Naomi and Nikul
Naomi and Nikul’s red and gold traditional wedding in the land of stars and stripes.
How they met
Naomi and Nikul were introduced to each other by Nikul’s brother, at UC San Diego. They started a long distance relationship, pursuing graduate degrees on opposite sides of the country. They now live in the San Francisco Bay Area where Nikul works as a biomedical engineer and Naomi as a physical therapist. On their 5th anniversary, says Naomi, “We were spending the day in San Francisco celebrating this milestone. We went on a picnic and then we went to one of the viewpoints overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. And that’s when Nikul proposed overlooking the bridge and the city.”
Wedding Events
Naomi’s pre-wedding events took place at her parent’s home in Livermore, CA, while Nikul’s held his at the India Community Center in Milpitas, CA on the same day. Their wedding and reception was held the following day.
Naomi and Nikul wanted an outdoor celebration with all the ceremonies of a traditional Hindu wedding. Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery was the perfect location. The stage was set with a mandap in red and gold fabric, festooned with red rose garlands. Bouquets of red, white and green held the fabric in place. The rose-petal lined path to the mandap was draped in a soft, almost sheer, gold fabric, accented with smaller bouquets, to match the mandap.
Following the ceremony, guests made their way indoors for the evening festivities. The stage was set to include antique elements to the modern luxury. The curtain backdrop sparkled with beadwork and hand-made paper rose garlands complementing the soft texture of the pillows. Lining the stage were custom floral arrangements set atop clear pillars dripping with strands of crystal beads. Continuing with shades of red and gold for the table decor, fuschias, purples and blue flowers were added to the centerpieces of varying heights.
Wedding Shopping
Naomi shopped for her trousseau in Mumbai. Her wedding outfit was from Aishwaraya while her reception outfit was purchased at Roopkala. Nikul bought his wedding clothes at Rajoo India in Surat, Gujarat, and custom made his reception tuxedo at IndoChino.com
Challenges of organizing an Indian Wedding in the US
– Finding a venue that can accommodate a large guest list which allows outside catering and an open flame for the pheras.
– A photographer/videographer who knows the important ceremonies in a traditional Hindu wedding.
– A horse for the baraat.
– Purchasing party favors from India.
The Wedding Makers
Event Design & Florals- Anais Event Planning & Design
Venue- Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery
Mehndi Designers- Neeta Sharma & Ravi Kattaura
Photography- Joseph Pascua Photography
Videography- Fusion Moments Media
Catering- Silver Spoon Catering
Wedding Cake- Creative Cakes
Baraat Vehicle- Vintage Carriage Company
Music and entertainment- DJ Salim
