What lead you to have a wedding the way you did? Family, friends, location etc.?
We wanted this day, and every day, to be about living things, about being alive and present to the world around us and to those we love. We chose to keep our wedding intimate and spend the day in a natural outdoor space as a celebration of family and all that we are grateful for. This is such a special time in our life and we wanted to share it with our loved ones without any distractions or extraneous obligations that could take away from the experience we wanted to have together.
We wrote the ceremony together, incorporating different traditions that brought us joy. We made it so that every part of the day would be a celebration! Prem’s father led us in a meditation, setting a tone of loving gratitude and peacefulness. We asked each family member to share a passage, song, poem, or other form of expression that rang true to them as part of a ring warming ritual. We read memories of our journey together as part of our “I do’s,” and recited vows that we wrote together from letters we had exchanged over the years. We asked our moms to recite the “saat phere,” or “seven steps to marriage” ritual in Hindi and English as we took rounds around two beautiful trees in the garden where we meditated together and shared good wishes. Vedika’s brother officiated the ceremony, and we knew endless hugs and dancing would inevitably follow the pronouncement. We ordered lunch from one of our favorite restaurants and our table was pieced together with family heirlooms under a lilac trellis. The day was like a dream, and it has been a dream ever since!
What were you most excited about before the wedding?
We were of course most excited to get married to each other! We love to dance, spend time in the outdoors, eat good food, and enjoy with family, so we’re not sure there was anything about our wedding that we weren’t excited about! We put our hearts into the ceremony and fell in love with the environment at Habitat, but we were probably most excited to have our families together on this joyous day. We had been anticipating Prem’s parents meeting Vedika’s grandmother for quite some time, and when the moment finally came it was absolutely beautiful.
Did anything happened that you weren’t expecting?
After we left Habitat and got home, we were both surprised at how fast the day seemed to have flown by. We are so grateful that we have these beautiful images to look back on. Watching Vedika’s parents dance to Hindi music and Prem’s parents dance to classic rock were moments filled with laughter and let-go that we hadn’t anticipated. We also couldn’t have expected to get married on such a beautiful day, and are so grateful for that wonderful addition!
Which images did you love the most?
We always come back to images of laughter, hugs, and dancing. Angie captured the emotions of these candid moments in a really genuine way that resonates with us and with those we share our photographs with.
Any advice for couples going through this process or about to go through the process?
Don’t forget that this day is yours and is a celebration of the love that you share! One of life’s greatest mysteries is how, in such a vast world, two people come to meet one another and join together in love. If you’re reading this, then this has happened for you, and your wedding day should be built on whatever represents the beauty of your union. Whether it’s inviting 500 people or eight, doing meditation or breaking glass, wearing white or purple, make decisions that bring you joy, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Let your wedding be a continuous exploration and a constant adventure, just as your love is. This day should be as precious to you as the day you first fell in love!
I’m sure you’ve seen these two quite a bit on my instagram feed. I thought it was about time you experienced Connie and Ben’s full wedding. The couple started the day off at Connie’s parents home in Concord MA. Connie and her parents had designed and built the house just in time for the wedding, it was really the first time it was open for friends and family. The couple had an outdoor ceremony followed by some family formals and portraits in the yard. Afterwards everyone headed over to La Brassa in Somerville MA for the reception. It was my first time at La Brassa and the staff and food was exceptional. The couple enjoyed a delicious cocktail chatting with friends and family. Everyone mixed and mingled and then when the dance floor opened, it never stopped. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.
