Rani and Tim’s vineyard wedding in North East Maryland, was a lovely blend of a modern farm aesthetic and the bride’s rich cultural background. Rani’s mother is from New Delhi and the traditions of her heritage were woven into the day like the elephant motif symbolizing prosperity and good luck, and the bride’s henna as well as her grandmother’s bright ruby jewelry. Amanda’s Florist created relaxed, white florals that tied into the beautiful landscape and Ashley Relvas Photography was on hand to capture all the details and moments of the day.
What made the wedding special and unique?
I had never dreamed of what this day would be like having grown up with two older brothers – it just wasn’t something that was brought up very often. Yet, when it came time for my husband and I to make decisions on what we envisioned, things clicked very nicely. Trusting our gut instincts on what we loved the most, we, along with friends and family created an unforgettable day.
After attending weddings into the double digits year after year, we knew the core elements of what we enjoyed the most at a great party – delicious food, flowing booze and music that got every single person out of their seats – everything else was just a bonus. We saw four venues – the last being the one. We fell in love all over again at Elk Manor and were ecstatic to have an amazing all-in-one venue with an established caterer to boot.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
With my mom being from New Delhi and my dad having been born and raised on the east coast and of Irish descent (similar to that of my husband), I wanted to weave both cultures into the celebration to reflect our union.
Any bright colors typically work for Indian weddings while red is typically reserved for the bride. I wore my grandmother’s ruby earrings and necklace to reflect that bright, vibrant color while maintaining a neutral/peach and gold color scheme throughout the bridal party outfits and decorations. The rubies were such a special piece to the day – my grandmother wore them at her wedding and my mother at hers – it was amazing to have three generations of love represented in the jewelry set. Mehndi (Henna) is an Indian tradition when it comes to weddings and I was so happy to have ornate designs on my hands which are known to symbolize joy and happiness.
Elephants symbolize prosperity and good luck, so it was easy for us to make this beautiful animal a cornerstone of our wedding. The gold elephants helped tie together white flowers and other rustic touches to create simple centerpieces that stood out.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I went with traditional western clothing for the big day, aiming for embellished and detailed looks. I lucked out at a BHLDN sample sale and came home with two incredible dresses – one for the ceremony and one for the party. For the ladies, I had been loving some Adrianna Papell and decided on full length, neutral embellished gowns. The guys wore navy with peach ties helping to give a balanced and attractive color scheme to our outdoor, by-the-water wedding.
We could not have been happier with our wedding and are so thankful to have such an amazing group of family and friends that surround us and were there to help us celebrate the best day of our lives.
Photography: Ashley Relvas Photography // Florist: Amanda’s Florist // Invitations: Direct from India // Venue: The Winery at Elk Manor // Wedding Dresses: BHLDN // Bridesmaid Dresses: Adrianna Papell // Cake: Sugar Bakers Cakes // Hair: Kristina Wolfe // Makeup: Blush Makeup LLC // Catering: Rogue Fine Catering // Band: Rich Posmontier Ensemble // Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab