Archive for the 'engagement' Category

New Year’s Eve Proposal
- January 1, 2009 -

Congrats to my good friends Sijin and Jaimy for getting engaged!  A little tease with more to come:

…oh, and here’s the beauty that is the Chicago skyline at night on New Year’s Eve that I grabbed waiting for the happy couple to arrive.

Happy New Year, everyone! Make this year BALLER!

Nate Mathai Photography | 2008
- December 25, 2008 -

I’m a bit of a people watcher. I find myself in an area, watching the subtleties of the interactions between people. What I see is not simply the kiss between the couple, but the shy smile and glance she gives him immediately afterward. It’s not the laughter of a child being thrown in the air by her father, but the look of anticipation right before she is lifted up. It’s these moments before and after ‘the moment’ that get my attention, and play a huge role in the story that I tell through my work.

Throughout the past year, I’ve had the honor and privilege of being asked to participate and document the important moments in the lives of many. Here’s a recap of 2008 (I also have done a handful of family sessions and events, but I wanted to keep these images more…couple-y… ;)).

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[04.26.08] Deb+Cabin for Nakai Photography

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[05.31.08] Dawn+Richard for Nakai Photography

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[06.07.08] Namratha+Lenie

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[06.07.08] Dianna+Joe

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[06.20.08] Nisha+Joel

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[06.28.08] Soumy+Jiju

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[07.05.08] Linu+Sunil

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[07.12.08] Linzy+Christiaan

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[08.23.08] Sherry+Phuc for Nakai Photography

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[08.24.08] Sudha+Stinson

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[08.30.08] Liza+Shibu

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[09.13.08] Carolyn+Chris for Nakai Photography

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[10.04.08] Susan+Jason

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[10.11.08] Julie+Mark

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[11.29.08] Michelle+Suresh

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Once again, a big thank you to all of my clients (or as I like to call them, friends) for allowing me to have the greatest job ever. You all make it so easy for me!

2009 is right around the corner, and I’m looking forward to some awesome things to come. If you are interested in learning more about my services or availability, head over to the contact section and drop me a line! I’m looking forward to connect with all of you a bit more in the years to come.

Michelle and Suresh :: engagement
- December 11, 2008 -

Like many in the Indian community, Suresh and Michelle had a formal engagement ceremony to announce their plans for marriage.  I do enjoy the concept of it because it’s a verbal declaration of two families (not just two individuals) of their decision to move forward.  It’s awesome to have agreement from both parents and friends as you move forward in such an important step in your life.

We started with Michelle getting ready…

I love Indian events because the colors are awesome!  All the details were beautiful for the day…

Before heading to the hall, the family had a short prayer session…

For centerpieces at Venuti’s Banquets in Addison, Ilinois, Suresh and Michelle placed goldfish and fish food at every table for the guests to take with them- how awesome is that!?

Both of the fathers said a few words before announcing the date for the wedding next spring…

Their friend also gave a short message…

The MCs played a little game of “Who is more…” that got quite a bit of laughs.  Did you know Suresh takes longer to get ready, while Michelle is better at football?  The things we learn

Afterward, the MCs also did a short re-enactment of how Suresh proposed - I love when people do this!

A few of their close friends also performed a dance for them…

Michelle and Suresh, I had a great time working with you guys!  I’m looking forward to th e-session and wedding in May!

Liza and Shibu :: engaged
- September 17, 2008 -

Liza and Shibu will be having their wedding in India next year, and they wanted to be able to celebrate with their family and friends here in the US with a formal engagement ceremony.  Normally (in our community) these things would host anywhere from 75-150 people or so…not these guys!  My estimation would be 300+ joining them to celebrate at India House in Schaumburg, IL.  Although there is something special in the small, intimate events, I do love seeing so many people come together to celebrate the lives of two people progressing in unity.

One thing most people know of Indian events is there is plenty of color everywhere!

