Quirky Wanderer Bride: An Unconventional Pre-wedding shoot

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas

Do you want to do a cliche, run of the mill, conventional pre-wedding shoot?” I asked my social media-shy fiance, (knowing the answer).
Can I please not be in front of the camera?”
Now, what does a girl do when her fiance is camera awkward and unwilling?
She does a solo Pre-wedding shoot!

This is when the Quirky Wanderer Bride pre-wedding shoot was conceptualised.

quirky wanderer bride
Doors leading to a new journey!

Like every girl who had a zillion dreams for her marriage, I always dreamt of a zillion destinations to tick off my list.

Pre-wedding shoot at Kusum Sarovar Goverdhan
Always loving lesser known gems

Travel was, of course, my first love. So while I was about to ditch my singlehood, I thought why not celebrate my first love by dedicating a photoshoot to it?

Concept:

The idea of this pre-wedding shoot was to amalgamate my love for architecture, offbeat travel, doors, and colours in a photoshoot that would break preconceived notions and stereotypes around “pre-wedding” shoots. Basically the plan was to be myself and celebrate the traveler in me while ushering in this new phase of life. There are dancing brides, boozing brides, Uber cool brides, smoking brides but here was a traveling bride (just a few days before her wedding) visiting one of her favourite destinations and making it a part of her wedding celebration!

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas for the traveling bride
The joy of getting a photo shoot done at one of your favourite places

Adorning a red lehenga, I walked through the streets of Mathura. Tiny, narrow lanes still locked in the past, aloof from urbanisation, nonchalant of the skyscrapers of cities. I walk past old shops whose shutters mingled with electric wires, chai wallahs where tea was still served in Kulads. Here was a bride who loved tradition as much as she cherished her modern perspectives on marriage. Finally stopping in front of an old Haveli, something that might just be a thing of the past in a few years. I placed my bangle clad hand onto the rustic door, knocking onto the new phase.

quirky wanderer bride
For the love of old doors and havelis

Locations:

Of all the places that seem home and all the places that are so close to my heart, there was one location that had to be finalised. A place that would resonate with my love for the lesser-visited. What better than the place where I first fell in love with doors and arches? I had got my location. It had to be Vrindavan: those chaotic, yet peaceful lanes, those rustic doors, those lost buildings of yesteryear, those rumbling walls that tell a thousand tales. They had to be a part of it all. This is where I first started clicking doors. I would often tell the rickshaw wallahs to slow down as we passed these beauties, so I could click them.

quirky wanderer bride
These lanes of Vrindavan.. filled with brightly painted doors

As years passed, I almost memorised the locations of these Instagram worthy doors and Havelis. But gradually some started to slowly fade away. Metal doors replaced the wooden ones. Tradition made way for the modern. So this shoot definitely had to include the “survivors”.

I zeroed in on three locations: Vrindavan, Mathura, and Govardhan. (Each location not very far from each other and each having some distinct features).

 

I walked on the sandstone parapet in an orange lehenga, amused with myself. In front of me are the greenish, moss-laden waters of the pond of Kusum Sarovar in Govardhan. The place rarely has tourists, some sadhus here and there, locals with selfie sticks, old men washing clothes and that’s about it. Who would choose this place for their bridal shoot? A modern-day damsel who is in forever awe of architecture and hidden gems. I sit on the stairs feeling so tiny in comparison to that massive, gargantuan structure with minarets full of frescos. It glistens in the morning sun, giving a palatial feel and narrating tales of the era of Radha and Krishna, that can be relived simply by visiting it adorning an orange lehenga.

quirky wanderer bride series
The gorgeous Kusum Sarovar in Goverdhan

Props:

I absolutely did not want any planted props that would defeat the purpose and basic idea of this creative pre-wedding shoot. Every picture was clicked in a candid, raw environment: be it a monument, the ghats of Yamuna, or real streets with real homes.

There was ONLY one prop used. A flower swing made with marigolds (by a local farmer in his farm). It was tied to a tree and the swing was used as a prop for a set of pictures. (Making me feel very celeb like as villagers gathered to watch the “film shoot”).

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas
The joy of new beginnings

In these tiny villages of UP, there are guava and orange orchards, amla trees, fields of marigolds, cauliflowers, carrots and brinjals. I was always in awe of these fields. Umpteen times, I would stop the car to rush inside a marigold field or a mustard one to watch the endless yellow blanket. Early mornings in the countryside of Govardhan mean sunlight, farm hopping and discovering the most gorgeous things by chance. And then there are swings. In monsoon, during the Hariyali Teej festival (which is celebrated with fervour in North India), there are floral swings to celebrate the happiness of married life. As I swung on one of these, in the direction of the mild winter sun, I felt it was an ode: to these underrated flower fields full of abundant treasure and happiness. And my happiness was just a reflection of it.

Curation of Dresses:

I was short of time. In less than a week, I had to get all my pre-wedding shoot dresses in place with accessories. This was over and above my actual wedding preps. What could I do? Innovate and recycle.

