Aarti and Sarin: Indian Wedding at Oheka Castle

A gorgeous bride, a gorgeous day, a gorgeous venue... there is so much goodness to share with this wedding, I hardly know where to begin!

Look at this bride.... Aarti absolutely glowed in her perfectly ornate sari and spectacular jewelry.  I loved how she put aside her simple day-to-day style and really went for it on her wedding day - like every bride should!

As is tradition for many Indian weddings, Sarin, the groom, approached the bride's family riding on a very well-dressed white horse as friends and family cheered him on and danced to the music of traditional hand drums.  When he invited his adorable nephew to ride with him on the horse... well, let's say that Aarti's heart was not the only one melting!

Aarti approached the mandap (Indian ceremonial wedding canopy) on a throne carried by her dear friends and family members.  She played it cool as a cucumber even though some of the men were fairly anxious about a potential misstep!

The bride and groom exchanged vows in a Hindu ceremony under the mandap decorated with flowing purple and white fabric along with white floral garlands and strands of sparkling crystals.  Behind the mandap are the breathtaking formal gardens of Oheka Castle. 

After the ceremony, a private stroll amongst the trees.

There are so many beautiful spots to decorate throughout the Oheka mansion - this is just one of several entry experiences for the guests. 

The huge ballroom showcased three centerpiece styles: tall white cherry blossoms, lower purple and white floral collections and tall manzanita branch arrangements detailed with a floral base and cascading phaelonopsis orchids.  I love how the bride wanted to step away from the traditional palette of an Indian wedding and embrace her favorite colors and styles.

After guests were seated, the bride, groom and bridal party wowed the crowd with a Bollywood inspired choreographed dance.  So, so fun and so, so good! And look at that well-branded white dance floor we snuck in there for good measure!

When the dance floor cleared, Aarti and Sarin also shared a beautiful first dance moment with friends and family looking on. 

And one last surprise... the bride's father and I conspired for months to surprise EVERYONE (yup - even the bride and mother of the bride!) with some of the best fireworks ever! It started to rain just before we were to invite guests outside for this final wow factor, but the wedding gods cut me a break and the rain cleared seconds before this big moment. 

So much goodness, right?  Thanks to the magnificent Susan Stripling for these beautiful photos. 

To really get a feel for this wedding, take a look at the breathtaking video captured by Unique Visions Studio. 

:-) Lindsay

Bangalore Wedding Adventure: Part 4 (The Wedding!)

Well.... we did it! The wedding is over and despite some of the worst rain in the history of Decembers in Bangalore, the bride and groom and their friends and family had an amazing evening. I only wish I had time to take photos of the finished site before the rain began, but as is the problem with being both the planner and a designer on the job, there was no time to step away and indulge. So.... here's what I have... I hope to get photos from the professional photographer very soon and will then, of course, post a full recap.

This is the petal pattern for the aisle being created. If you look just beyond where the women are working, you can see the wooden bridge that we built for a little extra drama and to get everyone over the firepit that was built into the ground on this spot.

This is the view of the center of the property from the lower entrance gates. These tables in front of the gazebo are the ones that couldn't be used due to the rain. Such a shame... but when the candles were lit and the sun went down, they twinkled beautifully.

In this shot, you can see a little bit of the structures on either side. To the left was an open-sided pavilion where we had 6 long tables beautifully set in the same style as those on the lawn, but with full place settings. Thank goodness for these because that was the area where most guests ate their dinner in a slow rotation as the staff set and re-set each seat. On the right was the structure that housed the dinner stations (or food counters as they are called in India). That building had a long porch with a bar and became an impromptu dining area. Can you see the amazing flower curtains that framed each "doorway" - in person they were stunning!

Here you have a glimpse of the covered dining area while it was being set up. Guest walked through this dining pavilion to reach the ceremony. When the sun went down, the orange, red and gold lighting cast an amazing glow in and around the pavilion.

One of my favorite elements of the design were the beautiful 6 foot elephants made of flowers. This is one of two which flanked the entryway into the main part of the property.

I didn't have a chance to photograph any of the entrance gate or pond area which was where cocktails and dancing took place, but I am going to try to scrounge some up from the other vendors and then I can post them because that area was spectacular - even in the rain!

What I find the most amazing about this wedding is that while I was having an internal panic attack about the rain and the wet chair covers and snuffed out candles (100s of them!), the family and guests were relaxed and lauding mother nature on her timing as rain at a wedding is considered to be the most auspicious blessing on a wedding day. Most guests continued to sit, stand and walk through the property in the rain and no one complained about there being fewer seats available because of it (I lost 72 seats on the outdoor tables!).

So, after years and years of telling my brides not to stress about rain because there is nothing they can do to change it, I, too, was reminded that a perfect wedding comes in many forms. This day was not how I imagined it, but it was what was intended - a memorable, beautiful, poignant and emotional day for a couple and their families that will be forever remembered.

I can only hope to have many more opportunities like this that challenge me in every way - as a designer, planner and person. It is an experience I will keep with me for my whole life and will always be amazed at how my perspective on the world was forever altered by one wedding.