So some people might call this post blasphemous, for breaking Indian wedding, or rather Hindu and Jain wedding tradition, but we want to talk about the benefits and beauty of open mandaps. Once again ShaadiShop has teamed up with Geeta Randery, the Founder and Principal Photographer at Geeta Randery Photography to bring you another #PhotoTipFriday post, full of useful and actionable info that you can incorporate into an Indian wedding or any South Asian wedding.
{What Makes Open Mandaps So Great?}
1. Open mandaps and altars are modern and chic.
2. They’re a photographer and cinematographer’s Indian wedding dream come true! Mandaps sans the pillars means no large objects obstructing views, which in turn, means your photo and cinema team can capture images from 360-degrees. Look at the photo below. On the back side they have a beautiful Ganeshji displayed.
3. The venue setup is cool! In the photo below, guests are seated 270-degrees around the mandap, vs. the standard classroom style look. There’s not a bad seat in the house!
We understand that for traditionalists this might be a bit hard to conceive, as mandaps, by definition, have four pillars. And that’s ok…photographers are accustomed to traditional mandaps too. So if going traditional is important to you, that’s totally fine. We would never discourage that. We just want to share something totally new and interesting as well as some of the advantages. But again, all reputable and experienced Indian wedding vendors have you covered. They are accustomed to designing, decorating, and photographing traditional mandaps so no need to worry. ..but if you’re looking for something modern and different, then open mandaps are definitely the way to go!
{Flat Backdrop Mandaps and Altars}
Additionally, instead of completely open mandaps, backdrop mandaps and altars are popular as well, especially for indoor ceremonies, like the ones you see below.
{Take Aways}
- Open mandaps and altars are a great option for Indian weddings from the guest experience to great photos and video.
- Backdrop mandaps and altars are nice as well, as they don’t have the 4 pillars which can obstruct your photos and video.
- Regardless of the type of mandap you select, there are best practices for setup and lighting.
- Especially if you plan to have a ceremony indoors there are special considerations for Hindu and Jain weddings.
- Having a backup option in case of inclement weather for outdoor weddings, is super important.
From all of us at ShaadiShop and Randery Imagery congratulations and cheers to your upcoming wedding!
Pictured left: Samta Varia, Founder & CEO, ShaadiShop.
Pictured right: Geeta Randery, Founder & Principal Photographer, Geeta Randery Photography.
Contact Geeta Randery, for your wedding and engagement shoot. They provide full service wedding, engagement and event photography. And catch tips from Geeta Randery Photography.
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Cover image: Geeta Randery
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