Nikhil & Rani — Pre-Wedding Shoot at Sattal, Mukteshwar & Bhalugaad Waterfall
Pre-Wedding Story · October 2024 · Nainital & Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand
Nikhil and Rani did not want one location, they wanted three. So this shoot ran from Sattal up to Mukteshwar — the lake and its boats, the cliff edge above the valley, and Bhalugaad Waterfall in the forest below it.
Six outfit changes, two days, a fair amount of walking and one very cold pool. This is the full set.
Sattal Lake
We started at Sattal, the cluster of seven lakes about 23 km below Nainital. The boats and the ridge behind them are what people recognise the place by, so the wide frames came first, before the day-trippers arrived.
Bhalugaad Waterfall, Mukteshwar
A short trek in from the road brings you to Bhalugaad — a tall fall dropping into a green pool. Rani went into the water for these. It is cold, and the rocks are slick, so this set takes patience.
The ridge at Mukteshwar
The cliff edge near Mukteshwar opens onto a valley that runs for miles. Midday here is harsh, so we shot into the light and let the haze do the work.
The oak forest
Old oaks bent low over the trail, wet leaves underfoot, and a red gown that we let run across the ground. This was the quietest part of the shoot and it gave us the most.
Still water
A smaller, sheltered stretch of lake with almost no wind — enough stillness to hold a clean reflection.
Autumn, decor and a guitar
Late-October colour in the oaks, a floral arch set up on a hillside clearing, and a picnic with a guitar as the light dropped.
KMVN cottages and the bonfire
The KMVN Tourist Rest House at the edge of the pines was base for the shoot. Evenings there meant a bonfire and a lot of tea.
The cafe at night
Prayer flags, fairy lights, a swing and a hanging lantern — and a ring.
Planning a pre-wedding shoot in Mukteshwar or Sattal
What we learned doing this one:
- Sattal and Mukteshwar are not next door. It is roughly two hours between them on hill roads. If you want both, plan two days — a day trip means you shoot one properly and rush the other.
- Best months: October to December. Clear air, autumn colour in the oaks, and the lakes hold a reflection. The monsoon (July to September) is green but the waterfall trail turns slippery.
- Bhalugaad needs a short trek and the pool is genuinely cold. Carry a change of clothes, a towel, and shoes you do not mind soaking.
- The Mukteshwar ridge is best early or late. Midday sun there is flat and hard; the valley haze looks its best when the light is low.
- Where to stay: the KMVN Tourist Rest House cottages put you in the pines with a bonfire on tap. Book ahead in season.
- Getting there: Kathgodam is the nearest railhead. Most couples from Prayagraj travel overnight and start shooting the next morning.
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Another Sattal shoot: Vivek & Parul · Pre-wedding shoots in Prayagraj · Reviews · Home
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