Two bourbon tasting bars, several couture sari’s, and plenty of pops of color, this GlenLary Estate horsefarm affair from One Fine Day is literally overflowing with beauty. Add in a completely in love (and completely gorgeous) couple, two cultural ceremonies (one Hindu and one Christian) and gorgeous photography by Amy Campbell, and we officially have gallery worth celebrating, right here!
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From the beautiful Bride… Ajay and I met in the summer after I finished residency but before I started my fellowship in oncology. At that time he worked for the Boston Bruins and I was working in a lab doing cancer research; our lives in fact couldn’t have been more different! But from the moment I met him, I knew the line of my life had changed forever. Within a few months we were in love, and just after 2 years he proposed to me at Pier’s Point, a beautiful park overlooking the Boston Harbor.
Ajay was born in Boston and is a Boston boy through and through, but his family is originally from Rajasthan in India. It was important to us that we really highlighted that. And though I’ve lived in Boston for the past 8 years, I am from rural Kentucky and bourbon, basketball, horses and bluegrass are in my blood. From early on, it was obvious that to really do things right we would need to do two ceremonies: one Hindu and one Christian.
Nothing beats down south for beautiful, relaxed venues. Initially we flirted with the idea of getting married in Boston, but in my heart I knew I wanted to go home. I secured one of the most gorgeous places in the state; a working horsefarm and restored mansion out in Bourbon County, Kentucky. After that, everything fell into place for our wedding, which stretched out over two days.
The theme of our weekend was family, friends and fun. I didn’t want anything to be stuffy…it’s the south after all! I was blessed to have an amazing wedding planner (single most important thing I did) who was a true partner in creating the event design and ambiance. For the interfaith/intercultural couples out there, we did both our ceremonies in 1 day like so: Hindu ceremony, cocktail hour, Christian ceremony, Cocktail hour, reception.
My lehenga and the bridesmaids sari’s were couture and complete works of art. They were hand made for us, comprised of silk and chiffon and hand dyed in a beautiful ombre. These were a surprise from Ajay’s aunt, who is a designer and artist in Bombay. The jewelry for the Indian ceremony were heirlooms from Ajay’s family. Several generations of Rajput brides have worn those gold pieces encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, and I felt so honored to be a part of the tradition.
The beautiful birch Mandap was hand made by my father, built to his exact engineering specifications, and my mother sewed the raspberry silk canopy. In between ceremonies my florist quickly took down the canopy and cut down the pink and red flowers, leaving only the beautiful greenery and white flowers for the Christian ceremony. I brought a string quartet in from a neighboring state and had them play “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones for my walk down the aisle. My Christian dress was Carol Hannah from Project Runway, and was made from blush tulle and linen. My childhood minister came in from Texas and married us with traditional vows, but we also said our own. Ajay’s were amazing….its tough to work in a Michael Jordan reference into your vows! I brought in a traditional Kentucky bluegrass band to play the second cocktail hour, which was replete with not one but two bourbon tasting bars. For dinner we did a southern menu, and for dessert we did cupcakes, ice cream from a local favorite, and pecan pie. By the end of the reception it was pouring rain but no one cared…it was a dance party!
My advice to any brides is to hire the people that you get good vibes from, even if you feel like maybe they are a bit more expensive or conversely they are relatively young. I went by that rule and I had an AMAZING team of professionals who made our day so beautiful; people still are talking about how much fun they had!
Photography: Amy Campbell Photography | Wedding Planner: One Fine Day Wedding Consultation | Florist: Hide And Seek Design | Wedding Gown: Carol Hannah | Catering: Dupree Catering + Events | Hair + Makeup: Applied Cosmetic Services | Lighting: Vincent Lighting | String Quartet: Innocenti Quartet | Bluegrass Band: Hot Chocolate And The Marshmellows | Ceremony + Reception: Events At Glenlary | Ice Cream Cart: Graeters | Lehenga + Sari Designer: Anuradha Singh | Rentals: Purdons | Rentals: Refined Social Events