Dimple and Chris' Colorado Hindu wedding adventure starts out at the Lakewood Heritage Center for the Mehndi. A really neat event with dancing, henna art for your guests, and of course, some delicious food. They did a Dandiya Raas Dance. Men and women dance in pairs with sticks facing each other. They move clockwise and everyone steps forward and hits the sticks, and then moves down. The dance is continuous and circular. The music starts slowly and continues to gain tempo as it goes. It looks like it was a fun and was very colorful. This evening was so much fun getting to know everyones families, the food, and managing to get some sunset photos with Dimple and Chris as the day ended.
They opted not to have a Sangeet. The Sangeet is a traditional reception party where you have dinner and your guests perform choreographed dances for the couple.
The next day was the wedding day and by wedding, I mean they had two! In the morning we had the Hindu/Jain wedding ceremony at Baldoria on the Water followed by a western ceremony in the afternoon. This makes for a pretty long day. The Hindu ceremony is 2 hours of non stop action. Their western ceremony was like 15 minutes. A very stark contrast to witness back to back.
In Dimple's words, "We wanted to honor both of our cultures and traditions and wanted to try to blend the two (even though it was a lot of work!!)."
Chris began with his baraat in the parking lot riding in on a white horse with a Dhol drummer. People were dancing, sweating it out, and spinning each other around. It was really fun to see. While this was going on Dimple and her family were getting ready while her mother waited for Chris to enter the ceremony site. She blessed him, Chris stepped on a samput, a symbol of overcoming obstacles during his married life, and then she grabbed his nose which is like saying "he has to listen and do anything she says from then on throughout his entire life" and everyone had a huge laugh.
After the Hindu ceremony we had an outfit change and a first look out on the lawn of the Baldoria before the western ceremony. They both looked so great and it was really fun to see the depth of the day. Yeah, it seemed kinda silly to have two ceremonies but I thought it really great just blending the two traditions and cultures. It had more intention that this is the person I want to be with. When you do it twice and different ways, you really mean it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plus side for me was twice the amount of portraits! Which is always my favorite time.
Here is a little more info about their wedding venue Baldoria on the Water. Baldoria on the Water opened in 2013 and quickly became one of the more distinctive wedding and event venues in the Denver metro area. Located in Lakewood just west of Denver, the venue was designed with a romantic European and Tuscan-inspired aesthetic, featuring waterfront ceremony space, stone archways, gardens, and elegant indoor ballrooms that feel far removed from a typical city venue. Its lakeside setting and indoor-outdoor flow helped it stand out among industrial and urban-style venues that dominate much of the Denver wedding market.
Today, Baldoria hosts a wide range of weddings and events including large traditional weddings, multicultural celebrations, quinceañeras, nonprofit galas, corporate events, fundraisers, and private parties. The venue offers customizable packages, in-house catering, full bar service, coordination support, large bridal suites, expansive patios, and built-in AV capabilities, making it especially attractive for couples and organizations wanting a more full-service experience.
What Baldoria excels at most compared to many other Denver-area venues is creating upscale, high-capacity celebrations that still feel romantic and immersive rather than industrial or warehouse-like. While venues such as SKYLIGHT and Moss Denver lean into modern urban aesthetics, Baldoria is particularly well-suited for elegant black-tie weddings, cultural celebrations, and large guest-count events where couples want dramatic architecture, outdoor ceremony options, and a more destination-style atmosphere close to the city.
I am available for all of Colorado and destinationweddings and engagements. I love to wander.
Colorado Wedding Photographer | Baldoria on the Water Wedding
Summer | Lakewood, Colorado | Wedding
