Sara and Partha were long time college friends who had met as freshmen long before their official first date during their senior year. After college, they were long distance before both landing in Nashville where Partha proposed in the rose garden of Sara’s childhood church. Scroll on to see all of the bold, beautiful photos by Julia Wade Photography of all of the incredible details planned by Dina Berg Blazek Events. The stunning florals were courtesy of Blossom Shop Florist and Philip James Films filmed this special day at North Corner Haven. You can see all the images in the full gallery here, so be sure to check them out after reading the full rundown below!
Sara and Partha’s wedding was a perfect blend of both of their cultures and families. Instead of a traditional multi-day ceremony, they combined the Hindu and Christian ceremonies into one, co-officiated by an Episcopal priest and a Hindu priest, calling it an ‘Episcodu’ service. They also customized the music, with a string quartet at the beginning and end of the service with Indian nadaswaram and tabla players during the Hindu portion of the service, creating a unique experience for their guests.
The pair was not afraid of color, either, taking inspiration from Partha’s Indian heritage. The first decision made was designing the “ghagra choli” outfits for the bridesmaids. Handmade in India, each skirt had a different pattern that they then wove throughout every detail of the wedding, from the linens and lamp shades to the 5-tier cake to the custom dance floor. Each bridesmaid carried a monochromatic bouquet that tied into the bold mix of colors and flowers used throughout the day.
Their blended focus carried over into the party that evening. The food was a combination of both their Indian and Southern cultures, with tandori shrimp next to shrimp and grits, and samosas with pimento biscuits. And because Sara’s dad is in a wheelchair, they did an emotional family dance (instead of a traditional father-daughter dance) to “What a Wonderful World,” with both sides of the family joining together.
Some words of wisdom:
“My number one piece of advice is to embrace the creativity of your vendors. We had so much fun letting them do what they do best and giving them creative license to just go for it! Don’t be afraid of doing something different and unique to have your day truly represent yourselves.”