Pre-wedding shoot in Vrindavan
Recycling old dress materials and fabrics

A bridal shoot could have sarees or lehengas. I leaned towards lehengas for the ease they provide. (Also the twirls!) The colours had to be vibrant: so I chose my favourites: Red, Orange, and Green.

I revamped a 10-year old orange lehenga I wore at my sister’s wedding. I used mom’s old red saree and self-styled a lehenga with the help of a tailor and put together another outfit using a netted Green fabric. The idea was to go as traditional as possible to match the locations.

As a kid, I adored the idea of marriage, it meant new clothes, jewellery, dolling up and living the dream fairy tales and movies fed us with. Then growing up happened and as I travelled and met people I realised how marriage meant different things to different people. To some it was a life goal, for some it meant companionship, for some a social obligation and validation and to some, it still was the feeling of being a princess. Of course, the craze for dolling up had seemingly died down but when your first love is travel and you see arches and minarets and ancient frescos tucked carefully inside them, you cannot help but twirl in happiness.

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas for the traveling bride
Architecture, frescos, minarets and twirls..

Finalising a photographer:

As much as I wanted to click myself, it wasn’t practically possible. I knew the locations. I knew the frames. I needed someone to click and record. After rigorous research, I shortlisted Delhi Velvet from Delhi. All these photos are clicked by them.

The overcast skies were dramatic like it would rain any moment. A red and blue boat with an enthusiastic boatman bobbled near the ghats of the Yamuna in Mathura. They revere her like most rivers in India, but she’s hardly alive. Pollution, industries and the likes have throttled her but they worship her nevertheless. Every evening at Vishram ghat locals gather for an aarti with gongs and bells. It isn’t as famed as the Ganga Aarti of Varanasi but the ghats here have a unique character of their own. While people flock to Varanasi, I wanted the essence of Mathura to be in my shoot.

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas for the traveling bride
The underrated ghats of Mathura

 

Behind the scenes: Bloopers & more:

What seemed so perfect and flawless had its share of bloopers! From unanticipated street processions in Mathura, where people stopped and ogled at a girl in the red lehenga to running against time to reach monuments before the light vanished to hectic dress changes (makeup and hair!)

WATCH THE ONE MINUTE FILM: 

Society loves setting expectations. Preconceived notions of marriage and stereotypes for couples: something as basic as each couple MUST have a SAVE-THE-DATE photo shoot or you have to let the world know of a couple shoot you had or how simple, intimate weddings are looked down upon. Then there are norms of what a bride should and shouldn’t do. What she should wear, how much makeup she needs to apply, how she needs to talk, the cliche poses she needs to strike and hell no, she cannot be traveling a few days before a wedding. A strict No-No!

The society will always do what it does. Stereotypes will stand tall. All you need to do is Be YOU.

Quirky wanderer bride
Be you. Always and forever.

  • Like what you've read?

    Join the tribe of Quirky Wanderers!

 

Creative Pre-wedding shoot ideas

29 thoughts on “Quirky Wanderer Bride: An Unconventional Pre-wedding shoot

  1. Loved the photos since the first time you shared them. This post gives a wonderful behind the scene of those photos and the lovely video. Great work conceptualising and executing this one of a kind shoot. But my favourite part here, is the last line of this post. Seals perfectly the real story behind these picture perfect shoot.

    1. Thank you Sandeepa! Still remember your reaction when I shared the first pic on IG 🙂 Thanks for being always encouraging and supporting! The last line is indeed the reason behind this concept.

  2. Loved all your pictures, Divyakshi. And the concept especially. Having a pre-wedding shoot without the spouse is unthinkable in today’s day and age. Yet, you have inspired the girls to do one on their own. I feel being happy with one’s own self and being able to do things that one likes is the first step to a successful relationship.

    1. Thanks a bunch Soumya! 🙂 So happy you liked it and found it inspiring. You said it beautifully: being able to be yourself is the best gift you can gift to your spouse!

  3. You already know how much I loved your pre-wedding shoot, Divyakshi. You look gorgeous. But kudos to your concept and thoughts. That’s commendable! Wishing you the very best always. 🙂

  4. Oh what a lovely journey of pre-shoot Divyakshi. It was lovely to watch you in all your different attires at different places. Wonderful watching it. Mast mast.

  5. Wow wonderful photos. Loved the idea concept and execution.you look beautiful. Beautifully written post.one of its kind pee wedding shoot. Your posts tempt me to go to Mathura Vrindavan and gowardhan never been to these places. Thank you for the post. Keep writing

  6. I totally love these pictures with beautiful architecture as a backdrop. Great choice for the per-wedding photo-shoot location.

  7. There are so many responsibilities for doing the prewedding shoot. Your post describes all the best possibilitioes in doing the prewedding shoot. These simple tips are really simple. I have used all these tips and I am surprised that these all works fine. You are a great advisor. Thanks for advising these simple tools.

  8. What a fantastic idea to capture the pre-bridal on the underrated ghats of India. Frames are perfectly captured and the outfits and props add to it. 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This function has been disabled for Quirky Wanderer.

%d bloggers like this: