Food for thought: “Dont let anyone tell you how slim or fat you should be. And long as you two are in love, nothing else should matter,” is the couple’s mantra behind this food-themed pre-wedding shoot. (Source: Picsurely)A wedding is a special event and we all look for unique ways to make it a memorable affair. From unique themes to stunning clothes and picturesque destinations — organising a wedding can be a mammoth task. And making all this worth it are the beautiful photos that one treasures for life. But often in this joyous affair, to make sure the photos – you know, the ones that would last a lifetime – look great, the bride and groom both start a rigorous workout session to get in shape for the big day. And ask anyone who has been through it – it’s quite stressful.
So, after a week of trying to stay away from all the carbs, oily food – food lovers Harinder Singh Pelia and Ritika Mehta decided it was enough! Ditching the plan to get fit before the D-day they celebrated their love for food with a memorable pre-wedding shoot. Yes, no fancy locations or props, the Delhi-based couple revisited most of the eateries and shops, where they had once gone out on dates or enjoyed a special and memorable meal. They say, they have several anecdotes over food and, hence, the concept seemed just right.
Explaining how they came up with this theme, groom Pelia told indianexpress.com in an email interview, “Like every other couple, the girl wanted to have conventional pre-wedding in pretty gowns and the guy was trying to avoid it like the plague. I work as a brand manager, so creativity is the centre-piece of my work. I wanted to do something fun, creative and which brings out the romance between us without making it a cringe-fest for the viewer.”
His fiancée was thrilled by the idea and they both were excited to happily enjoy all those sumptuous and tasty food that brought them together in the first place. “Food has always been pivotal in our relationship. So it was as real as it gets. Lots of people pretend to be someone else in their wedding pictures. We didn’t want to pretend and hence went ahead with this, ” the 27-year-old groom added.
The couple who is all set to tie a knot on November 4, this year in Kota, bride Mehta’s hometown, said they had their share of fitness advice from everyone and even tried eating salads for a week!
And this photoshoot was not just for them. With this theme, the duo wants to bring a change in other would-be brides’ and grooms’ minds too, who – in their view – should care less about body-shamers. “It’s easy to body shame people and make them starve to fit into some lehenga/sherwani which is going to sit in the cupboard for the rest of our lives. But we wanted to just do what we love, make ourselves happy, share the love with people and make them smile too,” said Pelia.
“We also wanted to make a larger point that couple shouldn’t miss out on the fun they have, in the midst of the madness of Indian weddings. Remember what got you together and have a blast during the run-up to the most important day of your lives,” he highlighted.
Talking about the bride, who happens to be his college sweetheart, he said, “In many ways, Ritika wanted brides to know that no girl should be told to go easy on the fries. The bride should have what she wants, with the man she loves, in the most special phase of her life.”
The couple’s pre-wedding photos, shot by Picsurely, have created a huge buzz on Facebook and it seems their mantra has got a green signal from Netizens. Talking to indianexpress, Regan from Picsurely, said: “When most couples want a picture perfect shoot, these two wanted something which shows their real character. Harinder and Ritika are a big foodie. So they came up with an idea to do a shoot with their love for food and the connection they share with each other when they are themselves.”
Although the company has done many pre-wedding shoots before and food was part of them, this is the first time they did a full food-themed shoot. Sharing the overall experience, the team member said, “We always try to capture the mood of the couple in all the shoots that we do. Whatever the theme we select, we try to deep dive into the character of the couple and try to show it in the photos.”
Sharing that ever since they started dating since 2008, pizza is the key element to call ‘truce’ after a fight. They urge other would-be bride and grooms to go with what makes them happy with a note: “Weddings can be stressful, don’t miss out on having fun during your wedding month. And yes, don’t miss out on fighting over the last slice of pizza!”
