Today we’d like to introduce you to Bhavya Prakash.
Hi Bhavya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Creativity has been a constant in my life and growing up in the era of YouTube was eye opening to the world of possibilities when it came to making content. Creating content has always been a joyful hobby for me throughout high school and college, whether it was through photography or the TikTok boom. In adulthood, it translated into a business. My husband and I founded Mango Leaf Media, LLC (@mangoleafmedia) and we are luxury wedding content creators based out of Texas. We started this business out of love for not only creating content, but also for the love of capturing someone’s special day in an unexpected way. Why that name? South Asian representation in media and in the entertainment industry is something we greatly value, so in the hopes of representing a little bit of where we come from, we are proud of the name we chose. While this business is fulfilling, creativity needs to also be an expression of who you are as well, which is why I also continue to post on my own pages (TikTok: @bhavyavprakash, Instagram; @bhavya.v.prakash). Not for any particular reason other than wanting to document and share bits and pieces of my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road, it has not been. The hardest thing we experienced when we first started our business was rejection. We knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. Wedding content creation is extremely personal and requires a strong eye for someone else’s vision. When we first started, we were creating content for wedding planners and decor teams, hoping it would eventually lead to opportunities with couples and the events themselves. The hardest part? No one wanted to pay us. We spent months doing free shoots before realizing that while finances shouldn’t be the driving force behind your business, knowing your worth and the value you bring is what builds respect. So we changed our approach and started doing outreach. We reached out to nearly 100 couples a day, offering discounted rates just for the opportunity to prove ourselves. Out of all those messages, we signed one client. And honestly, that one yes meant everything. There is no greater feeling than someone believing in you and what you can do for them. Even if that client had said no, we would have kept going, kept hearing no, and kept putting ourselves out there until the right opportunity finally gave us the chance to show what we were capable of.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Mango Leaf Media is a luxury and full service wedding and event content creation company focused on capturing the moments that happen in between the posed photos and traditional video. We specialize in candid, social-first content, from behind-the-scenes moments and emotional interactions to short-form reels and highlight videos that couples can relive almost immediately after their event. Or as we like to say.. “Proof that your wedding was iconic”. What sets us apart is how personal we make the experience. We are not there just to record what is happening; we pay attention to the little things, the people, the emotions, and the moments that may otherwise go unnoticed. We also work alongside photographers, videographers, planners, and other vendors rather than trying to replace them. What we are most proud of is how much this brand has grown through persistence. We started by taking on free shoots, reaching out to hundreds of people, hearing “no” far more than “yes,” and constantly learning how to improve. Every booking we have today feels meaningful because we know how much work went into building that trust. At the end of the day, Mango Leaf Media is about giving couples something they can experience right away. Our goal is for them to wake up the next day, open their phone, and already have pieces of their wedding day that make them feel like they are right back in that moment.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that only people from my past would probably know is that I actually started as a portrait photographer. Being behind the lens has always been where I feel the most comfortable. My “Shots By Bhavya” era was definitely one for the books, and even now, I still love shooting portraits whenever I get the chance. The reason I eventually stepped away from photography as a business was because once I started focusing too much on making it profitable, it began to take some of the joy out of something I genuinely loved. I realized I wanted creativity to still feel exciting, not like an obligation. Mango Leaf Media felt very different. It brought me back to that same feeling I had when I first picked up a camera, but in a new way. Instead of focusing on posed portraits, I became obsessed with capturing movement, emotion, candid moments, and the little interactions happening throughout an event. It gave me a new creative outlet while also allowing us to build something that felt sustainable, exciting, and completely our own.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mangoleafmedia