After the formal announcements by the fathers comes the handshake…or hug!

In addition to the formalities, Shibu and Liza had some special events planned - they had a few songs by their close family and friends and also a skit put on by Liza’s church friends.

The skit was a reenactment of how Liza and Shibu met…pretty hilarious!

Liza closed it all off with a special song dedicated to her fiance.  How special is that?

Shibu and Liza, thanks for allowing me to document another step in your lives.  I wish you guys all the best as you plan and prepare for your upcoming wedding and married life!

[09.02.08] Monday Night Recap
- September 2, 2008 -

• [Ummm...] Yes, I know it’s Tuesday.  Yes, I know its Tuesday night.  I’ve been near perfect (if not perfect) about getting these up on Mondays since I started last year.  Oh well…better late than never, right?
• [Photo Challenge] August is over, so get your submissions for that challenge e-mailed into challenge(at)natemathai(dot)com.  I’ll post the next challenge within the week and get these submissions up as well.
• [Cubbies] After some dramatic, come-from-behind victories last week (Aramis with a grand slam in the 8th, Soriano with a solo-shot to take the lead in the 7th the day after), we had a rough weekend.  Even still, we’re 4.5 games up on the Brewers, and I think the magic number is around 20-something…we’re coming down the home stretch!
• [Liza and Shibu] On Saturday, I shot the engagement ceremony of Liza and Shibu at the India House Banquets in Schaumburg, Illinois.  Here’s a little tease for you all:



• [College Friends] Two years later, and we all still hang out…that’s a good sign, right?  11 of us got together on Sunday (missing one in Atlanta) for some fun times of freeze tag, water balloons, and volleyball in the park, followed by pizza at Barnaby’s.  No pics…I wanted to avoid getting yelled at for bringing the camera everywhere
• [Blogging Friends] I’m a blog junkie, where in addition to my own blogging, I follow 25, 50, too many blogs, many of other photographers, others on finance, business, marketing, technology…and the list goes on.  I decided I should give a shout out though, to a couple of my non-photography friends’ blogs that post regularly so you can go check them out.  Not listed?  You haven’t posted enough!

1. {Rincey}  It’s 100% personal.  But she’s an amazing writer and completely knowledgeable about all things pop culture and beyond (she’s a journalism major).  She’s been blogging for quite some time to (longer than I have I think) so she’s very well-seasoned.  One of the few blogs I read all the copy to.
2. {Jason}  A more recent blogger and long-time friend, he’s started one to document his families current move back to the Chicagoland area from Bloomington/Normal, as well as his journey in starting his insurance agency.  And more than just personal info, he’s dropping some good info on finances here and there, so definitely check it out.
3. {Sibi}  My brother-in-law is trying it out now, and already has some quality information up there.  He’s a Mac/Tech addict so you’ll definitely gain knowledge on quality products and apps coming out.  He’s also occasionally giving some wise financial tips as well.
4. —>  I have a couple other friends who have blogs, but don’t update regularly, so they don’t get posted.  Oh well, such is life.

• [Google Chrome] So it seems Google is launching its own web browser (a-la Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer).  I’ve tested it out for a couple of hours earlier today, and its very bare bones (they wanted it minimalistic).  It’ll take some getting used to, and I’m sure there will be much more to come since this is just the first beta release.  The one thing I do like:  Most Visited Websites when opening a new tab.  Each time you open a tab, thumbnails of your most recently sites appear in a grid for you to click to go directly to it instead of having to type the address in.  More than the browser itself, though, I feel like if this browser can surpass that of Firefox/Safari in usability, Google’s Android begins that much stronger of a force.  Just my musings…awaiting for the release on OS X.
• [Budgeting] In planning for a wedding/future, I’ve begun the budgeting process with my fiance, which leads me to the following poll.  Please humor me by selecting your current ’state of budgeting’, and if you’d like explain why you’re in that situation in the comments below.

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