Kunal + Milly's Sangeet at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront

Mantas Kubilinskas

Sep 12, 2019

5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Updated November 2026

By Mantas Kubilinskas, Washington, DC wedding photographer (about me)

What does a Sangeet look like in photos? Kunal and Milly's celebration at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront moved from quiet details to speeches, performances and a full dance floor. I photographed it as one chapter of their wedding weekend, staying close to the people, their reactions and the music.

A night between the bigger days

A Sangeet often sits between other big events in a wedding weekend. For Kunal and Milly, it was a night of family, performances and dancing at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. You can see the rest of their weekend in their Baltimore Marriott wedding gallery and day one of their Indian wedding.

Every family plans its celebrations in its own way. I don't try to explain traditions here. This story stays with Kunal and Milly's evening and what the photos hold.

Details and arrivals

Before guests settled in

I started with the small things. Serving trays and spoons lined a table, seen from above. A red tray held a gift wrapped in silver. Staff worked at the warming dishes in the back, which I photographed in black and white.

Overhead view of serving trays and spoons at Kunal and Milly's Sangeet in Baltimore

Black and white portrait of two people beneath the large circular ceiling lights of the ballroom

Two guests taking a phone selfie in the crowded sangeet ballroom

Hands holding a decorated red tray with a silver-wrapped gift

Man speaking to rows of seated guests in a ballroom with patterned carpet

Older woman with her hands over her mouth, surrounded by family at the Sangeet — Hands over her mouth, surrounded by family.

Woman in a bright pink sari standing beside seated guests

Bride bowing with palms pressed together before a man holding a book as two people hold a tray

The room

The ballroom had a richly patterned carpet and large circular lights in the ceiling. Those lights show up again and again in the gallery. They make the room easy to recognize, from the first portraits to the last dance.

Guests stopped to take phone photos of each other. A woman in a bright pink sari stood beside the seated guests. Two people posed in black and white under the ceiling lights.

Family moments

Speeches

A man stood to speak to rows of seated guests. I photograph speeches from two sides. One frame shows the speaker. The next shows the faces listening.

Black and white photo of a child walking through bands of window light

Black and white photo of staff beside metal warming dishes

Two seated guests watching a performer in front of a colorful draped backdrop

Black and white photo of a line of sangeet performers bending sideways before seated guests — Performers in front of the seated guests.

Black and white photo of guests filming with phones in a ballroom with patterned carpet

Three guests dancing beneath the circular ceiling lights at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront

Reactions

One of my favorite photos is of an older woman with her hands over her mouth, surrounded by family. It holds more feeling than any wide shot of the room could.

A quiet gesture

In another frame, the bride bowed with her palms pressed together in front of a man holding a book. Two people held a tray nearby. I don't name the moment, because the post doesn't. It's simply a quiet pause in a loud, happy night.

A child walked through bands of window light at one point. These in-between frames help a gallery remember who was there.

Performances and dancing

On stage

Performers took the floor in front of a colorful draped backdrop. Two guests watched from their seats. A line of performers bent sideways in time, in front of a seated crowd. Guests stood with phones up, filming.

Black and white photo of a crowd raising their hands on the dance floor

Two guests dancing on a wooden floor with seated guests behind them

Black and white photo of children and adults dancing across the floor

Bare feet and turquoise trousers next to a pair of shoes

Woman smiling and holding two short sticks on the Sangeet dance floor

Crowd dancing with short sticks under warm ceiling lights at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront — Dancing with sticks late in the night.

The dance floor

Then everyone danced. Three people moved together on the wooden floor under the round lights. In black and white, hands went up across the crowd. Children and adults crossed the floor together.

Later, guests danced with short sticks in their hands. A woman smiled at me holding two of them. A pair of bare feet in turquoise trousers stood next to a pair of shoes. That one photo says a lot about how the night went.

Photographing a Sangeet

Before the event

I ask the couple and the planner for the schedule, the performance order, the family groups who matter most and any hotel rules. That tells me when to stay wide, when to move in and where to stand without blocking anyone.

During the event

A performance tells more than one story. A wide frame shows the room. A close frame holds one face. Between the planned moments, I watch for reactions and small conversations.

Planning at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront

The hotel's event page describes indoor and outdoor wedding spaces, event planning and catering. Confirm the room, schedule, vendor access and photography rules with the hotel and your planner.

For more Baltimore celebrations, see the Baltimore Museum of Industry wedding, the Silo Point Baltimore wedding and a Baltimore harbor engagement session. I also photograph Jewish weddings in Washington, DC and many other traditions.

Why I photograph a Sangeet in a documentary way

A Sangeet moves fast. Speeches, performances and dancing can overlap, and the best moments often happen at the edges of the room. If I spent the night posing people, I'd miss them.

So I mostly watch. I move around the room, change between wide and close frames and keep an eye on the people closest to the couple. When I see a family group or a portrait worth making, I step in with a few simple words of direction. Then I step back.

This approach works for every tradition I photograph. I learn the schedule and the moments that matter to the family, and then I let the evening unfold. The result is a gallery that remembers who was there and how the night felt.

Vendor credits

Wedding planner: Designed Perfectly Events. Flowers and decor: Imperial Decor. Photographer: Mantas Photography. Videographer: Stan Pe Films. Flower wall and marquee letters: Brightly Ever After. DJ and MC: Live Sound Entertainment. Hair and makeup: SKS Salon. Baraat horse: Harmon's Hayrides & Carriages. Hotel and accommodations: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Gelato: Pitango Gelato.

Sangeet photography questions

Where did Kunal and Milly's Sangeet take place?

At Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland. The hotel's event page describes indoor and outdoor wedding spaces, event planning and catering. The Sangeet was one chapter of Kunal and Milly's wedding weekend. You can see the rest of it in their Baltimore Marriott wedding gallery.

What does this Sangeet gallery show?

The 20 photos show details, guests, a speech, family reactions, performances and dancing. They cover the whole evening, from setup to the dance floor. The ballroom's large circular ceiling lights appear again and again, from the first portraits to the last dance.

What should a photographer know before a Sangeet?

The schedule, the performances, the key family groups and the venue's rules. Agree on where the photographer can stand without blocking guests or performers. Speeches, performances and dancing can overlap, and the best moments often happen at the edges of the room.

Do you photograph multi-day weddings?

Yes. Kunal and Milly's weekend included this Sangeet and more events, shown in the linked galleries. I learn the schedule and the moments that matter to the family, and then I let each event unfold. Tell me about your schedule and we can plan coverage together.

About my wedding photography

I'm Mantas Kubilinskas. I've photographed weddings for 15 years from my base in Washington, DC. My approach is documentary, so a night like this is where I feel most at home. See more on my wedding photography page or tell me about your celebration on my contact page.