Mehandi designs captured using Canon 24 to 105 mm f 4 L IS lens

From mehandi

My first Mehandi shoot. For those of u who dunno what it means, here is what wiki says " Weddings in the India can often be long ritualistic and elaborate affairs with many pre-wedding, wedding and post wedding ceremonies. The occasion of Mehndi ceremony is often one of the most important pre-wedding rituals especially for the bride. It is a fun filled ritual, which is celebrated mainly by the bride's family. Different regions of the country celebrate the ritual in a different way according to their own marriage customs, rituals, and culture. Mehndi ceremonies take place outside the India amongst the Indian community and places like Birmingham in the UK are such known hotspots for lavish Mehndi celebrations.

The ceremony is mainly held at the bride's house or at a banquet hall on the eve of the marriage ceremony or few days before the marriage. Generally the bride and groom attend the event together and on the occasion a professional henna artist or a relative applies mehndi to the bride's hands and feet the designs are very intricate. Often hidden within the mehndi pattern the name or initials of the groom are applied. The event generally has a celebratory festival feel to it with the women dancing and singing traditional songs and the girls wearing vivid colours such as hot pink and yellow, often if the bride to be wishes to tease her future groom she will make him wear purple."

Now that we know what it means now, here are some moments i captured at my friends Mehandi ceremony

gear used Canon 60D + EF 24 to 105 mm f 4 L IS USM glass + Canon Speedlite 580EX II

and to get better results i bounced the flash of the ceiling.

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi

From mehandi