Sarah and Ishan's Indian fusion wedding elegantly blended Eastern tradition with Western allure, setting a traditional Gujarati mandap against the serene backdrop of a coastal Florida town. The lavish combination of gold and red décor harmonized with blush and ivory florals while music, dance, and twinkling lights added to the essence of the extraordinary union.
“We wanted to keep with many of the traditional aspects of a Hindu wedding ceremony to honor my husband's culture, so for many of the design elements, we tried to keep things traditional and classic with lots of gold and red. I chose a red wedding dress because Ishan is Gujarati, and traditionally, brides wear red,” the bride explained. “We wanted things light and airy for our wedding reception, with a hint of glamor, and we went with peach and gold.”
“Sarah and Ishan wanted something that was traditional and classy. They chose a white and gold mandap with blush and ivory florals to give it a classy, timeless look,” wedding planner Neethu Philip, owner of InStyle Events, added.
While planning their June wedding, the Trinity couple turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for local insight and inspiration.
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay for input on wedding venues in the Tampa Bay Area,” the bride detailed. “Neither Ishan nor I am from this area, so we had no idea about any of the venues, and it was nice to have a website that could shed some light on that.”
Choosing the right team to capture these moments was crucial for the couple. Mars and the Moon Films stood out with their genuine approach to wedding photography and videography.
“It was extremely important to us that our photos and video have an air of authenticity and creativity and that were just a little bit off the beaten path. We wanted our personalities to shine through and for things not to be too gimmicky or posed,” Sarah shared. “Mars and the Moon Films stood out from all the other wedding videos that I watched while doing my research. There’s something incredibly genuine and real about their work. I found myself crying at wedding videos of people I didn’t even know, and the quality of their films is unmatched. Mars and the Moon Films gave us a wedding video that is beyond incredible. I still watch it every week and love it more each time.”
Sarah sought a natural yet magical makeup look to pair with her intricate wedding jewelry, and Michele Renee The Studio delivered exactly what the bride had envisioned. Their deep understanding of Indian wedding traditions and invaluable cultural insights resulted in exceptional makeup artistry.
“Because my wedding jewelry was so ornate, I didn’t want to go too over the top with my makeup. I wanted to keep things as natural as I could but still look glamorous and really show off my eyes,” the bride beamed. “Michele Renee The Studio catered to Indian weddings and had amazing Indian bridal packages. When I met Michele Renee for a trial, I knew I had made the right decision because not only did she do an amazing job on my makeup, but she understood a lot about Indian wedding culture and was able to assist with my jewelry. Plus, she has a wonderful personality and is just nice to have around.”
Combining the two cultures made for a memorable evening for the couple's 90 guests, which included a multi-day celebration.
“Having a fusion wedding isn’t something that all couples get to experience. Getting to celebrate the colorful vibrancy of Indian culture was something that my side of the family really enjoyed,” the bride gushed. “While we didn’t celebrate all of the typical Indian wedding festivities, we did incorporate most of them, including a small Mendhi (henna party), Haldi (turmeric ceremony), Baraat (groom's progression), and our Hindu wedding ceremony.”
The couple highlighted their vibrant personalities with live entertainment and dance performances. One of the standout moments was during cocktail hour, where guests enjoyed the harmonious blend of American and Indian melodies.
“They had live music for cocktail hour, and everyone loved it. The violinist played a mixture of American and Indian music,” the wedding planner revealed. “Sarah and Ishan hired professional dancers to perform during the reception and also hired the same team to teach them their first dance. It completely reflected their fun and bubbly personalities.”
As Sarah looked back on her wedding day, two moments deeply touched her heart: Ishan making his grand Baraat entrance and the playful Haldi ceremony.
“During Ishan's Baraat, the groom's procession to the wedding on a horse, I was standing on the roof of the hotel watching from above. It was a beautiful scene, and everyone was dancing and celebrating. It was one of the best moments for me,” the bride reminisced. “The night before our wedding at our Haldi, our family and friends lined up and painted us with turmeric and yogurt, and it was so silly and fun.”
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
Because my wedding jewelry was so ornate, I didn’t want to go too over the top with my makeup. I wanted to keep things as natural as I could but still look glamorous and really show off my eyes.
Michele Renee The Studio catered to Indian weddings and had amazing Indian bridal packages. When I met Michele Renee for a trial, I knew I had made the right decision because not only did she do an amazing job on my makeup, but she understood a lot about Indian wedding culture and was able to assist with my jewelry. Plus, she has a wonderful personality and is just nice to have around.
The Proposal:
Ishan took me out on a boat on the Fourth of July and proposed under the fireworks.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted to keep with many of the traditional aspects of a Hindu wedding ceremony to honor my husband's culture, so for many of the design elements, we tried to keep things traditional and classic with lots of gold and red.
We wanted things light and airy for our wedding reception, with a hint of glamor, and we went with peach and gold. I chose a red wedding dress because Ishan is Gujarati, and traditionally, brides wear red.
What did you look for in a wedding photo and video team?
It was extremely important to us that our photos and video have an air of authenticity and creativity and that were just a little bit off the beaten path. We wanted our personalities to shine through and for things not to be too gimmicky or posed.
Mars and the Moon Films stood out from all the other wedding videos that I watched while doing my research. There’s something incredibly genuine and real about their work. I found myself crying at wedding videos of people I didn’t even know, and the quality of their films is unmatched. Mars and the Moon Films gave us a wedding video that is beyond incredible. I still watch it every week and love it more each time.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Sandals in Saint Lucia
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
While all of our vendors went above and beyond, our decor designer really exceeded our expectations. We were planning the wedding from different states, and I was in nursing school. We just threw a concept at him with vague details, and he really took what we told him and made something beautiful. I was in shock when I saw my Mandap and reception hall.
Mars and the Moon Films gave us a wedding video that is beyond incredible; I still watch it every week and love it more each time.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
If you can, hire a wedding planner.
On the day of our wedding, I was able to truly enjoy the day, all thanks to Neethu at InStyle Events and her team.
