There is something about the Hindu wedding tradtitions – the henna, the groom’s horseback entrance, the dancing, laughter, and joy – that is just magical. So when Autumn Burke Photography sent over a Hindu fusion wedding that took place in the Colorado mountains, which house a magic all on their own, I knew we were going to be all in a tizzy over here at the SMP offices. And boy, oh boy, was I right. I think it’s the perfect compliment to your Monday morning coffee. Click here to see the full image gallery!
Nikhil is a vascular surgeon and I am a general surgery resident. We met while operating together my first year of training. Over the next few years we got to know each other at work and eventually much better while skiing in Colorado. On our birthday (we both have the same birthday), Nik planned a romantic dinner in La Jolla. At the end of dinner he had our waiter give me a card stating they were doing a port tasting down by the pool. We headed down that way and he pulled me onto a beautiful terrace instead. He had the terrace decorated with a line of rose petals leading to a table with champagne and candles. We walked out there and he knelt down and proposed! Once I said yes, a cheer erupted from the balcony above us and I was surprised to see many of our closest friends there to celebrate with us. It was amazing.
We decided to get married in Beaver Creek, Colorado as the mountains of Colorado hold so many special memories for us. Our families and their faiths, Hindu and Methodist, were the most important part in planning our wedding so we decided to do a multi-cultural wedding. We were fortunate to have friends and family join us from around the world, most notably, India. We were blessed with a perfect Colorado summer weekend as we had multiple days of celebration planned. In planning the wedding we used parts of both of our families rich traditions to make the weekend special for all. Our invitations were designed with the Colorado state flower, the blue columbine, and a henna design, the guest gift bags included goodies from the mountains but also Indian treats, the flowers were Colorado wildflowers, and the tables were named after places we visited on our honeymoon to Provence, France.
We kicked off the weekend with a cocktail hour with one of our favorite cover bands flown in from Long Island, NY. Our rehearsal dinner was in the Indian tradition called a Sangeet. Traditionally the woman’s family has this party to wish the bride well as she leaves to join her husband’s family. In our case, we had a night full of dances, mendhi (henna tattooing on the women’s hands), drinks and an amazing Indian dinner.
Our wedding day started early, when we had the Barrat (Nik riding in on a white horse) to start the Hindu ceremony. Our guests from all faiths joined in the ceremony and the cultures blended. We later proceeded to the Beaver Creek Chapel for a beautiful Christian ceremony, where we ended as a married couple, after two ceremonies, walking out to “Signed, Sealed Delivered” by Stevie Wonder.
The celebrations than began as we had a cocktail hour, followed by dinner, and a reception at The Pines Lodge. By the end of the weekend our guests had had the opportunity to get to know one another and many trips have been planned to India and back to the United States.
Photography: Autumn Burke Photography / Event Planning: Kelly Karli, Frosted Pink Weddings / Hindu Ceremony Location: The Pines Lodge / Ceremony Location: Beaver Creek Chapel / Reception Location: The Pines Lodge & Grouse Mountain Grill / Flowers: Kelly Carlson Designs / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Officiant: Pastor Tim Welbanks / Catering: Grouse Mountain Grill / Cake: Grouse Mountain Grill / Band: Soul X / Cake: The Pines Lodge / Henna artist: Hummingbird Henna / Hair & Makeup: Inga Cox and Laura Anzalone