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Wedding Planner: Nahid Global Events
Officiant: Our family – Ishani’s grandfather (Yogesh) and father (Sanjay) for the Hindu ceremony, and Noah’s father (Tom) for the Christian ceremony
Caterers: Samira Wedding & Events, Manohar’s Delhi Palace, Coast Catering
Bridal Gown: Almas Tejani Desi Couture (@almastejani)
Grooms Suit: Almas Tejani Desi Couture / Indochino
Bridesmaids Dresses: Almas Tejani Desi Couture
Makeup Artist: Dolled Up by Lulu (@dolledupbylulu), Arshin Celebrity Stylist (@arshin_7)
Hair Stylist: Hair by Pasquale Caselle (@hairbypasquale)
Videographer: Balerina Films (@balerinafilms)
MEHENDI
HOW DID YOU BOTH MEET – ISHANI’S VERSION
Noah first caught my eye our freshmen year of SMU. He was the goalie for our dorm’s intramural soccer team. While he was defending the goal in his hot pink sweat- bands, I was skipping around the field picking dandelions. A couple weeks later was the dorm’s Queso Night. Our eyes met from across the cheese table, and I invited him to the late night showing of Lala Land. Kayla and I dressed up in our best onesies, ten people piled into a car, and we were on our way. I was in the front seat and Noah in the trunk, but we chatted the entire ride. Noah soon infiltrated the friend group- finding his way to daily dinner at Umph, study sessions in Fondren, and star gazing on Dallas Hall Lawn. And on earth day, April 22, 2017, we went on our first date. I remember not being able to stop smiling as we held hands for the first time in the streets of downtown Dallas. Basking in each other’s laughter, we brought out our silliest sides. We ironically followed a day at the aquarium with a sushi dinner. Over dessert we talked about music and books, family and friends, childhood dreams and adult realities. We sought out similarities like plucking berries from a bush. It was like 2 rivers that meet in the sea, carving out our lives in such vastly differing terrains yet coming together all the same. Question upon questions and answers that bridged our differences, we were wholly ourselves – unedited, unabridged, untethered. And the rest was history.
HOW DID YOU BOTH MEET – NOAH’S VERSION
I’ve always found it hard to put Ishani and I’s love story into words- it’s sweet, yet hard to tell exactly when we crossed the line from friends into something more. The best way I can describe it is like when you were a kid, rolling down a hill on a crisp fall day: exhilarating, unexpected, a little bit messy, but you can’t wait to do it all over again. If you read Ishani’s version first, you know “how” we met, so as I try to do in every aspect of life I want to complement her side with the “why”. There was something magical about the way we could talk for hours about our very different lives, interests, and habits yet always find our way back to our shared loves. Music (particularly the Beatles) became a core element of our early hangouts, late night drives, playing piano in the dorm basement while Ishani spellbound me with her writings & poems. With each passing day we uncovered new stories, and as we laughed our souls grew closer. On that first date, I felt like I won the lottery, especially when she laughed at my stupid attempt to break the tension by drinking water from a vase of rosemary springs on the table. The sparkle in her eyes, mischievous but kind, invited me to see the world from her perspective. In a period of 2 months, we went from near complete strangers to best friends. There was both a familiarity that we had known each other for a lifetime and a freshness that this budding relationship could never get stale. I still feel that way today.
HOW DID NOAH POP THE QUESTION
Like many things in our relationship, we’ve done things a bit… untraditionally. Ishani actually proposed to Noah! On a random Wednesday night in September, while Noah was finishing up work and Ishani was studying for vet school exams, Ishani called Noah and suggested a proposition – since her vet school graduation was on December 15th and all her family was traveling to Grand Cayman already, why don’t we get engaged on December 16th??
After a brief shock, Noah (who had already known he would propose to Ishani, he was waiting until AFTER graduation) said yes happily to the “pre-engagement”. We proceeded to have a lovely engagement & party amongst family and friends where Noah got down on one knee and gave Ishani the ring – or should we say, Ishani plucked it out of the box as soon as it was opened!
TAKING FUN PICTURES
We really enjoyed dreaming up the best spots in Balboa Park and at Paradise Point to take photos with Rebecca and Shae! It was like we were being ourselves and someone happened to be capturing those moments organically – exactly how we like it. We enjoyed stopping for a hot dog and Coke break during the photoshoot, even if Shae was the one who got to eat because we were still fasting for Karva Chauth for each other’s long life!
