Isle Media : Amy and Gary: The Wedding Day!

It is always an honor when a couple chooses us to capture their wedding day, as they are essentially inviting us into their lives, and sharing some of the best moments in the company of their friends and family. In the case of Amy and Gary, this meant that we had to opportunity to experience the colorful traditions and customs of Indian culture! The couple blended traditional and western elements into their wedding, making for east-meets-west event that we definitely will never forget.

With this being our first, all-out Indian wedding, we were pretty mesmerized by all the details, from Amy's glittering pink dress and jewelry, to Gary's Kirpan, a ceremonial sword, and his turban. The ceremony was also eye opening for us, whether it was Amy being escorted around the sacred text by her brother and father, or the whole audience singing to traditional Indian music.

There's just so much to say about this wedding, so I'll narrate little by little throughout the post...thanks for reading!

-Reese (photography, blog) // Lester (photography)
-Alan & Kyle (videography)

The couple rented two beach houses in Kailua...one for Gary's family, and one for Amy's family. The ceremony was to be held at Amy's place.

Gary's Kirpan, a ceremonial sword that is traditionally only drawn to protect others.

The hair and makeup begins! Nina, Amy's maid of honor, who married in these same traditions, assisted Amy on her big day.

Gary's family helps him put on his turban for the ceremony...

Everyone had to wear bandannas to cover their heads (including us) in the presence of this holy text.

One of the biggest highlights of the day for us was the formals session with just Amy and Gary. The couple wanted their photos and video to reflect the beauty of Hawaii, so we took them to Kailua Beach to grab some beach and forest shots, and then, decided to top things off by going up the Pillboxes hike. When we arrived there, Amy and Gary said "let's do this!" And we did :) It took us a while to climb up, always trying to spot the couple to make sure they were okay while hauling our equipment, but it was definitely an adventure, and definitely worth it in the end. Amy and Gary couldn't believe the view they saw, and we had a field day with the formals photos up there :)

Click the photo for a much LARGER view :)

In Indian tradition, following the wedding, the groom is supposed to go over the bride's family's house to claim the bride and her belongings and bring her back to his house. However, before he can enter, the groom is tested by the bride's family to see if he is worthy of her. The tests vary, and in Amy's case, her family decided pastries with hidden hot sauce, and silly string were a good way to gauge Gary's character and sense of humor :)