Indian Engagement Ceremony Conshohocken PA | Haley & Jim
Haley and Jim’s Indian engagement ceremony took place in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania — and Haley came in with a clear vision. She wanted the joy in the room documented. Not the posed version of it, but the real kind — the kind that shows up during a Baraat, during a tilak ceremony, during choreographed performances when families who have been rehearsing for weeks finally get to do it in front of everyone. That’s what she asked for. That’s what the evening gave us.
For Haley, incorporating Indian traditions into their wedding celebrations was meaningful. It was about bringing two families together around something that mattered — and giving those families room to be fully present in it. The candid moments were the point. The emotion and excitement were the point. Everything else was just the setting.
Portraits
We started with portraits before the evening’s celebrations began. No first look — just the two of them, together, before the room filled up and the night took over. That window before an event like this has a particular quality. The energy is building but hasn’t arrived yet. Haley and Jim were relaxed in it. Because of that, the portrait frames from that part of the evening have a quietness that contrasts well with everything that came after.
The Mehndi station was already running during this time — Henna by Sushma working through guests as they arrived, intricate patterns taking shape on hands and arms. Some of the most specific photographs from the evening came from that corner of the room. Small moments, conversations, the kind of documentation that holds up long after the night is over.
The Baraat
The Baraat opened the formal celebrations and set the tone for everything that followed. Jim arrived surrounded by family and friends — music, movement, the particular energy of a groom’s procession that doesn’t require any direction. You follow it, stay out of the way, and document what’s already happening. Because Haley had specifically asked for candid moments during the Baraat, I was already positioned for the reactions as much as the procession itself.
The families came together in that moment in a way that only a Baraat can produce. Moreover, the joy Haley had described was immediately visible — in the faces of the guests, in the dancing, in the way the room absorbed the procession and gave it right back.
The Baraat
The Baraat opened the formal celebrations and set the tone for everything that followed. Jim arrived surrounded by family and friends — music, movement, the particular energy of a groom’s procession that doesn’t require any direction. You follow it, stay out of the way, and document what’s already happening. Because Haley had specifically asked for candid moments during the Baraat, I was already positioned for the reactions as much as the procession itself.
The families came together in that moment in a way that only a Baraat can produce. Moreover, the joy Haley had described was immediately visible — in the faces of the guests, in the dancing, in the way the room absorbed the procession and gave it right back.
Performances and dancing
The choreographed performances were exactly what Haley had hoped for. Families who had been rehearsing came out and delivered — and the room responded. There’s a particular energy to a performance at a South Asian celebration that a DJ set alone can’t produce. The dancing started with the performers and spread outward from there.
DJ Ravi Jackson kept everything moving between performances, his sets tailored specifically to Haley and Jim. The whole evening had a cohesion that comes from good planning and two families who were genuinely ready to celebrate together. That joy Haley wanted documented — it was in every photograph, from the Baraat through the last performance of the night.
Vendor Appreciation
Henna: Henna by Sushma
DJ/Lighting – DJ Ravi Jackson
Planning a South Asian engagement ceremony in Pennsylvania?
Maria A. Garth Photography documents South Asian engagement ceremonies, Mehndi nights, and multicultural celebrations across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and the DMV — guided, not posed, and present for the joy in the room.
Inquiries for 2026–2027 are open. Reach out here to start the conversation.
For more blogs check out:
