One reason we absolutely adore J. Cogliandro – his photographs are always so vibrant, so lively, and so beautiful, you almost forget that they are just images. You feel like you are there, experiencing it all with the bride and groom. That is why we have dubbed today a Joe Cogliandro day on the LBB Blog. (Cue excitement!) First up, we have an Indian wedding extraordinaire in the great state of Texas. You may remember this gorgeous couple from their engagement shoot, which we featured last February. If you think back to what I just said about Joe’s vibrant photography, you’ll see that this fête is the perfect match for his style – bright colors, happy faces, and pure emotion flow through this wedding. Check out our gallery for more of this affair, and then come back this afternoon – we’ve got more J. Cogliandro Photography!
Get your J. Cogliandro on in the gallery while you wait for more!
From the groom … I proposed on a mundane Wednesday when I knew no one would be expecting it. Aarti thought I was still at work but I had decorated her place with candles and pictures of us over the last eight years. When she walked in I was already down on one knee. Of course, she thought I was a robber! After I convinced her to come inside I asked her to marry me and she said yes. We sat down and had some champagne. She was completely shocked and confused. “Why today? What’s going on? I have to work tomorrow!” Little did she know, I had arranged the next few days off for her, as well as a dinner and night out on the town.
From the bride … Planning for an Indian Wedding is not easy! Multiple events, large guest counts, lots of traditions, and as we found out – lots of opinions! After many, lets call them “spirited”, debates we finally made it happen. People would tell me not to stress about picking a wedding venue. They would say when you saw the right place you would just know. That is exactly how I felt about Lakeway Resort and Villa del Lago. I knew the minute we saw both of these places that this is where I wanted to get married.
Purav and I wanted to keep our wedding simple and elegant while still incorporating our Indian heritage in a modern way. On Friday evening we had our Sangeet. This is a very festive, traditional event full with color and energy. To emphasize this we used a very vibrant swatch of colors and textures for the linens and bathed the ceiling in colorful saris and inverted parasols. This was the perfect casual night before the big day!
The wedding was perfect. I constantly stressed about the weather – it was supposed to rain. I had been so anxious for so long. But on the day, everything was different. I had pictured my wedding day and I always thought that I would be full of emotion and nerves as I walked down the aisle. But as we were driving to the ceremony site, I was the calmest I have ever been. I remember looking around just thinking that everything felt so right. I was trying to let the moment soak in – this was the day I was getting married!
Our photographer, Joe, captured the wedding perfectly. I felt like I was reliving the excitement when I saw our pictures. We had so much fun celebrating with all our friends and family. I smile just thinking about it! It was the perfect ending to the most amazing weekend of my life.
Photography: J. Cogliandro Photography / Cinematography: A n A Video Productions / Floral: Amy Bodle of Merveille Events, LLC / Event Design & Planning: Gina Whittington of CLINK / Event Design, Sangeet: Saman Ansari – Saffron Affairs / Location: Lakeway Resort and Spa / Ceremony Location: Villa Del Lago / Catering: Claypit Restaurant and Catering / Stationery: Jayesh Shah / Hair and Makeup: Saman Ansari of Studio Sila / Sangeet and Reception Dress: Shehnaai Couture / Wedding Dress: Maharani Fashions, NJ / Cake: Austin Cake Balls / Live Cigar Roller: Bobalou Cigar Co.