with the wedding party and guests. The rest of the night was filled with dancing, appetizers, ice cream, cake, and traditional rice throwing exit called the Vidaai.
Special shout out goes to Ashley Fox, who was our photo assistant for the day!
vendors
Wedding Venue: Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Coordinator: Trish Santalla
Coordinator: Victoria Weddings
Band: Encore Event Entertainment
Photography: Gilmore Studios
Video: Plug Wedding Films
Hair/Makeup artist: Paula Mayer
Assistant Photographer: Ashley Fox
Floral Design: Organic Elements
About the photographer
Brian and Jennifer Gilmore are a husband and wife wedding photographer team in Orange County, CA. They have been photographing weddings together since 2003. Contact us for more info about booking your wedding in the Southern California area. Brian and Jennifer Gilmore specialize in wedding photography in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Huntington Beach, and surrounding areas in OC and Los Angeles, CA. Call 949-698-3968 or email us for more info about booking your 2017-18 wedding
