I’ve always pictured myself coming down the aisle in a traditional lace wedding dress, but this stunning Bride just convinced me to consider color — fuchsia, coral and gold, to be exact. From the Bride’s gorgeous lehenga and traditional Hindu ceremony to the al fresco reception and lush florals from Michael Daigian Design, this day makes me wish I could turn back time so I could attend. See every magical moment from onelove photography in The Vault!
From the Bride… Ian and I had been dating for over 5 years when we went to Vietnam for my bar trip. I had been so absorbed with studying for the bar and planning the post-exam trip that an engagement was not on my mind. Plus, I had planned to give Ian some hints about the ring and never got around to doing that! One day in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Ian surprised me with a private sunset boat cruise. We got up to pose for a picture as the sun was setting and he dropped down on one knee and proposed using his grandmother’s ring! My first thought was that he was tying his shoe laces, which made no sense because it was summer and he was wearing sandals.
We knew we wanted to share our passion for food and wine with our loved ones as well as take advantage of the beauty of our home state of California. We had just moved back to San Francisco from Chicago and looking for an outdoor venue in Napa or Sonoma county was an obvious choice for us.
Planning a Hindu wedding outdoors meant we had to get creative, as Hindu ceremonies are typically held indoors against a wall. What we ended up with was a beautiful view of the vineyard behind the mandap (stage with pillars), which was itself draped with fabric and adorned with flowers. We also wanted to get away from the colors you traditionally see in a Hindu wedding and went with softer colors that complemented the outdoor setting rather than distracted from it.
For the reception, we wanted our guests to sit down to a beautiful but comfortable setting. We arranged long tables in a square with the dance floor in the middle, which created a sense of unity. Tables were named after some of our favorite restaurants and, to the extent possible, we sat people at tables named after restaurants we’ve eaten at together or in the city they live. This was a fun way to spark memories and make recommendations.
Favorite moments? For me, it was the moment I locked eyes with Ian as I was walking down the aisle and saw the pure emotion on his face.
We also loved involving our family and friends in the ceremony. They all surrounded the mandap at one point to say a prayer and bless us.
Another one of our favorite moments was when we sat down at the reception and looked around at our guests having a great time. The sun was setting and we could feel the love.
Photography: onelove photography | Cinematography: Buster Brown Productions | Event Planning: So Eventful | Floral Design: Michael Daigian Design | Cake: Giorgi's Wedding Cakes | Catering: Park Avenue Catering | Makeup: Brush Salon | DJ: Denon & Doyle | Venue: Stryker Sonoma Winery | Rentals: Encore Events Rentals | Shuttle: Pure Luxury | Valet Parking: CPA Valet