I think it’s safe to say it’s rare to come across a bride who is half Indian and has red hair and fair, freckled skin (and before you ask: no, she’s not adopted, and yes, that is her real hair color). It’s probably even more rare to come across one who fits the description above AND who plays the violin professionally in an orchestra in Miami while ALSO pursuing her doctorate (why do I suddenly feel like a very boring underachiever?). Jaya’s day began at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn where she put on a fully beaded YSA Makino gown, reminiscent of a traditional Indian lehenga, but with a Western twist. Another nod to Indian wedding customs appeared as the ladies of the bridal party sported henna on their hands from Blue Lotus Mendhi:
The bride isn’t the only gifted musician in this duo – Tony plays the viola in the same orchestra as the bride. Naturally, the music for the day was high on the list of priorities for these two, so this crazy talented couple put together all the arrangements for the ceremony music, which were performed by their musically inclined friends/guests.
The ceremony was Catholic, but also incorporated a symbol typically found in Hindu weddings. Around Jaya’s neck, Tony placed a mangalsutra, which is a necklace that symbolizes their love and marriage (you can see it below in the reception pictures. It’s similar to the symbolism of wearing a wedding ring, though they doubled up on traditions and exchanged rings as well (including Tony’s unique rose gold band)!
Since it rained earlier in the day and Jaya and Tony had decided not to do a first look, we headed over to the Jule Collins Smith Museum for pictures after the ceremony:
If you’ve been to the Bottling Plant Event Center (aka Opelika Event Center Downtown), then you know it’s a very industrial-looking space. Wedding planner Julie Bunkley of Invision Events completely transformed it by softening it with plenty of draping, and bringing in vibrant lighting from AG Lighting. In another nod to the newlyweds’ musical backgrounds, guests sat at candlelit tables that were not only numbered, but also named for famous composers. The classic floral palette came courtesy of Opelika Floral Company. The cake from Sonshine Cakes featured piping that was reminiscent of mendhi patterns, and in honor of the bride’s Southern roots, dessert also included classic Southern pies, such as peach and pecan.
The bride and groom opted for a full brass band from Atlanta, called On the Air. With so many musically talented guests in attendance, it was inevitable that someone would join the band – and bridesmaid Suzanne blew the crowd (and the band) away when she joined them to sing “Georgia On My Mind”. The dance floor stayed full all night, and naturally, included some Indian music and dancing (some of Jaya’s family had even made the trek all the way from India to attend). Jaya gladly demonstrated what she called the “lightbulb” dance, since the hand/wrist movements resemble the motion of screwing a lightbulb into a socket!
Guests took breaks from the dance floor and posed in a photo booth, and took home tiny jars of Ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) as favors as they wished the newlyweds well with a sparkler exit.
Jaya & Tony: thank you for letting me change lightbulbs with you. Here’s to many years of falling on the dance floor and covering it up by doing pushups!
Ceremony Venue: St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Bottling Plant Event Center
Event Planning: Invision Events
Wedding Gown: YSA Makino
Reception Lighting: AG Lighting
Cake: Sonshine Cakes
Band: On the Air (Del Baroni)
