New Generation Bride

Chanchal + Naresh: An Indian-Sri Lankan Lovefest!

We have been so fortunate to have the support of such amazing, talented friends as we started New Generation Bride!  I (Rupa) met Gwen after sending her a very random email with a question.  She answered back with such a friendly reply that I just picked up the phone the next day and chatted with her (for hours)!  And, we have been friends ever since! I have had the fortune to photograph two large weddings with her and am so excited to feature this beautiful wedding that has never been featured before!  I have always called Gwen the “feature Queen” since all of her work gets published in print or featured on beautiful wedding Blogs and am honored that she is allowing us to feature the wedding of Chanchal and Naresh today!

This gorgeous couple just look like they belong together, don’t they?  The smiles, the love and their looks at one another say it all and we LOVE their wedding celebration!

Chanchal and Naresh were married in Amelia Island, Florida over the summer and combined the Indian and Sri Lankan cultures into their wedding weekend through colorful décor, the mehndi & sangeet the evening before the wedding, and Indian cuisine served at the reception.

Gwen and her husband, Matt, captured all of the beautiful, incredibly colorful moments of this couple’s Mehndi ceremony and wedding day and reception – so we asked them questions from the photographers’ perspective, since they got to really know the couple over these few beautiful days!

We love the colors and I am sure that all of you will agree, it has a “wow factor” not just from the oranges and fuchsias but also, how cute is this couple!? They look amazing together and we love that they seem to have  smiles that just speak to one another.

On both evenings friends and family gave speeches and shared stories about Chanchal and Naresh. All of the speeches had a common theme – that these two are genuine and caring and that their friends and family mean the absolute world to them. We love how involved the family was in the traditions carried throughout the ceremony.

The couple incorporated the Indian and Sri Lankan traditions by having a traditional Hindu ceremony and after the ceremony, offered their guests Sri Lankan wedding cakes (sometimes referred to as the “Groom’s Cake”). Traditionally, Sri Lankan wedding cakes are offered to bring good luck to all guests and the couple. The wedding cake is usually made from the traditonal rich fruitcake topped with almond paste. After the wedding ceremony, the guests are served individual pieces of cake wrapped in decorative paper and packed in gift boxes, as a symbol of prosperity and good luck.

Gwen said that she feels that Chanchal and Naresh are a New Generation Couple because their wedding was a blend of cultures and traditions, mixed with a bit of modern flair. We think this is so evident through the photos! I mean, look at her reception outfit and jewelry… that necklace! Love it!

Friends and family mean the world to this couple. Chanchal’s father officiated the ceremony, and at the reception frames with their parents’ wedding photos were on display with a message that said “Today we honor our parents for their love for each other, for their family and for their friends.”

The wedding was a very joyous celebration, and this was even more evident by how packed the dance floor was all night. Chanchal & Naresh brought DJ Suhel down from NYC – and he kept the party going!

Gwen said that she was so excited to be photographing this wedding, and that she knew when she met Chanchal and Naresh that they were a sweet couple, but it wasn’t until she heard their friends and family speak so intimately about them that she realized just how lovely they truly are, inside and out!

 
photographer: Gwendolyn Tundermann Photography // wedding and recepetion venue,
décor, catering: Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island // music: DJ Suhel