Ananth & Subha | September 12, 2020 | Pinewood Grove, Singapore

Indian weddings vary according to religion, communities and personal preferences of the couple. For the first time, however, weddings are being planned out of the norm due to safety measures (No thanks to you, COVID)

As weddings resumed after Phase 2, I had the opportunity to photograph Ananth & Subha’s entire wedding process. Initially, when Subha approached Jacob’s Artography, she wasn’t a fan of Black & White photographs. However, after viewing some images, she was convinced and gave Jacob’s Artography the creative freedom.

Typically, in Singapore, the traditional Hindu weddings are celebrated over three days long. Before the actual wedding, both the Bride’s and Groom’s families celebrate two different events/rituals. The first event to officially kick start the wedding is the Bangle ceremony, where married women blessed the Bride and adorned her hands with beautiful bangles. Fun fact: As colourful and beautiful as they are, bangles actually symbolise auspiciousness in marriage.

The following day, I went over the Groom’s house, which is also the location for their wedding too. They held a prayer to bless the “thaali”, a pendant that serves as a symbol of marriage. Again, family members from both sides take part in the prayer to bless the “thaali”. Then after, the real fun begins. Everyone takes a turn to smear sandalwood paste on the Groom’s cheeks and forearms. Of course, you can trust them to go above and beyond to “decorate” the Groom!

The third and last day was THE wedding day. Unlike the usual temple wedding hall setup, I had my work cut out for me. I had to make sure I was able to work efficiently within the space inside the house. The first thing that caught my eye was the banana leaf backdrop. Points for creativity! Despite being a non-typical wedding, the ceremony was just as beautiful and I’m sure the memories made that day will last for years to come.

Once again, my heartiest congratulations to Ananth & Subha.