Central Oregon Hindu Jewish Wedding Photography: How Two Faiths Came Together at Sunriver Resort

A Ceremony Two Faiths Built Together

The ceremony took place on Bachelor Lawn, and the weather was unbelievable. Just the day before it had been stormy, cold, and windy. The morning of the wedding delivered warm sunshine, crystal clear skies, and no wind at all. Someone in that family knows how to pray for good weather.

Rabbi Mirel and Khushbu, the Hindu priestess, co-officiated together. Watching two people from different religious traditions share a stage and honor both faiths for a single couple is something I won't forget. The ceremony held Hindu rituals like the Ganesh Puja, the mangal pheras, and the sindoor moment, along with Jewish ones like the seven blessings, the Ketubah reading, and the breaking of the glass. When the glass broke and the whole crowd shouted "Mazel tov," Rabbi Mirel pronounced Sarika and Ben the Mayas, the new shared last name they chose together for the life ahead of them.

There's also a playful Indian tradition called Joota Chupai, where the bride's female relatives steal the groom's shoes when he removes them to enter the mandap and demand a ransom for their return. Because Ben is Jewish and the breaking of the glass required his feet at the end of the ceremony, the game was short-lived, but a designated negotiator still came up, worked out a price, and returned the shoes with the customary bit of theater. I loved it! :)

The mandap that Sarika's father built by hand doubled as their huppah for the day, one structure carrying two traditions, built by a father for his daughter. Wild Poppy's floral installation on it was jaw-dropping, and the whole ceremony space was one of the most stunning I've ever photographed a wedding in.