The Pre-Wedding Shoot: Rima & Tushar

For those of you who don't know, Wedding Sutra is one of India's most recognized bridal media website & brands, that hosted a contest for couples who were going to get married. The contest winners, Rima & Tushar, were given the opportunity to do their pre-wedding shoot in Dubai, and I was privileged to be bringing this concept to life. Not only that, but I was immediately taken aback by the couple - the way they display their love for each other in the most natural of ways and the chemistry they share were essential ingredients for an organic shoot.

When I got approached, I was briefed with certain themes they wanted to go for and the feel they were looking for throughout the whole shoot- mainly natural yet dreamy, romantic with a touch of vintage. Based on this mood board, I was able to determine the hair and makeup to bring the whole shoot together. Having discussed this with my hairstylist, we managed to work together and highlight the bride-to-be's style which was quite classy.

The makeup and hair took place at Shangri-la Hotel Dubai, in their private suite overlooking Dubai's prettiest highway, Sheikh Zayed Road. Once having seen her outfits, I decided to go for a classic timeless look that would be easy to pair with her all her gowns but since we had two makeup and hair changes, I decided to build up the look gradually.

The first set of photos were going to be shot at sea on a luxurious yacht. I really wanted to bring out the glamour 1920s "Gatsby" look, so I opted for her to wear a beautiful golden gown. To really get the "vintage" to come through, I put more of the emphasis on her hair rather than the makeup. I stuck to vintage winged liner, soft pearl eyes and red lips for this look because the gold was overpowering, so I had to balance the feel of the entire look so that she doesn't look overdone. The bride and I both agreed that her hair should be tied up in a messy bun to avoid any messiness during the photoshoot aboard the yacht, as well as to expose the neckline of the gown. We added some extra detail to her hair with some braids from the front so the photos in order to capture the character of her dreamy vintage look.

For the second and third looks, we went for an open hairdo as the shoot was going to be a mix of indoor and outdoor settings, so we had more flexibility and could afford to make her hair look a little different from the yacht shoot. For these looks, the back hair were all retro waves along with a lifted vintage front roll to shape her face so that we could design the look according to the true definition of 'vintage'. The front hairstyling was key, as I wanted the hairstylist to style her face differently and help her go out of her comfort zone since this kind of themed pre-wedding shoot happens only once in a lifetime! I also wanted to go heavier on the makeup, as she was wearing one gown that was metallic grey and the other that was red. Both had a very classy and royal feel, so I built up on the eye makeup to create a smokey effect with metallic sheens, and paired it with a nude lip and some extra contouring to glam up her look.

Combining the right backdrops. attire and makeup, and tying it all together seamlessly was key to capturing the vintage glamour the couple was striving for, and with the positive support of everyone involved, we were able to bring it all to life. The best part of working with these two, is that they were so easy going and so natural that they made the pictures look even better with their au-naturale kind of chemistry and love for each other. I'm really glad that we were able to capture these moments for them, and hope they cherish these photos every now and then, and sail through a lifetime of happiness together. #couplegoals