Nowadays wedding festivities are often so much more than a single one-day event. From faraway destination weddings to multicultural celebrations featuring several ceremonies, our series Save the Weekend highlights how (and why) couples have gone about dreaming up a multi-day wedding celebration—and how they made each event uniquely special.
At the end of 2019, Shantha and Aneesh made plans to spend a few days in Lake Tahoe with his parents. At least that’s what Shantha thought. It was a decoy, and Aneesh instead proposed at the restaurant they’d visited the year prior, and then they went to a rental house filled with close friends, family, and both sets of parents to celebrate.
Immediately after the engagement, the couple began planning. They chose Memorial Day weekend of 2021, to give themselves enough time to not only plan a wedding, but the full series of events that would make up the destination Indian wedding (and then some!). In the initial months of wedding planning, they secured a few key vendors and a hotel room block, and then slowed down once the pandemic began. They didn’t want to get too deep into things if everything would be forced to change. But luckily, the vaccines rolled out later that year, and from there, it was full speed ahead in creating the wedding weekend of their dreams.
When it came time to pick a city to get married in, they chose Raleigh, North Carolina, which is halfway between their childhood homes in Maryland and Georgia—exactly to the minute! It also held meaning, as Aneesh went to Duke for college and Shantha was living in Wilmington (about a two-hour drive from Raleigh) at the time of their engagement. Not to mention, the airport is nearby, making travel a non-issue. They chose The StateView Hotel as their homebase, with guests taking over half of its rooms and also enjoying the pool, ample lawn space, restaurant and bar, and comfortable lobby. The first few events of the weekend were hosted there to make it easier for everyone.
Midway through the weekend, guests ventured to The Laurelbrook for a toast-filled cocktail-style dinner. The refurbished, modern greenhouse was a nice change of scenery and the Italian menu brought in different flavors while also nodding to the location of the couple’s impending honeymoon.
The Pavilion at Carriage Farm, about 30 minutes south of the city, was selected for its serene setting, expansive outdoor space and privacy, and their ability to accommodate the Indian elements required of the day—throwing rice, having a fire, doing a baraat (the groom’s procession), etc.
“Aneesh values outdoor space and he wanted a unique venue that wasn’t a ballroom or hall, but one that had character. We had some events at the hotel because one thing that was important to us was convenience for our guests, and we did not want them to have to travel off-site for every event. We also wanted to make every part of the weekend enjoyable for guests, so instead of having a bus, we had trolleys, which were extensions of the events. The party continued on the trolleys!” —Shantha, bride
Shantha and Aneesh’s wedding venue required a trusted planner and recommended Aneesa Glines of Harmony Weddings & Events because of her experience with South Asian weddings. At first, the bride was living locally and able to tackle some of the planning herself, booking Aneesa for coordination services. But when the couple relocated to San Francisco mid-engagement and COVID-19 hit, they shifted to her full-service planning offering.
Attention to detail and decor were very important to the bride, who found designing the visual elements of the day to be one of the most exciting aspects of wedding planning. With Aneesa on board and the dream team of more than 40 vendors assembled, Shantha’s vision for each event was brought to life. Planning for all events occurred simultaneously, with many of the creative partners hired for the full weekend.
“The best decision we ever made was hiring our wedding planner. She was able to take care of everything we could not due to distance. She encouraged our creative minds to come up with everything we desired and executed every idea seamlessly. Aneesh has a very busy work schedule and was not able to be a part of the detailed planning so he was blessed we had a wedding planner who could take his ideas and bring them to life. And it doesn’t hurt that Aneesh and Aneesa practically have the same name.” —Shantha, bride
Known for her colorful work and personality, Perry Vaile was chosen to photograph the wedding and its surrounding events. Light Cannon Films (who documented the couple’s close friends’ wedding) worked in tandem, capturing it all in motion. On the Thursday that launched the festivities, the couple visited the grounds of Aneesh’s alma mater of Duke University, to take portraits and get comfortable in front of the cameras. They even included their sweet puppy, Theo.
