Well…I thought I had seen alllll the dancing at weddings. But no. With three days of Henna tattoos, bridal showers, family talents shows at a Sangeet ceremony and then, of course, the wedding and reception…. now, I feel like I’ve seen all the dancing. I had SO MUCH fun this weekend. Abbey and Mayukh were gracious enough to invite me to all the festivities that their Indian/American wedding included and I was not disappointed. So much color, good food and alll the dancing.
Abbey and Mayukh like to say they met the third time they were supposed to. After being in the same place at the same time twice and missing each other, they finally had their first conversation at a friend’s birthday party and the rest is history.
Their wedding, like so many others this year was rescheduled due to covid, and still could not include at least 100 guests who would have otherwise been here if not for travel restrictions, but it didn’t damper the fun. Both families were so happy to meet each other and celebrate with the happy couple.
The Mehndi party kicked of the weekend as all the ladies were decorated with henna.
After the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal brunch on Saturday they had the Haldi Ceremony where turmeric was placed on their head and hands by 5 married women on each side of their family. This is considered a symbol of blessing for the couple and a healthy marital life. According to Indian customs, all the married ladies of the house apply haldi to the bride and the groom in order to bless them with a long and strong relationship.
Then the dancing began. The Sangeet. Everything you’ve ever imagined about Bali dancing…. this was it. It was absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. It truly set the tone of celebration for the rest of the weekend.
Sunday morning for the joint wedding ceremony was perfectly beautiful and every tradition for both sides was welcomed and celebrated.
I had soooo much fun celebrating with these two and hope to witness many more Indian weddings soon!
The Vendors who made the day possible:
Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Guillermo Delgado
Venue: The Oaks at Salem
Wedding Coordinator: Aubi and Laura from The Oaks
Henna: Henna by Neena Jain
Her Dress: Pronovias from Tre Bella in Durham, NC
Wedding Party Attire: David's Bridal and Menswarehouse
The Rings: Diamond's Direct
Hair Stylist and Make up Artist: Ashley Watts
Florist: Cary Florist
Officiant: Jason Lynch
DJ: Frankie at CWDJ Entertainment
Catering: Under the Oak Restaurant and Catering
Cake Baker: I Do Cakes
Bartending: BrewMasters
Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals
Invitations: Papel Custom Design
Favors: Wine bottle stoppers featuring a prominent compass rose on top of the stopper