Mehndi
Anjali and Trit’s hosted their Mehndi at Codependent Coffee & Cocktails, treating their guests to a night out in Austin before the private estate wedding weekend. A disco ball scattered light across the ceiling while Indian aunties settled into velvet conversation nooks, trading stories over cocktails. Guests navigated the room with careful choreography – glasses tilted delicately, wrists lifted just enough to protect fresh henna still drying on their skin.
Anjali moved through the space in a graphic orange-and-purple lehenga, her hands filled with intricate patterns. Around her, tailored suits, patterned skirts, and jewel-toned fabrics created a palette that felt urban rather than ceremonial. The bar hummed, the lounge glowed, and henna artists worked steadily in the corners.
Photographically, I leaned into the moody vibes. Using a pop of flash to illuminate a guest without overwhelming the scene, and never focusing on one group of people for too long so as not to distract.
Sangeet
The Sangeet took place in the bride’s parents’ backyard, transforming a familiar space into a tented wedding that felt closer to a garden dinner party than a traditional reception. A structure by Bright Event Rentals created architectural rhythm, while florals by Loam Studio moved between deep reds and pinks, grounding the space in fall color.
Tables layered Mughal-inspired linens, blush glassware, scalloped china, and rose-toned menus, creating a visual language built on pattern rather than symmetry. Anjali’s black lehenga and Trit’s all-black bandhgala echoed the evening’s moodier palette.
Guests arrived at sunset for cocktails by the pool. As the night progressed, speeches, dancing, and shared meals blurred the line between performance and gathering – one I captured as a continuous flow rather than a series of posed moments.
Wedding Day
The wedding day shifted both tone and palette. Dressed in all-white ensembles, Anjali and Trit moved through a traditional Hindu ceremony that began with a breakfast gathering and festive Baraat before vows were exchanged in front of family traveling from across the U.S. and India.
Design elements softened: pink and lavender tones replaced the deeper hues of the Sangeet, layered over embroidered white linens and lighter floral compositions. The reception continued this restraint, allowing ritual, movement, and guest interaction to take precedence over spectacle.
As the final event of the weekend, the day reads as an exercise in continuity – how light, color, and crowd energy evolve across a private estate wedding while maintaining narrative coherence. Rather than centering a single moment, the imagery documents a sequence of rituals, spaces, and relationships unfolding in real time.