“I am so grateful we hired Perry and Light Cannon Films. They felt like friends around us throughout the weekend and allowed us to feel completely natural. Looking through the photos and videos, we feel like we can relive every moment.” —Shantha, bride
Customizing Creativity, out of Mumbai, India, created customized stationery for the entire weekend. This was one of the couple’s favorite collaborations, specifically creating their ceremony program, which was filled with games.
One of the most important elements to Shantha was the floral design. And considering the fact that flowers play a significant part of Hindu ceremonies, the floral elements were given a significant amount of attention. Jennifer Woods of Wild Flora Flowers made the various events unique with her use of flowers. From spring-colored arrangements to a more saturated color palette of jewel-tone blooms to a mix of sherbet yellow and orange garlands, and an entirely green-and-white toned event, each of the pre-wedding festivities had its own personality.
The ceremony mandap had a more modern, asymmetrical style in an ombre of pink roses and complementary arrangements lining the aisle. That look continued all the way through to the reception, with decorated doorways, an oversize mantel, hanging light fixtures, and tablescapes featuring a cohesive floral concept.
“Jennifer is an absolutely incredible florist. She has a talent for taking inspiration from the couple and their planner and bringing it to life in a way far better than could be imagined. I also knew she would work tirelessly across the weekend to ensure all of the florals were stunning. She pulled out all the stops from the Sangeet swing to the chandelier greenery at the Italian dinner to the elegant head table at the wedding reception.” —Aneesa Glines, planner
“Food is such a central part of Indian culture and it was important to Shantha and Aneesh that the food was delicious and that their loved ones enjoyed every bite! Although the couple was unable to visit and do a tasting due to the pandemic, all four parents drove in for a tasting to solidify the menu together. The bride, the caterer, and I also spent ample time thinking of unique presentations for each dish, from a family-style dinner to appetizers in shot glasses with their chutneys/sauces at the base.” —Aneesa Glines, planner
“We are complete foodies. We wanted to make sure that our guests enjoyed quality food throughout the weekend. In total, we had 15 meals, plus snacks and passed appetizers throughout the five days. Picking The StateView was a pivotal part of our planning process because they accommodated so many of our needs and preferences. We provided our guests breakfast tickets so they could have seated breakfast in the delicious hotel restaurant. In our itinerary we even made a note encouraging guests to have a breakfast with different combinations of loved ones. This gave them a restaurant experience in addition to assorted event-style dining for variety.” —Shantha, bride
Four different catering teams were utilized over the course of the weekend, with The StateView Hotel’s in-house team handling the mehndi, Zayka tackling three events (the sangeet, post-haldi luncheon, and wedding reception), Catering Works serving up Italian fare the night before the wedding day, and Tower Indian Vegetarian Cuisine preparing lunch on the wedding day.
“We value music so much. I grew up singing and learning Indian classical and Aneesh grew up dancing Bhangara, so we had different artists throughout the weekend to provide variety. We loved working with DJ Sunny Entertainment. We had traditional nadaswaram players, a violinist, a dohl player , and more.” —Shantha, bride
Shantha’s beauty team from Bella Faccia drove up from her hometown of Augusta, Georgia, to be there for the entire weekend of back-to-back events, though Wedded Kiss provided their services for the first night of events.
The couple’s goal was to create an incredible experience for their guests the moment they arrived in town. They selected different locations, color palettes, and designs for each and every event. From the soft pastels of the mehndi night on the lawn, to the deep greens of the Italian dinner in a greenhouse, each event had a distinct look and feel. Plus, the pre-wedding gatherings allowed Shantha and Aneesh’s extended families and friends to meet and truly get to know one another.
“It made our wedding day even more special because everyone felt like one big family. We were all able to dance our hearts away at the reception without the need to introduce one another.” —Shantha, bride
The festivities began on Thursday with a mehndi on the hotel’s side lawn. Shantha’s family welcomed Aneesh with an aarthi at the doors of their “home” to start. It was an intimate and relaxed gathering of about 30 immediate family and friends, during which the bride and female guests had their henna done, drinks were sipped, and lawn games were played.
The next night, all 175 guests had arrived in Raleigh and were ready to celebrate with singing, dancing, henna, and plenty of food. It was time for the Sangeet, which took place on the other side of the hotel on a large concrete patio connecting to a ballroom that provided additional seating for dinner, and was designed in vibrant jewel tones.
