What is the best part of a multi-cultural wedding from an outsider’s and wedding lover’s perspective? Yes, two weddings in one! Robyn and Proteek celebrated both the bride’s and groom’s cultural backgrounds by planning a Western American wedding and a Hindu Indian ceremony representing the couple and their family.
The couple were adamant that each ceremony be treated with the love it deserved. Robyn began the day by wearing a traditional, custom sari in red and gold. It’s making us all heart eyes. We can imagine that the experience of designing the look with her future mother-in-law was an excellent bond. The couple chose a botanical park for their first ceremony to make it more personal.
Robyn’s custom dress was a stunning all-white crepe silk and lace gown. She carried a fuschia peony-filled bouquet that made everyone drool. Can we also talk about her chic hennaed hands and feet against her white wedding dress?!
Bramble & Vine’s fine art photographs of the day will do the job for us.
Our Love Story
We met at a dive bar in Hermosa Beach on a Saturday evening. Both of us were out with our friends. Many of us were singles in each group. One of my friends saw Proteek with his friends, and she approached them. We started to mingle and danced until the bar closed. It was the second most fun night of our lives after the wedding.
We had been together for five years. My parents invited me to their home for dinner to celebrate my 30th. My mom sent me frantic text messages a few hours before the dinner. She said she couldn’t cook, and we would meet in a wine shop for a few drinks. We could then go to a local restaurant for dinner. Prateek and I shared our first kiss right outside the wine shop.
Proteek proposed to me on his knees when we arrived. I had seen my parents and younger siblings standing outside the store. The proposal was beautiful, and I thought it was thoughtful that Proteek had planned the event with my parents. He wanted to share this moment with my family. Naturally, I said yes. We called his family (who lived on the opposite side of the country) and celebrated with dinner and drink!
Dresses & Attire
The bride is usually dressed in red for a Hindu wedding ceremony. My mother-in-law helped me design the outfit. It was sewn by hand in India using Dreams collections. The details were stunning! Proteek bought his business in India.
At a local rental house, we changed our clothes in the middle of the day with family. I wore a gown designed and made by ARIA in Los Angeles for the Western ceremony. I selected a cream dress with a lace-trimmed bodice and a silk crepe skirt. The dress was vintage-inspired but with modern details. It was perfect for me. Proteek was wearing a navy suit and a pink bow tie (because we couldn’t find the ideal coral bow tie). Pink was a great color on him, even though some of our East Coast friends thought it looked very California!
The Ceremonies
We brought together two cultures (Western American and Hindu Indian) at our wedding. We wanted to ensure that both ceremonies were treated with equal respect and love. We decided to hold two separate ceremonies at two different venues to honor the traditions of each. The two ceremonies took place on the same wedding day. It was a long and busy day.
We decided to hold the Hindu ceremony in a Botanic Garden. This was perfect for us both, as we are both avid gardeners. We knew the lush backdrop would look stunning against brightly colored clothing. We chose an area along the coast near a lighthouse for our Western ceremony. This place had sentimental value to us individually and as a couple.
Florals & Style
We kept the details simple and soft because we knew the venue and the outfits would speak for themselves. Our wedding style was elegant and simple. This style reflected both of us, as we are very low-key. My colors were Coral, sage, and gold so that I could use vibrant peonies and succulents. Our wedding ceremony was held in the Western style, so we had no bridal party. However, our flower girls wore dresses with coral and gold tones.
Flowers were my favorite wedding detail. My favorite flower is the peony, so I was delighted they were in bloom for my wedding. My home garden is full of succulents, which I love. My florist did a fantastic job creating beautiful and straightforward centerpieces for the price. They let the peonies stand out! My florist created a bouquet with various bright oranges, which stood out against the pink and whitish flowers.
The Planning
We wanted to create a fun and memorable experience for our guests, as more than half were from outside the state. Some even came from India and Jordan. We wanted an experience that would be fun and memorable. We wanted to make sure that our guests had a good time and could dance, so we needed to invest in the vendors who would provide a seamless experience and a memorable one on our long wedding day. We chose beautiful, affordable, and durable because revenues wanted to focus on the memories.
Favorite moments
The vows are exceptional to us. It can be nerve-racking to express your feelings in front of so many people, but sharing our sentiments with those we care about was a joyous experience. Hearing each other’s vows will be a memory we cherish.
My (bride-to-be’s) father surprised us and our guests when he hid “Love and Happiness” lyrics by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris under each place setting. Then he sang and played the song on his guitar and invited our guests to join him. It was a very sentimental moment for me, as I was raised by a father who sang to me constantly on his guitar. He was the perfect person to celebrate my marriage in this way.