Multi-Cultural Affair by Christian Oth Studios, IV
Thank you so very much to Michael Falco at Christian Oth Studios for sending us today’s incredible affair. It is a lesson in color, design and general fabulousness that we will always look to for a wedding pick-me-up! And to the lovely, lovely bride for taking the time to share with us all of the perfect details and beautiful thought that went into the day…
The reception took the whole event to another level completely. We loved the crisp, white walls and floors of Studio 450 and maximized the 360 degree views of the city and water. The sunset and night sky were gorgeous against our reds and oranges inside. We did the whole event cocktail-party style with lounge chairs highboy tables and a lit bar. We lined the center of white ottomans with sari fabric and embroidered pillows, we hung clusters of lanterns around the room and set up a long table for anyone who wanted to sit for a bit and get a bite to eat.
We hired Sarina Jain, the Jane Fonda of India and founder of Masala Bhangra to choreograph our routine. After the cocktail hour I made a costume change into a lime green Lehnga, traditional Indian dress. Ravi and I were introduced and walked into the intro beats of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. We walked around and greeted people and then took our positions opposite one another on the dance floor. Sharad cued Al Green’s, “Let’s Stay Together” and we started a very sexy dance… just when everyone was cheering for that the music exploded into the “Beware of the Boys” remix with Panjabi MC and Jay Z and we started an all out Bhangra routine that then transitioned into the well known “Mauja Hi Mauja” and we finished up with HipHop Bollywood moves.
So all in all, there it is, our own American Bollywood movie in the making. The process was intense, the planning insane but the day of was so worth every minute of it. Our friends and family made it an event that was amazingly filled with love and emotion and really reflected who we are as individuals, a couple and designers. We achieved what we set out to do which was to create an event that reflected us, screamed to the world that we are in love and hugged each and every guest for being the support we need to be where we are today. We are blessed and so thankful for such a wonderful day to remember forever. I didn’t want it to end. Now, I just want to make this a reality for other people in search of a special day!
uhm... can they be my friends? So much fun!
I wanna see a video of their dance! That sounds so cool!
Me too!! I would lovee to see their dance!
Wow! I believe we've seen this space before (NYC loft wedding), but it looks so different! Love the lighting and the lounge furniture. Great job!
I love the cufflinks that the groom is wearing. Anyone know where they're from?
This is officially the coolest wedding EVER on SMP!!! The bride and groom look like they're SO into their dance and having fun... great pix. Must have been one heck of a party!
Hi all... This was planned by a friend of mine - Preeti Shah from Spotlight Style! Give her a shout at preeti@spotlightstyle.com ... she'll know some of the details. You can more pics from their wedding on http://shaadichic.blogspot.com/
WOW! Talk about a party! I love the strong colors and the bride and groom seemed to be having a blast. So fun to see.
This is just AMAZING! The colors are fantastic. I adore the ceremony photos also...
Thanks for all your responses! We did have a total blast (as it should be on the most memorable day of your life!!) Ravi literally never left the dance floor!
Here's a bit more info:
The cufflinks were custom designed by a cousin of a friend. On our invites, Ravi designed a "logo" for our wedding. It was our date, 08.08.09 done in an Indian inspired typeface and then redrawn with extra flair that we wanted to add in. It set the whole tone of the wedding and I really wanted to get it made into cufflinks for him. Like the crazy dance, it was one of the biggest details I wanted to do!
I remembered at a friend's wedding several years ago that her cousin made custom cufflinks for her groom so I gave her a call, emailed the design and 2 weeks later, voila! She did an incredible job and he was so blown away when I sent them to his room while he was getting ready. They are something he will wear forever and I'm so glad I figured out a way to make it happen. Her name is Kate Mitchell and her email is k.twigdesigns@gmail.com.
As for our dance... we are working on tracking down a full video of it. Once we do, we will probably post it to youtube (our guests are eager to see it again too!) I will let Abby know when it's up!
If you are interested in any of the decor, or just brainstorming ideas, give me a shout. I bought most of the fabric and made a ton of the decor myself so I have it all packed up in my spare room. Ravi and I designed and art directed most of the wedding and were super hands-on. We wanted every detail to be right... we even came up with some of the signature cocktail recipes and how they would be served and garnished. We design events and branded experiences for a living both in our full time jobs and together in a company we started on our own so the details were very important to us! I really wanted to do the whole thing myself but you soon realize that you can't be decorating or breaking down chairs on the day of when you are the BRIDE!!! We decided to look for someone to help us and hired Preeti Shah and the staff at Spotlight Style to help source vendors and execute our vision on the day of. She helped us find our awesome caterer, Devi restaurant and amazing interfaith reverend, Susanna Stefanachi Macomb. My advice to anyone planning a wedding is to at least invest in a person to coordinate the day of... especially if you are in a loft or the like where everything needs to be brought in. No matter how much of a control freak you are, you will want someone taking care of stuff while you party away!
After spending the last year and a half planning our wedding I have the wedding bug! If you are looking for someone to help you bring your ideas to life; blend cultures, create an overall look and feel, design invite suites etc, brainstorm unexpected ways to express your unique story, or even just help you pull it together... please reach out to me as I would love to help out. It was so fun to "brand" and plan our wedding that we are focusing more on the event aspect of our business in the upcoming months and you can imagine that I am still very much in the wedding mindset! Please email me at play@monkeywhat.com if you are interested in learning more!
Decor: I own most of the fabric as none of the rental options out there seemed to be what we were looking for. I also made a lot of the decor such as the ribbons (each flower on there was handmade by my very crafty mother and my sewing machine never saw so much action!) Our entire spare bedroom is full of all the candles, holders, fabrics, pillows, ribbon decor etc... my husband's parents actually had another wedding ceremony in Toronto the following weekend for all the guests that couldn't travel to NYC and we reused a majority of the decor there. It was just as stunning!
Thanks again for all your comments! We are soooo happy that our joy, the absolute fun of the day/night and our sense of design came through so clearly! All of your comments really touched us!! Good luck and happy planning! It will be fabulous!
My favorite wedding on SMP evah!
I have to say, this is by far one of my favorite weddings. The vibrant colors are just stunning! Thanks for sharing and congratulations to the happy couple. :)