THE HALDI
THE DECOR
The decor was INCREDIBLE!!! Dawn and the Tularosa team did a phenomenal job, wow. Every event and every aspect was just stunning. Dawn was able to perfectly capture Ishani’s vision, which if you know Ishani and her penchant for dreaming up big ideas and cute crafts, you know is an impressive feat. Each day that we walked into the room, we were shocked – we didn’t think it could get any better than the previous day, and yet it 100% did! A huge thanks to everyone involved who helped make the design of this wedding as magical as it could possibly be
THE SANGEET
THE DRESS
Ishani actually came up with the idea and design in her head! She had known for a while that she didn’t want to be wearing the traditional red-colored wedding lehenga (not a fan of red), so she picked a color she did love, lilac, and searched until she found something that met her vision. When she saw Almas’ designs, she knew immediately that she was the one to bring her vision to life. Ishani, her mother, and her grandmother were there to witness her try on the beautiful garment from India while Noah dutifully waited in the car 🙂
FIRST LOOK
We did – and it was one of our favorite parts of the entire weekend. It took place in a beautiful palm tree garden area of the property with ponds and rays of sunshine peaking through the sky. As Noah stood there waiting, his mind flipped through every joy-filled moment of their relationship – much like people say their “life flashed before their eyes”. And turned around to see the most beautiful person in the world, the one that had just been in his memories, waiting with a beautiful smile to create the next chapter of memories as husband and wife <3
THE VENUE
Paradise Point is one of the most beautiful and unique properties, and as Ishani and Noah both contemplated where their wedding could be, it came to the top of the list! It was actually their first choice and their only to visit – they knew that the combination of natural beauty on San Diego’s Mission Bay in breezy October weather, spacious conference center & multipurpose rooms, and plenty of activities to keep guests “on resort” all weekend long was the perfect place for a big Indian wedding. In addition, the Bird of Paradise was Noah’s grandmother’s favorite flower and felt like a sign that this was the right place to be!
THE BARAT
THE CEREMONY
THE AISL
We felt a tranquility and warmth that has always been a part of our relationship, where the rest of the world melts away and the two of us are in a happy place together! We’ve known we were soulmates for a long time (despite our differences), so it was less about nerves and more about the excitement that comes with finally doing what we’d always dreamed of.
TRADITIONS
We felt a tranquility and warmth that has always been a part of our relationship, where the rest of the world melts away and the two of us are in a happy place together! We’ve known we were soulmates for a long time (despite our differences), so it was less about nerves and more about the excitement that comes with finally doing what we’d always dreamed of. Most of the wedding was traditional, although an abridged Hindu and Christian ceremony. Everything throughout the weekend was rooted in our cultural and family traditions, with Ishani and Noah’s personal flair customizing every little bit!
THE KISS
Pretty good, not our best work, but then again we’re not used to kissing in front of a crowd 🙂 Jokes aside, we were glad to mark the end of beautiful ceremony with the seal of our love – right as “I’m a Believer” from Shrek starts to play in the background, just like Ishani wanted!
THE RECEPTION
We had a blast at every single event throughout the weekend! The Haldi & Mehendi on Friday was gorgeous and a perfect way to greet our guests with the setting San Diego sun, and the “bonfire & s’mores” afterwards was even more of a party than expected. The Sangeet performances brought smiles, tears, and laughter to our faces, and the Reception brought the wedding to a perfect (and raucous) conclusion. Food was incredible throughout as we prioritized, and despite being exhausted through it all – Ishani and Noah both had the best weekend of their lives!
IN GOOD HANDS
We had a blast at every single event throughout the weekend! The Haldi & Mehendi on Friday was gorgeous and a perfect way to greet our guests with the setting San Diego sun, and the “bonfire & s’mores” afterwards was even more of a party than expected. The Sangeet performances brought smiles, tears, and laughter to our faces, and the Reception brought the wedding to a perfect (and raucous) conclusion. Food was incredible throughout as we prioritized, and despite being exhausted through it all – Ishani and Noah both had the best weekend of their lives!
