Samridhi Chaddha (27) and Rishi Raj Suri (29) are enfianced and are currently preparing for their wedding next year.
While the big day is a still a few months away, chaos has already hit her and her beloved. In the midst of a dozen odd jobs, they sincerely care about finding a wedding photographer as much as about the quality of food they’ll be serving to their guests.
“Choosing a photographer is as important as the venue or the catering,” insists Richa Singh (30), getting married in 2016.
And who can blame them?
According to the latest statistics, a whopping 968 million (myself included) use Facebook every day. Five years ago, it was just Facebook. Today, an average woman of 22 has more than seven social media apps on her phone – out of which Instagram has taken the world by storm. Be it inspiration, fashion or memories, we are there… all 300 million of us browsing through our feeds every day.
How Does Facebook Influence Your Wedding?
Sure, you’re learning all year round how to pose, from Kim Kardashian – but come the shaadi wala season and it’s suddenly all about who-wore-what. It takes us less than a few seconds to find out who Deepika’s Diwali inspiration was – or what Sonam Kapoor wore to a friend’s wedding. Brands and designers completely get us too – they update their profiles on a daily basis for our viewing pleasure.
Let’s admit it: social media has now become a big trend setter for all things related to weddings. And in order to be an influencer, you need to have the right team. “After all, it’s your relationship’s biggest day and you want to share it with the world,” says Samriddhi.
The virtual world?
Maybe.
But the feelings and moments are real.
And all the three couples I interviewed were honest enough to admit they care. “I will be lying if I say that it doesn’t feel great when people say nice things about my pictures. It’s not about validation but more about sharing my happiness,” explains Richa Singh.
Wedding Photographers: The Next Generation
Enter the new generation of wedding photographers and videographers. They are not how your parents recall them – old schoolers hired from a local photography studio who insist you pose like a Bollywood star you never even liked. No, these guys are your generation; probably have a degree, an edit room and a horde of lenses they love almost as much as their wives.
A frontrunner in the shaadi team, wedding photographers take it upon themselves to ensure your wedding ends up going viral on your timeline. “With the world becoming a small place, couples want the best day in their life to be accessible and shared on the internet,” says Arjun Kartha, an independent wedding photographer.
More importantly, they are as passionate about their work as the couples.
How Photographers Get to Know the Couple
If you needed any indication of how much times have changed, you need only look at the way couples pose today. Gone are the days of the bride and groom-to-be posing nervously in front of a bunch of trees. Today’s wedding photography is all about emoting the look and feel.
For a change, the bride and groom to-be are involved in making decisions too. “We started looking out for a photographer the week our wedding was finalised,” admit Vineeth Padiyath (27) and Aswani Yatheendran (27), who got married earlier this year.
Right from the first point of contact to a meeting, “we try to get to know the couple and as many details about the functions as we can to understand their expectations from the videography,” says Vishal Punjabi of The Wedding Filmers whose videos are viral on YouTube.
In fact, photographers spend generous amounts of time in figuring out the couple’s equation to capture it at its best.
While Mansi Godinho from Memoreels Concept Videography recalls shopping with the groom’s family to help him look his best, Tanushree Bhasin from Camera Waale Baraati feels it’s essential “to have a rapport with the couple when you will be spending a few days with them.”
This is part one of a two-part feature on the new age of wedding photography. While the first part dealt with the trends on social media and the rapport wedding photographers must create with the couple, the second part deals with what a couple looks for. The details of costs, customisation, wedding photo trends and lots more are covered in the second part – so watch this space for more.
(Manavi Siddhanti is a beauty and lifestyle blogger and runs a blog, beforbeauty.com. You can contact her on manavi@beforbeauty.com.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)