Pop up portrait session at a cafe
February was already a busy wedding season for us, yet we felt the urge to do something different last month. Many times when we were hanging out at a café, watching couples or families enjoying time with their loved ones, we’d think how nice it would be to capture a portrait of them and gift it to them, something they could look back on and remember that day.
That thought slowly turned into an idea: what if we made it happen for a day, with a proper backdrop, lights, and all the equipment needed?
February was already a busy wedding season for us, yet we felt the urge to do something different last month. Many times when we were hanging out at a café, watching couples or families enjoying time with their loved ones, we’d think how nice it would be to capture a portrait of them and gift it to them, something they could look back on and remember that day.
So we began reaching out to some of our favourite cafés. After a few days of conversations and planning, we decided to host a pop-up portrait session at Coffea, Nungambakkam. The excitement of doing something outside of weddings was at its peak. We even made a fun reel on our terrace to announce the pop-up on February 14th, and soon after, it was time for us to go shopping.
Along with the portrait session, we wanted everyone to have a memorable experience. That’s when we came up with the idea of a postcard counter. After finishing the portrait session, people could pick up a postcard and a pen, sit down, and write their heart out — to a loved one or even to themselves. We absolutely loved this idea. We visited Hindustan Trading Company to pick up art supplies, spent hours choosing the right postcards, and tested so many pens before finding the perfect one. It was honestly so much fun.
When we told our friends about the pop-up, everyone got excited and offered to help, which felt really special. Ram Balaji lent us his camera and helped us put everything together. He even spent the whole day with us. Sanjana and Akash from Vizha Media encouraged the idea and lent us their décor drapes, which became the backdrop for our portraits. It was amazing to see how one simple idea brought people together to share this memory with us.
Finally, the day arrived February 14th when everything came together in one place. We started around 10 a.m. and wrapped up by 5:30 p.m. Honestly, time just flew by. So many people joined us: taking portraits, writing postcards, and simply hanging out with us. It turned out to be such a beautiful day, filled with conversations, laughter, and moments we’ll always cherish.
By the end of the day, as we packed up our lights and backdrop, we couldn’t believe how quickly time flew by. What started as a small idea turned into a day filled with portraits, postcards, conversations, and lots of smiles. Happy to say we had way too much fun and we’re already looking forward to doing it all over again.
