Marriage is more than just the union of two people, and this heavenly wedding is proof. These Battery Gardens nuptials are the perfect blending of two families, two cultures, and two sets of traditions. Not to mention the gorgeous colors, luscious floral arrangements, and enviable decor. We got lost in the snaps from Judith Rae Photography, and you can too in the full gallery here!
From the bride: Tom and I met in college. Tom was probably among the first 10 people I met at Columbia. We ended up living in the same building, a floor apart. In almost every respect, we are two complete opposites, but I think that is what has made us work so well together – we challenge each other in almost every way, which has resulted in both of us widening our understanding of the world, each other, and ourselves. We survived two years of long distance between DC and New York after college, during which we took a trip to visit a friend in New Zealand, where Tom proposed to me. Neither of us is very cheesy nor romantic, but it was probably the most romantic setting you could imagine: in the middle of snowcapped mountains with the sun coming up.
We were pretty open minded when it came to what kind of wedding we wanted, but the decision came easily, as both of our families were especially excited about the idea of an Indian wedding. We decided not to go with a planner because the whole event was unique (a modified Tamil ceremony followed by a more western reception) and we were getting married in New York (where we and both sets of families live). We figured that, between all of us, we could handle it. Most importantly, we both felt like we knew every detail and it really felt like a personal ceremony because we had been so closely involved. The reason we were able to pull it off without a planner was because of everyone’s help. My brother stayed up with us multiple times until 2 am folding programs, checking table numbers, and helping out in countless other ways; his fiance did all of my make-up; Tom’s mother ran a million errands; and my friends came over at the drop of a hat to help me whenever I asked, and were especially helpful with sorting out all of the details for me the day of the wedding. Tom was just as involved as I was, which was hugely helpful – he came to almost every meeting with every vendor, and even went to some without me. Above all else – my mother… she did basically everything. She sorted out the entire ceremony and personally selected all of the saris you saw the women in Tom’s family wearing. She also picked my wedding sari without me even being there! The wedding wouldn’t have happened without her.
Planning the wedding was a lot of work and was a little bit stressful, but both of us had a day filled with joy, and we look back on it as one of the best day of our lives. All of the work was definitely worth it!
Photography: Judith Rae | Floral Design: Atlas Floral Decorators | Reception Venue: Battery Gardens | Shoes: Stuart Weitzmen | Makeup: Sarah Levin | Hair: Indu Manian | Hair: Amour de Hair | Officiant: Priest Badhri Narayanan | Band Reception: Faze 4 Orchestras | Bridesmaids Saris: Lasya (Usha Umapathi) | DJ Ceremony: Bollywood DJs | Evening Saris: Frontier Raas | Morning Saris: Hale Koa phineas Estate | Video: LOVE in PROGRESS video productions