An Intimate Indian-American Celebration Blending Heritage and Heart in the Tuscan Countryside

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

For the Haldi: different shades of yellow, dove grey, and ice white. For the Sangeet: gold, grey, green, different shades of dove grey, and white. For the White Wedding: gold, grey green, light grey, pale pink, and ice white.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

From the bride & groom: “Usually, Indian weddings tend to have a tremendous number of people for the celebration. However, the essence and feeling we wanted to give to all the guests was that this was an intimate wedding. Everyone there was someone special to us, and someone who knew my dad when he was around (he passed away when I was 15). With this in mind, we decided to have a destination wedding to create that feeling. We landed on the destination of Tuscany, Italy, due to our history as a couple with the location. We met when I was a freshman in college, and in my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, for a semester. Ashok was in medical school at the time, and was able to fly to meet me there, making it our first vacation and trip together as a couple. It has always had a special place in our hearts, so we thought it would be fitting to have the wedding in a meaningful place! While we spent most of our time during our initial trip in Florence, we decided to take the wedding to the countryside for a more romantic, quaint feel. The Tuscan countryside has an undeniable charm, and the beauty speaks for itself. For the wedding ceremony itself, we wanted to do a modern take on Indian weddings since we are Indian-American and wanted to combine our two worlds, while also highlighting Italian culture. I wore a deep red lehenga to stay traditional and honor my roots, which I am so happy I did because it contrasted so beautifully with the Tuscan greenery. However, I chose a modern design of a dress by Dolly J Studios and customized the blouse, with the lengha having a floral, Italian-esque design rather than traditional geometric patterns, and wearing a long veil, as an homage to western bridal dresses. Instead of a traditional mandap, we also had a western-style neutral floral arrangement within tall Italian stone vases + Roman statues to blend the Italian feel. At the end of the religious ceremony, we chose to incorporate the Western tradition of vows, to share our love for each other in front of those who loved us most. Throughout the wedding, as well as the other wedding events, the underlying theme was appreciating the natural beauty of the Tuscan countryside and adding decor simply to enhance it. We had a total of 125 guests, in what felt like a storybook setting in the Tuscan countryside for a 3-day intimate celebration of our love- it truly felt like a magical bubble. “

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

From the bride & groom: “How we met: We met by chance when I (Priya) was just 17 in high school and he (Ashok) was in college. We briefly met at a party when I was smitten with him after seeing him across the room (true story!), but we just went our separate ways. Just a year later, when I started college, we happened to meet each other again at a party, not remembering we had met before. This time, we began getting to know each other and kept in touch. We realized early on that we were going to eventually be at the same medical school (I was in an accelerated program with an early acceptance to med school, and he was just accepted to the same medical school a few months prior). A few weeks into getting to know each other, I realized he was the same guy I was smitten with a year prior, and it seemed like fate, quite honestly, that we were on the same personal/professional track, although a few years apart, and our lives had crossed paths yet again. We fell in love within a few months of knowing each other and ended up dating throughout college, medical school (we had 2 years overlap), and now we are both in residency. Just as luck would have it, we are now residents in the same hospital! He is an orthopedic surgeon, and I am a plastic & reconstructive surgeon. We are both surgical residents who share a deep passion for our profession and each other. Despite us both working 100+ hour work weeks sometimes, we always fit in moments to find time for each other. Our line of work can be fulfilling, but also emotionally and physically hard- having each other to come back to is so grounding. It’s now been almost 10 years together, and I will always feel like our love story is one of fate. The proposal: After moving in together, when I started residency at the same hospital as Ashok, he secretly began to plan the proposal. He knew I wanted to be completely surprised, and so he had to take matters into his own hands to create a plan and hide it from me, all while living together. In April of 2023, we had planned a weekend out in Brooklyn under the pretense that one of our close friends was proposing to his girlfriend. The entire time we were there, I believed I was getting ready to see one of our close friends get engaged, when in reality, it was us! On the day of the proposal, as luck would have it, it was pouring rain and thunderstorming. Ashok had flown in decorators from California to NY to create an elaborate setup that was initially intended to be along the water, with the New York cityscape and Brooklyn bridge in the background; however, due to the rain and high winds, they were unable to do so. They got creative with solutions, and somehow, there was a nearby Shake Shack with an outdoor patio with an awning and string lights that permitted them to set up there to protect the decor from the rain, still with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge. When the Uber dropped us off at the corner, and we turned onto the street, he told me, “Someone else is getting proposed to today.” I was dumbfounded, and it was not until we walked up to this beautiful setup of a large heart made of flowers, with lighted words saying “you Marry Me?” in the center, surrounded by pictures of us and rose petals across the ground, that I understood what was happening. It was beautiful! The rain made the entire experience even more romantic and magical. After the proposal, we ran across the boardwalk with the city/Brooklyn Bridge in the background, all while in the rain, and it was perfect! After the proposal, he surprised me once more with an intimate dinner at the River Cafe in Brooklyn, and a surprise afterparty on a Manhattan rooftop with all of my family and best friends who flew in to celebrate. “

