Story of the first photo

Every wedding has that one photo.

The one that flashes in my mind the moment I think of the couple.
With Pratyush & Ujwala, there are many moments I’ll never forget—but this one stands tallest.

They were both fully ready, glowing in their own way, and we wanted to take a few portraits before the ceremony. But there was a catch: according to the ritual, they weren’t supposed to see each other until they were officially married.
We tried every possible way to convince them, but it was a firm no.

So—this became the only couple portrait we shot before the wedding.

We opened the door to Ujwala’s room. Pratyush stood on one side, she stood on the other. No ideas, no plans—I just let them stand.

And in less than two seconds, without looking at each other, they reached out and shook hands.
A quick “all the best!”
A little laugh.
And just like that—they were getting married.

I couldn’t have imagined or planned that. It just happened—because that’s how they are.

They don’t try too hard to impress or perform. They just show up—exactly as they are.
Unaffected. Unfiltered. Undeniably themselves.
They live fully, dream individually, and still find a way to walk hand-in-hand through it all.

Maybe that’s what love looks like for them:
Staying true to who you are, while still making space for each other to grow, wildly and freely.