A unique aspect of Indian weddings is the sweetheart stage. A lot of weddings have a sweetheart table, but as we all know, we like to go big at Indian weddings so we setup a whole stage!

We have a weekly #PhotoTipFriday series in partnership with Geeta Randery, the principal photographer and owner of Randery Imagery. She shares practical tips and wisdom to optimize your wedding photos. This week Geeta shared some very helpful tips on lighting of a sweetheart stage at a reception as well as mandaps and altars for indoor wedding ceremonies.

First, if you’re having an indoor ceremony, refrain from lights behind you i.e. bright lights/lit chandeliers behind the mandap/altar.  This makes it brighter behind you rather than in front of you which is great for taking photos. 

Ideally you want to have the most amount of light in front of you (to illuminate you), rather than behind (which will backlight & darken you).

Additionally, if you don’t have a stage wash (lighting), have the venue turn up the ballroom lights to full brightness…again you want the maximum brightness for optimal photos and video and everyone can see you. In case you missed it, check out our article on basic wedding reception lighting that everyone should have at an Indian wedding reception.

ProTip by Randery Imagery, providing full service wedding, engagement and event photography. Catch tips from Randery Imagery every #PhotoTipFriday.

{Take Aways}

It’s no surprise that lighting is a key factor in photography. For your wedding work closely with your lighting vendor and photographer to determine the optimal lights for the overall look as well as optimizing for your photos and video. In general you want lighting to be in front of you instead of in back of you.

I hope this article has been helpful to you. If it has, let me know in the comments and you might like to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest – whatever your preferred media is, as we frequently publish articles to help making wedding planning just a little bit easier. And join us every Friday for #PhotoTipFriday for more photography wisdom!

Congratulations and cheers!

Visit our main site for your dream venue and access exclusive ShaadiShop prices.

ShaadiShop is a free service to help couples, planning an Indian or any South Asian wedding, find their wedding venue. We walk you through the whole process from discovery to booking. And, venues extend better pricing and amenities to our clients. Visit our main website or contact me to start your venue search today!