Ekta & Brian | Focus Photography at Oakville Legacy

I always aspired to have a love story like Ekta and Brian. It was anything but ordinary. In fact, it was nothing short of amazing. While others may view it as tame, it was the kind of love that ignited slowly but surely. Ekta and Brian took the right steps to falling in love with each other. And besides when you fall in love, nothing is ever drab or dull. With the right person, it’ll always feel electric.

According to Ekta, they worked at the same radio station. After years of back and forth, their relationship simply blossomed into something much deeper. And as they had moved in together, they had fully established a home and a routine together. It was at that moment that Brian kneeled before Ekta and asked for her hand in marriage. To Ekta, it was what she needed. Intimacy was much more important for her, and she appreciated not having it be turned into a whole spectacle.

Ekta and Brian agreed to fully lean into the Hindu traditions and customs for their wedding. But while they wanted to honor Ekta’s heritage and culture, they didn’t want it to be too strict and conservative. Their marriage started with a pre-event. This happened in their house, and it was completely packed with guests and loved ones. Everybody was arms and shoulders with each other.

But no one complained. Instead, they filled up the house with more chatter and laughter.

At the midst of it all, I was in a sea of beautiful and vibrant colors. Everybody was wearing traditional wear. And to honor the beauty of two families joining together, they did the Roka. Brian’s mom was given a special bracelet in red and gold. She accepted it so happily.

Throughout the entire pre-event, I wanted to capture the smallest details, the ones that not a lot of people would have noticed. But because it was such an intimate gathering, I still wanted to be able to have others think about the grandiosity behind every action and intent of the event itself.

For Ekta and Brian, it was all about relying on their religiosity and faith in their culture and community to further bless their wedding, marriage, and future family.

Honestly, I was so enamored by everything that was happening around me. I learned so much through a camera lens, and I wanted to give the experience justice by really exhibiting how wonderful each tradition was.

Once the pre-event was done, I made sure to go over the details of their wedding and ceremony again. On their form, Ekta and Brian were very comprehensive with the details, and they were pretty thorough with their thoughts. And while they did their best to appease and meet everybody’s expectations, they still wanted to be able to call their wedding their own. So to those who are going to be brides in the coming years, here is a piece of advice from Ekta and Brian: “Stay true to you – everyone will have an opinion (especially in ethnic weddings) and what worked or was expected before “back in the day” doesn’t need to apply to you if it doesn’t serve you.”

Their wedding ceremony and reception party was held at Oakville Legacy. But before people made their way into the venue, Brian had a special baraat procession with his family and loved ones. As he was seated in a convertible, everybody was dancing around him. They were singing and vibing to the beat of the drum. Brian looked like he was having the time of his life, but only second to living the rest of his life with Ekta as his wife.

Everybody was in high spirit, and it was definitely the kind of start you would want to have for a wedding.

After, his groomsmen had these smoke bombs that they twisted, which erupted in blue and yellow high up into the sky. It was still far from the party but everybody already looked to be in a partying mood. It was truly a sight to see, and I wanted to be able to capture everyone’s happiness with every picture.

As his baraat finally came to a halt, everybody piled inside to their designated seats. And a hush came over them as they all waited for Ekta to make her grand entrance. She looked so glamorous and elegant in her red lehenga. It had golden embroidery with accents of green and blue. Brian couldn’t hold back his smile. He beamed with total pride.

As a wedding photographer, their wedding made me feel like a fish out of water, but in a light and definitely positive way! Everything felt so new to me, but I loved every aspect of it. It made me realize how the smallest of details held so much significance and importance. And that as a photographer, I had to be able to find a way to have others appreciate every moment, even if it comes in big or small.