Nudrat Owens Photography | Sacramento Bay Area Premier Wedding and Portrait Photographer

Sacramento Wedding Photography: Avie + Vini Wedding Reception

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:25:57 +0000

Avie and Vini ended their 3 day long wedding festivities with a super fun wedding reception. Vini was dressed with crystal from top to bottom; every spec of her outfit had shiny crystals all over. The gorgeous couple graced the evening by walking in to the reception hall with a classic Indian movie song that I actually grew up listening to many many times. Fond memories rushed back to me right away!

Avie and Vini – I couldn’t be anuy happier for you. You two are incredible and I wish you a world of happiness ahead…

Many THANKS to Stacey Marsh, my new photographer friend, who help me photograph this wedding. Also to my husband for coming down to help me at the reception…I definitely needed that help

Sacramento Wedding Photography: Vini + Avie

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:33:22 +0000

Avie and Vini had a beautiful wedding at the West Sacramento Sikh Temple (Gurudwara). It was a fine winter morning, felt more like late fall. After the ceremony and traditional rituals were over, we found the coolest spot to take some photos of the newlyweds. Fall colored Willow tree, yellow leaves on the ground and the gorgeous couple, that’s everything we needed to produce some gorgeous images.

Avie and Vini are two incredibly nice people. For me, it was friendship at first sight! They are a perfect match made in heaven. There was no doubt that these two bring extreme joy to each others lives. My photographer friend Stacey and I had super fun time photographing this special day for this couple.

Gorgeous Indian Bride Vini: Roseville Wedding Photographer

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:51:06 +0000

Contemporary elegance, sophistication, beauty with a great taste, down to earth are just a few words to describe Vini. And her bridal look perfectly represented her style. I was honored to photograph Avie and Vini’s wedding last December. These are just a few from Vini’s early morning pre-ceremony getting ready session. Isn’t she gorgeous?

Highlights: 2011

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:26:49 +0000

This is beyond my belief that the year is over! Just a couple more hours to go, and we will step on to the new year of 2012. 2011 was eventful for me, in SO many ways. I have photographed only 7 weddings (the number I targetted) and numerous portrait sessions this year. I had the opportunity to meet so many incredibly nice people through this channel. I am extremely thankful for the kindness and love I have received. This experience continues to give me more than I ever imagined.

My website got a new look this year (by the amazing designers at Flosites), along with a new name and branding for my business. I have been introduced into the South Asian wedding community in the Sacramento area (and beyond). This is something new for me, I have to say, I am thoroughly enjoying the cultural wedding flavors. I don’t know what awaits in 2012. I can only continue to improve my work, do better as I grow and be humbled by all the kindness I receive every day.

Here are some highlights of 2011. It was hard to put together just the favorites, ’cause the favorites only don’t complete my story. And the story I want to share involves many faces and hearts that made my 2011 so beautiful.

Here’s to a prosperous 2012.

Happy New Year!

Gorgeous couples in love…

Some of the Indian wedding highlights…

Beautiful faces of 2011…

Old Folsom Engagement : Vini + Avie

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:18:48 +0000

Meet Avie and Vini…an amazingly co0l couple who I had the pleasure of meeting last summer. It was a quick meeting before Vini headed back to Vancouver, we just talked about their wedding and their vision for photography. My second meeting with them was on their engagement session..just a couple days before their big day! It felt like we have been friends forever, was just picking up the pieces from where we left off.

We picked Old Folsom for their engagement session. The surrondings of Sutter street, the rainbow bridge. the cool vintage setting was just perfect for their personality. I had a great time knowing more about this down-to-earth couple. And I realized how FUN the next two days were going to be. Here’s just a few from their engagement session before their big wedding post show up. Enjoy the beauty…

Indian Wedding Reception: Raji + Rishi

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:58:58 +0000

Raji and Rishi had a Bollywood style reception at the Orchard Creek Lodge in Lincoln, CA. It was a completely different feel than the rest of the events. The couple celebrated the reception in style. Terrific music, mouth-watering food and incredible dance moves kept the night going until midnight. The couple had a lot of friends and families travelling from all over the world for this wedding. I realized how loved they both were by their relatives.

