Caroline & Raghav’s Colorful Laid-Back Fusion Wedding {Wisconsin}

I just love a super fun fusion wedding, don’t you? This cozy Midwestern one will have you smiling by the time you’re done with this post. Caroline and Raghav put together such a fun, spectacular day for their loved ones to celebrate their union.

We had a chance to talk to the couple about their big day, all captured by Eric at Carbon Copy Studios.

Tell us about the wedding.

We had an interfaith Hindu wedding that brought together two big families (and a lot of friends from all over the world) in small-town Wisconsin. Caroline is from Wisconsin, and has family from all over the US; Raghav grew up in Oman, and has family in Oman, India, and the US. We had the ceremony on a Monday – Memorial Day – so it could be held on an auspicious day. The previous day, we had a casual mehendi party at the Blue Harbor Resort, and then hosted an evening reception with food, drinks, and live music.

What was the inspiration for your wedding?

Both sets of parents felt it was really important to have a single wedding rather than two weddings in different places or with different ceremonies. We focused on planning an event that would make everyone we cared about feel loved and included, and we incorporated elements of ceremony and ritual and fun that would speak to both families. We decided to hold the wedding at the Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan because Caroline’s grandmother, who died a few years ago, was an artist, and she liked visiting the Center to check out new exhibits.

We decided our theme was All The Colors, the brighter the better.

What was the hardest part about wedding planning?

We got engaged while Caroline was doing Ph.D. research abroad in China, and we wanted to hold the wedding before Raghav started his surgery residency, so we ended up having fewer than six months to plan everything while we were in different parts of the world (and both in different parts of the world than our venue). The hardest part was making sure that we were communicating effectively with each other and our parents about everyone’s ideas and expectations for the event.

Did you do any DIY (do it yourself) or special projects/things at the wedding?

Raghav’s mom and dad designed Caroline’s wedding jewelry and picked out her sari. Caroline’s mom and aunts made the reception decorations and the colorful tablecloths for the post-wedding lunch. Caroline and her (very patient) friends made the seating chart, the table numbers, and other signage. Our caterer for the reception has her own farm, and grew/produced all the ingredients for the meal herself. (It was important for us to support local producers – Caroline’s research is about sustainable farming!)

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Both families got along so so well, and since everyone was staying at the same resort, the days before and after the wedding turned into an awesome ongoing party.

A couple of high points happened during the ceremony. One of Raghav’s aunties and his next-door neighbor from Oman started spontaneously (and beautifully) singing to accompany the priest’s prayers. Caroline’s dad had no clue he would be saying prayers with the priest, and neither did we – but he gamely joined in when the priest called him over. (Same for Caroline’s uncle, who was called upon to help with the toe rings.) Raghav’s grandmother gave us both a HUGE hug when the ceremony was over.

What three words of advice do you have for future brides/grooms-to-be?

Communicate. It may take some work to really understand what people you care about (parents, elders, even your partner) are looking for in a wedding – but it’s worth it to take the time and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Prioritize. For us, the main priority was making sure all our guests felt welcomed and taken care of – and keeping that priority in mind helped us to make decisions quickly. (So, for example – Caroline did her own makeup and hair, but we made sure to go all out with the catering).

Breathe. (Also delegate someone to make sure you get enough to eat).

Anything else you would like to add?

We have only great things to say about our vendors—we would heartily recommend each of them to anyone getting married in Wisconsin.

Could you tell us about any special customs/clothing you had?

Raghav and his brother-in-law worked with the priest to select parts of the traditional longform Tamil Hindu ceremony to include in a shorter hour-and-a-half-long program. Caroline’s parents’ friend, a Presbyterian minister, spoke during the ceremony to introduce the ring exchange and to give a benediction at the end. We had coffee and a Bloody Mary + mimosa bar out during the ceremony, and encouraged our guests to walk around, stretch, grab a beverage, etc., while prayers were going on.