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Welcome Dinner: House of CB dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. Haldi- custom outfits matching with groom Sangeet- Seema Gujral lehenga Wedding Ceremony- Dolly J Studios lehenga, jewelry Raabta by Rahul Reception-Look 1 (cocktail ceremony)- Retrofete gown + Jimmy Choo shoes; Look 2 (reception dinner)- Dolly J Studios sari

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

From the bride: All dresses were custom! I worked with a designer in India, Pinky Kandhari, who was able to bring my vision to life. I wanted all the girls to be in beige/gold with similar fabrics, however, with different blouses and outfit styles that matched their personality and were flattering for each of them as individuals! Some girls wore lehengas, some shararas (a style of Indian clothing with flared pants and a cropped top), and each with a different design of a dupatta (Indian scarf) and blouse. All of the girls gave me their preferences, and we were able to create 11 different and unique bridesmaids’ outfits. I felt that this way, the differences added some dimension, while also allowing them each to dress in something they felt most confident and comfortable in!

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

Welcome Dinner: H&M suit Haldi- custom-made outfits, matching with bride Sangeet- Kora by Nilesh Mitesh Wedding Ceremony- Kora by Nilesh Mitesh Reception- Custom Tux, Gucci bowtie gifted by bride, Rolex gifted by MIL

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

For the White Wedding reception, the catering Il Sorriso served the following menu: Trofie with Arugula and Walnut, Spaghetti with Pesto and Confit Yellow Tomatoes, Ricotta and Basil Tortelli on a raw Tomato sauce with fried aubergines and Pecorino Cheese flakes, Chicken thigh marinated with ginger, paprika, and garlic with yogurt dressing. For vegetarian guests, the bride and the groom selected Zucchini Flowers filled with Ricotta Cheese on Potatoes and Saffron Cream and Black Truffle. As a side dish, they served Roasted Potatoes and Spinach with roasted Pine Nuts and Cherry Tomatoes.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

For the Haldi: the flower selection included white, yellow, and pink carnations, roses – Mondial and Brighton, laurel and olive branches with lemons. The flower decor also included baskets with petals of different colors, mostly pink, yellow, and orange, to be used during the rite. For the Sangeet, the flower selection included carnations, roses, white hydrangeas, and a mix of greenery (ruscus, eucalyptus, and olive branches). For the White Wedding: the flower decor for the White Wedding had white as the main color. A selection of different types of roses, together with lisianthus and delphinium, with a touch of grey-green, was used both for the ceremony and the tables of the wedding reception.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

For the cake cutting, they decided to have the traditional Italian cake Millefoglie stuffed with chantilly cream and decorated with mixed berries.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]From the bride & Groom:

“Unique things we did:
First Touch: Instead of a first look, we did a first touch! I wanted my wedding look to be a surprise during the entrance, but not sleeping next to each other the night before or seeing each other all morning was something both of us knew would be nerve wrecking. So, we chose to do a first touch- we met in a secret spot and couldn’t see each other behind the wall, but we were able to hold hands, hear each other’s voices and feel each other’s presence right before the ceremony started. It calmed our nerves getting to have that private, sweet moment and catch up right before we laid eyes on each other in front of all our guests.

Making our guests feel extra special for making the trip for our wedding:

To show everyone how much they mean to us, and how thankful we are that they came all the way to celebrate our love, we made seating assignments through thank you notes. Despite our schedules (we tend to work overtime in hospital), we wrote personalized handwritten thank you notes to each guest telling them anecdotes and what they meant to us as individuals, finally finishing these in Italy on the nights leading up to the wedding. These cards were then hung on a large board as a way for each person to find their seat. It was so beautiful, to see later in videos captured by our guests and HOTC, how much this meant to them, coming from us.

First Dance with Mom: After losing my dad at the age of 15, it had been just my mom and I for the last 13 years together. I knew I would not have my dad at the wedding since I was a teenager, and had given a lot of thought of who I would do my first dance with. I could have opted for one of my uncles, but I decided to ask my mom to dance with me. She acted as both a dad and a mom to me growing up after we lost him, and is my best friend. We slow danced to my dad’s favorite song, and cried both sad and happy tears the entire time. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. It was one of the most special moments of the wedding, and it felt as if my dad was in the room with us.”[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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