Fusion weddings often make for the most amazing celebrations. Think about it – two different cultures marrying their traditions into one giant celebration. The result is bound to be something spectacular, culturally rich, and simply put, totally special. Much like this Houston wedding from J. Cogliandro Photography. If you’re not already in love with Joe, you absolutely need to take a look back at his other features on Style Me Pretty this week. From Greece to Texas ~ he’s our go-to guy this week! And to finish up the Joe C. love-fest, we have one more dazzling Houston wedding. Divya and Chris have shared their three day affair that was so full of love, fun, and laughter … three of THE most important aspects of a marriage. To let you feel the energy of this wedding, we even have the Same Day Edit from ~ who else but Aaron at 31FILMS! The SDE was played at Chris and Divya’s reception. After you watch that, we have the wedding story from the groom’s perspective, so make sure to check that out. Joe Cogliandro has more of this amazing couple on his blog, too, so hop on over there!
Seriously, we hope you’re ready for this Same Day Edit. It’s amazing, but we would expect nothing less from the talented 31FILMS. You’ll feel like you were there for all three days of this special celebration. Promise.
Chris & Divya – Same Day Edit from 31FILMS on Vimeo
From the groom … I was totally blown away by our wedding. It was a traditional Indian wedding and not being Indian, I didn’t really know what to expect. This was truly a dream wedding for both of us; it was three whirlwind days with four different events. Starting with the Mehendi Party where the traditional henna was applied, continuing to the Sangeet, a night of song and dance to celebrate the wedding, and finishing with our wedding ceremony and reception.
The night before the wedding we held a Sangeet/rehearsal dinner at the Museum of Fine Arts. The theme was royal Arabian, with rich hues of blue, purple, and red. We had dances performed by members of the family; Divya’s family performed a skit depicting our courtship. It was a fun evening that ended with dancing to kick-off the next evening festivities.
The ceremony, held at Hotel Zaza, was preceded by a Bharat, or procession, which was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The energy and cohesion slowly increased to a full crescendo when we arrived at the hotel – the energy was electrifying! All 20 members of the bridal party were in full Indian attire and the entire crowd was dancing to the music as I made my way into the building. We had a traditional Indian wedding ceremony that lasted approximately 1 hour and included several traditional ceremonial acts, such as walking around fire and taking the 7 sacred steps. After the ceremony, we exited the Zaza in a classic white Rolls Royce, which capped the fairy tale ending.
We then took some photos and headed back to change for the big reception. We, along with the wedding party, had all prepared special entrances, along with a surprise Bollywood dance that Divya and I had practiced. The dance went perfectly and then we could enjoy the crowd and see the beautiful decor that Divya had arranged.
Divya did an unbelievable job transforming the contemporary space into our dream reception. She really wanted to mold the contemporary design of the museum into the theme of our décor. Tom Stringer helped her create that with florals that were like pieces of art – gravity defying! It was amazing to watch the sea of people dancing and having a great time – some who we’d never seen dance before! Our primary goal was to have a wedding where everyone would have fun and we were beyond pleased with the results.
Photography: J. Cogliandro Photography / Videography: 31 Films / Ceremony Location: Hotel ZaZa / Sangeet & Reception Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston / Event Design and Florals: AJ’s Urban Petals / Linen & Decor Rental: High Fashion Fabrics /Make Up & Hair: Edward Sanchez / Event Day Coordination: Simply Perfect Day / Entertainment: DJ Rocky Rhodes / Lighting: DRK Event Lighting / Catering: Bombay Brasserie Caterer & Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill / Brides Sangeet Outfit: Manish Malhotra, Mumbai, India / Cake: Wedding Cakes by Gina
We think you’ll be seeing a lot more from Joe C. this year on SMP! Our thanks to him and his staff for providing our daily dose of pretty here on The Little Black Book Blog!
And don’t forget, Joe’s brides and grooms have delighted in his Boudoir Photography as well!