Lucy's Buzz : Kiss the Bride!

I’m really late with Lucy’s Buzz today! It was a busy day yesterday and today is going that way, too.

Yesterday started out with a Family Beach Shoot and ended late night with an Engagement Shoot.

The beach shoot was brilliant even though it began at my most un-favorite time of day – 10AM. The light’s too bright and the temperature is too hot for everyone concerned. Especially me, who wilts at anything above 22C (72F). Don’t ask why I’ve settled in the tropics.

Mother and daughters race!

Family portrait on the beach.

The engagement of the young Muslim couple turned out to be an elegant affair with tall flower arrangements on each table, a gorgeous ‘throne’ (a stage where the bride awaits the groom), and two long tables piled high with amazingly giant baskets of fruit, candies, nuts, even an ice carved tub of ice cream delights. The smell was awesome, I wanted to dig in – or at least stash some of the goodies away in my camera bag! Each family brought these gifts for the other. Although extremely generous, neither seemed to try and outdo the other.

The bride came in to the full room of guests – women only – and sat shyly, eyes cast down, upon the throne. After tons of photos taken by youngsters with their own phones (iPhones yet!) and women with their camera phones, plus my photos and my female photographer’s (Lakna Paranamanna) shots, the groom came in to join her.

More photos of course, and then an auntie of the groom shouted out, ‘Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!’ The crowd, which now included both men and women, laughed in shock. It’s practically taboo for any couple to kiss in public! Especially a Muslim couple who celebrates their engagement in a segregated function with the women in one room and the men in another.

‘Kiss her! Kiss her! the auntie continued, jumping up from her chair to push the couple together. The horrified groom shook his head and tried to quiet the auntie. ‘Kiss her’, she shouted again. ‘Hold her hand! Touch foreheads!’

I got shots of the embarrassed groom, and the laughing bride. And the shouting auntie!

Unfortunately I can’t post them as it’s against Muslim custom to show the bride’s head uncovered, with her hair down. I can share some shots of the gift tables and details shots to give you an idea of how beautiful the engagement was. You’ll just have to take my word on the funny old auntie!