Today we are featuring a gorgeous fusion wedding straight out of Washington state. Yashma and Wade had a Hindu and Christian fusion ceremony, using mostly traditional Hindu rites and including a Christian ring ceremony. Wade’s dad is a reverend, so the ring ceremony had even more meaning, as family were involved!
Read on to find out more on what Yashma and Wade told us about her big day!
Tell us about the wedding.
Before the ceremony began we had a first look and exchanged notes with each other.
We started with a traditional Baraat outside in the November winter air and welcomed the groom. Both the bride’s and groom’s families wore traditional Indian attire. The ceremony was Hindu and officiated by Hindu Pandit Gujarati. Traditional customs were all incorporated.
Toward the end of the ceremony, the groom’s father, a reverend, performed a ring exchange ceremony and read a blessing. After the ceremony guests were treated to a luncheon and after lunch the bride’s family had a Vidai a farewell to the bride as she begins her new married life. The bride and groom rode off in a horse drawn carriage. After the vidai we changed from ceremony outfits into reception outfits, the women wore traditional outfits while the men put on black tuxedos.
The bride and groom’s first dance was choreographed and wowed the crowd. The most sentimental part of the evening is when the groom sang a Hindi love song to the me. It was a complete surprise but so wonderful.
The wedding and reception itself were held at the historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington. The ceremony was in the Isabella Ballroom and the reception was held in the Grand Pennington Ballroom.
The ceremony colors were gold and red and the reception colors were cobalt blue and silver. The mandap was custom made and awash with gold draping and red velvet. The white carpet and white furniture accented the stage. The reception room was transformed with dark blue draping, blue uplights, a crystal curtain to accent the sweetheart table and hydrangea centerpieces in a dark blue dripping with crystals.
The guests were treated to an Indian and Asian food buffet while they later indulged in a chocolate fountain and many mini desserts and wedding cake. Guests were entertained with a caricature artist, a photobooth and an interactive DJ that got everyone dancing Bollywood by the end of the evening!
Could you tell us about any special wedding customs/clothing you had?
A very emotional part of the ceremony is when the bride’s mother welcomed the groom, the Dwar Puja. Many women in the family participated and really made the groom feel welcomed in the family.
After the ceremony ended we invited our guests to take a picture with us on the mandap. This was a wonderful way to greet those that had come to the wedding and now we have wonderful pictures of all our guests.
What was the inspiration for your wedding?
The ceremony inspiration was a picture of a mandap found on Pinterest and from there the ceremony design came together. Roses were the only flower used in the ceremony, the garlands were made of 100% roses and they adorned the mandap and pillars in the ceremony room. The bride carried a crystal and rose bouquet.
The reception inspiration were crystals and silver and my wedding planner used these concepts to come up with the final design of the room. The highlight of the design was a crystal curtain that framed our sweetheart table and cobalt blue draping throughout the ballroom.
What was the hardest part about wedding planning?
Working with the hotel on a menu. Indian food is not on their banquet menu, so we had to work very closely with the hotel chef. He was excited to learn the new dishes, but we had to have multiple tastings in order to make sure the menu tasted authentic.
We created our card box on our own.
What was your favorite part of the wedding?
Seeing my groom for the first time that day for our “first look”. We exchanged letters and I couldn’t be happier.
What 3 words of advice do you have for future brides/grooms-to-be?
Brides – Hire a wedding planner, try not to stress out it always comes together at the end, and remember to enjoy your day after the hard work of planning it all you deserve to have fun that day. Grooms – help where you can but the bride is always right 🙂
Anything else you would like to add?
This wedding was truly a coming together of two families, we had our nearest and dearest family and friends there to celebrate with us, making it an unforgettable day.
Vendors:
Clothing: Studio Elite // Groom’s Shervani: Saahil Exclusive // Family & Friends’ Clothing: Palkhi // Bridesmaids & Groomsmen’s Outfits: Dream Collections // Bride’s Reception Dress: Officially Couture // Planner: Red Letter Event Planning // Photographer: Matt Shumate Photography // Florist: Angela Austin Floral Design // Decor & Mandap: Design Events
