geetika and ravi
This was the first of what I hope is many Indian weddings I had the pleasure of planning. This sweet couple reached out to me from NYC just 6 months before their wedding date for help. The groom grew up in Hawaii and they had a vision of planning the tropical destination wedding of their dreams while still honoring their Indian heritage. One of the biggest challenges with planning an Indian wedding in Hawaii is that there are not many vendors who are familiar with the culture. With that being said, we were up to the creative challenge!
The ultimate challenge was finding a caterer who could accommodate 150+ guests and make authentic Indian food. After multiple tastings we ended up creating an island fusion Indian menu that was just the right balance to accommodate everyone’s palates. Next we had to find a Hindu priest! With limited options on Oahu, we ended up flying one in from Maui. His ceremony was a beautiful fusion of a traditional Hindu ceremony with Hawaiian elements. The final challenge was finding a Mandap, the traditional four post structure that the ceremony takes place under. After extensive searching, we ended up working with a local artisan to build one for us!
On the wedding day, I couldn’t have been more excited. After months of learning about Indian wedding traditions and memorizing every part of the beautiful and elaborate Hindu ceremony, I was ready! The celebration began with the guests being greeted by the tropical leaf Ganesh, a traditional symbol or good luck. Guests were invited from the pre ceremony gathering location up the hill to the ceremony site, where the most spectacular view unfolded. After the ceremony, the guests meandered back down the hill to be greeted with a shave ice cart, live Hawaiian music and hula dancers. After the cocktail hour, guests found their seats for dinner with custom dinosaur key chain escort cards, a nod to the venue which was also the set for Jurassic Park. The reception began with a lively grand entrance from the bride, groom and their families. After dinner, guests couldn’t wait to get on the dance floor. They even had an epic dance off, that ended with the bride and groom going head to head! In the end, everyone left tired, but very happy. I couldn’t have been happier with how it all came together!
Photo Credit: Seeking Films
