Many years ago, we had the pleasure of working with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his fiance, Rebecca on their wedding here in Charleston. They both wanted to honor his heritage and family, and celebrate with a traditional Hindu ceremony. If you haven’t witnessed an Indian wedding, there are so many special details and touches that make them truly beautiful.

The ceremony usually takes place (and can take several hours) under a mandap, so for everyone to have a prime view, a ceremony in the round was the best set up.

The Baraat is a key part of the ceremony, where the groom arrives by white horse (or elephant) with his family playing drums and dancing while escorting him.

Brides traditionally wear red in Hindu ceremonies as it’s tied to the sun and means prosperity and fertility. Henna is typically applied by family members the evening before and the intricate designs symbolize joy, beauty, spiritual awakening and offering.

Gold adorned papers decorated the ceremony programs and wrapped the wedding favors; Ganesh idols are necessary symbols at a Hindu ceremony.

Jim Smeal mimicked the Henna designs in gold leafing for the couples’ wedding cake.

The reception took place on at the campus of Ashley Hall school; Guests enjoyed traditional homemade Indian fare like muttar paneer, tikka masala, and naan. Velvet linens, colorful draping, and centerpieces of red roses and delphinium were some of the main design elements.

To incorporate some of the local flair- the bride and groom departed by a Charleston Rickshaw.

Thank you to Liz Banfield for the imagery.