Manifest Spotlight: Wedding Photographers Cupcake Productions

From having to take cover under tables to avoid getting caught to shooting in cool locations like Kenya and Paris, every wedding is an adventure for the team at Cupcake Productions. Founded by Shruti and Jayant Chhabra, the luxury wedding photography company offers clean, sophisticated, suave and editorial photographs for their clients’ taking. And, having covered some of the grandest Indian weddings and a celebrity wedding such as Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram’s, they understand the art of keeping wedding pictures natural yet cinematographic.

In between capturing heartwarming moments at weddings, Jayant Chhabra sat with Manifest to chat about the company’s work, creative process and the most memorable anecdotes from their journey. Take a look…

In Conversation With Jayant Chhabra Of Cupcake Productions

Manifest: How did you come to realise you wanted to pursue wedding photography? What sparked the inspiration to do so?

Jayant Chhabra: My father used to have one of those old cameras and honestly, it was easy for me  to meet people. And I remember, one day, I had just completed my MBA in marketing and I was sitting with my wife at a wedding and she suggested we do something of our own in weddings, but it really wasn't planned…

M: There is a natural, yet magical and ethereal quality to your style of photography, where does it come from? How do you merge natural and ethereal together?

JC: I’ve always been the kind of creative to prepare before a project. Prep is important to my method of operation. And now, we can create an aesthetic and have full control of the kind of vibe we want to portray with the image. So, I think it is all about understanding the scene understanding how the client would want the photos to turn out. For example, I  just went to Kenya for a wedding. I knew the bride was an avid reader of Vogue and that she wanted something editorial and I did just that, I created a rather editorial aesthetic. I also don’t believe in presets. I don’t change skin tones etc., because I believe fifty years down the line the picture must look as close to the natural setting as possible.

M: I saw the wedding shoot you did with a couple in Paris, earlier this year, the style of the pictures was so distinct and seemed personal to the couple, yet I could also see your photography style clearly shine through as well. How do you manage to keep creating fresh aesthetics while remaining true to your own style and catering to your clients?

JC: That’s a great question. I always try to understand my clients well. I try to understand their personalities. Does my client prefer to spend a day at the museum and end it with dinner at a Michelin star restaurant or does she prefer to order shots at the bar? This is why the photos of another bride in Kenya (who I was working with) were very different from the Paris bride.

The Paris bride did not want big gowns, she just wanted to wear her sneakers, have fun, dance in the rain, and chill. The couple was young, in fact, they were both the same age, so that may have translated into the images as well.

M: You have covered some really spectacular and grand weddings, including Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram’s. Is there a heartwarming story you can share with us from their wedding? Something that really made you smile?

JC: The fact that Randeep Hooda is a jaat from Haryana and Lin hails from Manipur, it was a beautiful amalgamation of cultures. Both of them are quite different from one another and they got married in their late 30s or 40s. There was no Manish Malhotra, there was no Tarun Tahilliani and there were no big jewels at their wedding. It was a pure, pure experience. Randeep followed the Mehati culture’s rituals. And you know the wedding happened when there was unrest in Manipur. In fact the best part of the wedding was when Randeep and Lin went to this rescue centre where abandoned girls and children were being taken care of.

That day I realised it is never about how big or grand a wedding is. It can be as simple as Randeep and Lin’s wedding, where home food which had been cooked exclusively for the guests was being served. It was a very soulful project for me and I really believe that they set an example by having such a down-to-earth ceremony.

M: Do you have any tips for couples who would like to work with you for their wedding?

JC: First, you must learn to communicate with your photographer before you get him on board. Second point is that you should take it easy, you should not wear heavy gowns heavy lehengas if that’s not comfortable for you. Third, talk to your photographer about any concerns you have, if you don’t know how to pose for pictures, tell that to the photographer so that they can help you. Fourth, plan when you’ll come together with your photographer to get the formal pictures taken in between the wedding. And fifth, hydrate and apply lots of sunscreen!

M: We’ve read that you often add extra fairy lights to light up wedding pictures, are there any other tricks or hacks you like to follow through with to make photographs look extra special?

JC: I’ve always been the kind of photographer to use all of the resources we have available during a shoot. I will find a way to use the background to work in my client’s favour as well. So, use everything in your environment to your disposal!

M: Can you tell us about a memory when things went horribly wrong or chaotic?

JC: So, sometimes, we don't apply for work visas. And we just started shooting weddings without them. I remember an instance when we were shooting the wedding and suddenly someone told us to hide! The whole team hid under the tables because they told us that we couldn’t be caught using our cameras without visas! So, my team was under the table for say, thirty-forty minutes.

Manifest Cheat Sheet

M: Who do you think should come to Cupcake Productions to get their wedding photographed?

JC: People who really want something out of the box and modern.

M: How would you define your style of work?

JC: In three words; Love, art and create.

M: How far in advance should clients reach out to you?

JC: Six to eight months in advance.

M: Can you give us an insight into the pricing details of your photography services?

JC: INR  8-10 Lakhs.

M: What is your delivery/turn-out period?

JC: It is subjective, it depends on the deliverables of the weddings. But on an average - two months.