This is Rinku Shah on a day of immense celebration and simultaneous tragedy. Today is the day before she’s getting married but it’s also a difficult moment because her father passed away not long ago. The photo she’s holding is one I took from a previous get-together that she insists is the greatest picture of her father ever taken, what an honor.

Rinku’s mom, her name is Kusum. The responsibility on this woman’s shoulders is immense as the planning of festivities and hosting the many family members and friends at a Hindu wedding should not be underestimated.

Rinku asked me months ago that I should be her wedding photographer, I tried to talk her out of it as I’m not a photographer of people but of landscapes. She persisted and I obviously relented. I’ve never been so nervous photographing anything before.

I think I was fortunate in getting at least a few images that I’d be proud to have with me into the future that helped define the day, these are a few of the photos I stumbled into the day before the official ceremony.

Rinku’s soon-to-be husband, Yagnesh Rajnikant Damania.

Over the two days I shot more than 2,500 photos that included variations of the couple, family, and combinations of everyone and delivered the best 888 that I took, they wanted them all.