Shray and Anu are high school friends who found each other living in the same city again after 12 years. Everyone expect oblivious Anu thought the two of us were always going to happen. So-when Shray finally asked Anu out to go apple picking, both of us knew this was the beginning of something special.
After a year of adventures and blessings from both families, Shray finally proposed on the last day of summer – the one-day Anu least expected it on one of our favorite activities. We planned a hike where all our friends bailed so Anu also wanted to bail on the hot day too and avoid the three-hour drive. But Shray persisted and forced Anu to go on the hike with all sorts of promises to drive and ice cream. After hiking to a secluded spot with a view, Shray surprised Anu with a shiny rock and the rest of the weekend, month and year led to celebrations with family and friends.
We knew we wanted to have a traditional Indian wedding with an amalgamation of Punjabi & Telugu cultures. Given it was the first wedding on both sides, our families and friends were really excited! We decided to pick Philadelphia given its reputation for great culture/food, ease of travel and proximity to NJ. We wanted to make sure everyone had fun with good food, lots of dancing, and spending quality time with each other. We had some intimate pre-wedding events at our respective homes and Sangeet the day before in Philadelphia with Mediterranean vibes.
Wedding day started with shutting down Market Street for a kickass Baraat to welcome Shray and his family. After an epic fight for Shray’s shoes between the groomsmen and Anu’s family, we had a traditional South Indian ceremony with bright colors/ greens/ tropical vibes to contrast the traditional silk sarees. We wanted to make our guests were engaged throughout the ceremony with explanations to our different customs. Our favorite part among many was the rice game – resulting in kgs of yellow rice in every nook and cranny. For the reception, it started with a cocktail hour on the rooftop with sunset views of Philadelphia which led into formal dinner & dancing. We wanted the reception to be a contrast from the morning with modern décor in black and white. Our designers brought it together with accents of metallic silver, orchids and white roses, a statement dance floor and acrylic candles to make the evening feel romantic. It was a memorable weekend for us to see our two families, two cultures, and friends like family go the distance to celebrate the beginning our journey and love.
Venue: Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Planner: RB Event Design
Photography : l’atelier lumiere international photography
Florist: Design House Decor
Hair/Makeup : Looks By Sumona
