Well, after recent posts involving my great-uncle and Maya's great-uncle, a return to normalcy and weddings. And what a wedding it was. Last week I had the pleasure of shooting a two-day spectacular, complete with nine changes of clothing for the bride and groom. Okay, I'm joking, but not by much.

Mehan Dossani and Rohan Virginkar came to me earlier this year having seen the photos I shot at the wedding of their friends Lily Fu and Scott Claffee. That wedding was a Jersey Shore blast, complete with Philly cheese steaks, Bon Jovi and a morning after romp in the surf. And so I knew that any friends of Lily and Scott would have to have as much fun.

I wasn't wrong. Last weekend began with a small ceremony at home so Mehan and Rohan could sign their marriage contract, under the guidance of an imam. It was an intimate little group, though the laughter in the house made it seem much larger.

Later that evening, we all re-converged on Mehan's family home for a mehndi ceremony under the stars. It was a beautiful night, with everyone, including yours truly, decked out in gorgeous saris and kurtas. (It didn't occur to me until it was too late to have someone take a photo of me.) It was fun to see all of Mehan's friends being helped into their saris and having bindis affixed by family members. I've shot many an Indian wedding before and I never get tired of seeing this endless parade of saffrons and greens and deep reds. I know white is still the color of choice in weddings, and my saying any different won't change a thing, but boy, we westerners don't know how much we're missing!

I would talk about all the food and dancing, but I fear that I would mangle all the proper names. Suffice to say, there was incredible drumming, tasty samosas and lots of dancing involving sticks. (See I just did it. Now someone is going to have to leave a comment an tell me what those sticks are actually called!)

After all of that pageantry and color, one could have slept until noon the next day and watched some golf. But Mehan and Rohan had other plans. On Saturday night, they started all over again, this time with a more formal affair at the Ritz Carlton. Or was that the Ritz? I've seen rooms transformed before, but this really was a spectacular transformation, so great that I didn't believe I was in a Washington hotel anymore. Between the stage and the ancillary seating areas with colorful cushions, the room looked more liked a set.

And the drum beat began anew....

To see a mini gallery of photos from Mehan and Rohan's wedding, click here.

फिर मिलेंगे

Matt