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Two Cultures, one Love
Photography by Alfredo Peral

This wedding was shot by our associated photographer Alfredo, assisted by Marco, in one of the most exquisite venues of the Riviera Maya, Banyan Tree. A small but sophisticated celebration, simple but elegant as Nimira and Chike described it on our pre-wedding meeting.

The wedding of Nimira and Chike beyond being the union of two individuals and an encounter of two families, is a union of two different cultures. Chike, with Nigerian roots and a catholic cultural background who’s mother and sisters gave a colourful touch to the wedding with traditional african clothing and Nimira with Indian roots and a muslim background who had the traditional henna paint done on the palms of her hands during the ‘Night of Henna’.
The use of henna or mehndi is an old Vedic custom, as a symbolic representation of the outer and the inner sun and epitomizes the transformation of the bride as a virgin girl into the temptress for her husband. It is applied to the palm of the hands because the skin contains less pigment and the design will be clearer, as the deep red colour symbolizes the deep love between husband and wife. Often hidden within the mehndi pattern the name or initials of the groom are applied on the brides right hand and the groom has to recognize them before he is allowed to sleep on his wedding night as proof of his sharp eyes and active brain. Superstitions beliefs are that the longer a bride retains the mehndi the more auspicious her future will be and the more the husband and in-laws will love her.