Indian weddings are my favorite. There are so many gorgeous details, it’s like the henna on the brides hand. With every go through of the gallery, there is something new. Something beautiful. Something different. And I love it all. Almond Leaf Studios has discovered the magic that is the Indian Wedding thanks to this gem right here. It’s everything I love in these weddings, and more.
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From the gorgeous bride… I’m a huge believer in fate and that everything happens for a reason. And if my sister and I had not chosen Barcelona as one of our stops during our European adventure, I would have never met the man I now get to spend the rest of my life with. We saw each other while roaming the infamous street, Las Ramblas, and he immediately came to us to say “Hi.” For all obvious reasons I was taken aback by his over zealousness, but I could not help but wonder that there was something amusing and pleasant about him. After only two days he requested to exchange numbers, yet I declined politely. Needless to say his perseverance convinced me otherwise by telling me what our future would come to if I did provide my number. He told me we would begin talking and over time we would become best friends and start dating. Eventually, he said there would be a day that he would ask me to be his wife. Although, in that moment I thought this man was a little crazy, I could not help but wonder, what if…
After five years of friendship, long distancing dating, frequent visits, and my moving to England, my best friend kept his promise and asked me to marry him. This led to one of the most important and beautiful day of our lives. I’ve always loved anything that preserved tradition and had that vintage feel; thus, my incredible decorator and I created a romantic, 1920’s look with bold colors such as red, black, and gold. Given our long distance relationship, we had an engagement shoot that represented 1920s travel; so we had them hung along an iron gate with pearls strung across that stood behind the card table. As our wedding favor, we decided to do a candy bar that included our favorite sweets growing up. Since my, now, husband is English, many of these included English chocolates like Bounty, Cadbury, and Maltesers which we had all brought in by our amazing family from England. I had so much fun searching for precisely the right vintage details I wanted to include in the decor; things such as gold frames with rose balls hanging in the middle all staggered against a black drape, lace tablecloths, gold candelabras, bouquets of red feathers, strings of pearls, and dim lighting. I also made my own red frames that said “keep calm and drink on” for our signature drinks, a chalkboard frame re-telling milestone dates during our relationship, and signage for flip flops I provided that said “get your dancing shoes on.” One of my favorite elements was the thank you note on our candy bags that reiterated our gratitude and love for everyone that supported us throughout our relationship and flew in from all over the world for our special day.
The whole day was so romantic and I am so thankful for how our lives turned out after the day we met in Barcelona; and now I get to look forward to the next chapter in our lives and dream about all that is to come.
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Photography: Almond Leaf Studios | Cinematography: David Whitlow | Event Design: Nisar Naimi of Shaadi Creations | Event Planning: Mahvish Bhatty of Oliveaire | Ceremony Location: Sikh Temple | Reception Location: Esplanade Lakes, Chicago | Makeup: Sana Yusuf | Caterer: Gaylord Restaurant | Tabla/Sitar Player: Nabil Kayani | Rolls Royce: Classic Wedding Car | Coach: Robby Singh