The night ended with a few tears (of joy) but the couple were left with lots of love and blessings by their families. My friend Chris and I got the final shots and called it a night. We were both so satisfyingly exhausted. The experience of this wedding cannot be put into words. I am so, so glad that I had this opportunity. I got to know Rishi and Raji pretty well over the course of photographing their wedding festivities. I came to know the families, their traditions, cultures, stories…and fell in love with the whole idea of photographing cultural weddings all over again. I have enjoyed these few days with the couple and I wished, like always, that the part of saying “good-bye” didn’t come so quickly.

Rishi and Raji – I wish you two a lifetime of happiness. It was a joy being a part of your memories. Have a fabulous life…XX

Traditional Sikh Wedding : Raji + Rishi

admin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:47:16 +0000

It was an incredible experience photographing Rishi and Raji’s traditional wedding ceremony at the Yuba City Gurudwara. The vibrant tradition was emotional all the way, especially the moment when the father gave away his daugter. Everybody broke into tears. Brothers accompanied the newly weds to the groom’s house. Bride entering her new home is another significant ritual performed at Rishi’s house. Later in the afternoon we literally took 10 minutes to capture some amazing shots of Rishi and Raji. Tall brown grass and live oak trees crated a marvelous background for the pictures.

Many thanks to My friend Chris Stewert for second shooting with me on this wedding.

Bridal Moments: Rishi + Raji’s Wedding Part 1

admin — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:22:06 +0000

She has the perfect smile. I can’t describe the look in her eyes. And as a bride, she was absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous! A few weeks ago I photographed a beautiful wedding of a beautiful couple, Raji and Rishi. I captured Raji’s pre-wedding bridal moments at her house that I couldn’t help but making a post of it’s own. Raji chose a traditional bridal look, un-overly done and simply elegant all the way. The combination of red and gold jewel tones was just perfect.

Don’t forget to check out Rishi and Raji’s wedding story in the upcoming posts…

Raji’s Punjabi Jaggo Event in Yuba City

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:58:36 +0000

This has to be one of the highlights of 2011 for me! For years, in movies and online, I have watched and read about Punjabi weddings that I could possibly only dream of attending some day. My wish had come true this year. Raji and Rishi had a traditional Punjabi (Sikh) wedding and a North Indian reception in Live Oak-Yuba City-Roseville-Rocklin area. The events spread over two full days. First night was Rishi’s Mehendi ceremony at his residence and Raji’s Haldi + Churra + Jaggo ceremony at her parent’s house and then at the Five River Restaurant in Yuba City. I had a blast covering Raji’s Haldi and Jaggo ceremony.

Haldi ceremony is a traditional pre-wedding event where mainly participated by the ladies in the family. It’s like blessing the bride before the big event. The bride sits under a beautiful piece of fabric that the families hold above her head. Then they all come one at a time and bless the bride by rubbing termeric paste and feeding sweets.

Raji already had her bridal mehendi done the day before. Take a look at the gorgeous henna/mehendi design on her hands.

Later at the Jaggo night, uncles of the bride put Churra (bridal bangles) on Raji’s hands and the aunts and cousins danced traditional Punjabi wedding dance in circles. Vibrant colors and Punjabi music kept the night alive for a while before they all had to leave to start getting ready for the big event next.

Here are some highlights of the Jaggo night.

Baker Beach Family Session : The McDermott Family

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:22:24 +0000

This year we met Rayna, David and Morgan at the Baker beach for their annual family session. How can we go wrong with the amazingly clear and sunny day in San Francisco! The view of the Golden Gate bridge made the perfect backdrop. Rayna and David’s little Morgan surprised me this year. We were friends right away! She smiled big this time and she was clearly having fun at the beach. I love the tress at the Baker beach. We walked in to the woods, played with pine cones and got some great shots of the family.

I can’t wait to see what Morgan will be like next year. It is one of my greatest pleasures to watch the families grow while I capture the moments of their lives. I’m sure it will be a new experience next year as Morgan grows and explores a new phase in life.