“A Sangeet is a typical North Indian event and my Southern Indian side of the family was happy to join in and learn about the traditions. We had the Baari Barsi where the aunties sang folk songs and close friends and family performed. One of the most special parts of our weddings was getting close with our wedding planner Aneesa. We even did a duet to surprise all the guests and groom. The groom was grateful we had a close relationship throughout the planning process. He loves that I can sing but am always nervous to do so, it was an extra surprise and treat to him.” —Shantha, bride
A pre-wedding Kannada engagement ceremony and a traditional Punjabi chunni ceremony—which would typically take place around the engagement but didn’t happen due to the pandemic—kicked things off on the third day on the hotel’s rear lawn.
Aneesh’s dream to have an outdoor haldi cleansing in the sunshine came true next, with the yellows and oranges of the decor matching the haldi (turmeric paste) itself. And a lunch in another ballroom followed and a pool party and some lawn games filled the rest of the day.
That night, an elegant white-and-green cocktail party in the greenhouse at The Laurelbrook—with an Italian buffet set up— was a way of mixing things up between the various settings, color palettes, and menu items. Heartfelt toasts and more dancing ensued.
The big day began bright and early with Aneesh’s sehra bandi ceremony, where his family prepared him for the penultimate event of the destination Indian wedding. As guests arrived at The Pavilion at Carriage Farm, they grabbed coffee, chai, and pastries, and joined in a lively baraat, which featured the groom parading towards the bride’s family on horseback (sword in hand) and surrounded by his loved ones. Already colorful in nature, it was enhanced further with bright smoke bombs.
When the group merged, a milni ceremony transpired before everyone headed to the outdoor ceremony space, anchored by a stunning floral-covered mandap.
After the Hindu ceremony that incorporated rituals from the couple’s cultures from Punjab and Karnataka, as well as an exchange of personalized vows and wedding rings, guests were handed mango lassis in champagne flutes. A traditional South Indian vegetarian meal was served, and then guests were transported back to the hotel to rest and change before returning to the farm for the evening reception.
The newlyweds made their grand debut in a 1966 Shelby Cobra, wearing expressions that were equal parts joy and peacefulness. During cocktail hour on the patio, Indian tabla drums and strings were played by The Lost Strings and appetizers were prepared in front of guests.
Inside the barn, guests were seated at tables named after something important to the couple, and enjoyed a family-style meal, tear-jerking speeches, and four-hour dance party (paused only by a quick hot dog break in honor of the bride’s favorite food). The night came to an end with a picture-perfect sparkler exit.
To end the long weekend on a casual note, guests participated in one of the couple’s favorite weekend activities: drinking beer and eating pizza, gathering at Trophy Brewing Co. to do so.
Through video calls with Sithara Kudige, who has been Shantha’s tailor since she was a child, custom attire was created. The majority of the events’ dress codes (which were shared on the invites as well as the wedding website) called for Indian attire, but guests were encouraged to wear whatever they felt comfortable in.
Shantha wore a lehenga to the sangeet and a traditional silk sari for the wedding—though her personal style is a modern twist on tradition, so she chose a silver-and-white sari for the wedding ceremony. She incorporated a Punjabi tradition by wearing mini kaleeras on her wrists.
While they opted out of having an official wedding party, the couple gifted their closest friends coordinating floral saris and kurtas to wear. Even the couple’s dog was dressed to impress, wearing a kurta for his walk down the aisle.
Upon check-in, guests received a welcome bag with the essentials: a sleep mask (extra fitting considering Shantha is a sleep doctor), bath salts to soothe any dancing-induced aches, Advil, Liquid IV, and homemade Indian treats shipped all the way from California and India. Thanks to a detailed program inside the welcome bags as well as a comprehensive wedding website, guests always knew where to be and when. Signage around the hotel, and members of the planning team, also guided guests to the correct spot.
The couple was equally prepared thanks to Aneesa, who did everything she could to make the destination Indian wedding go smoothly for everyone.
“The biggest tip I gave Shantha and Aneesh was to do as much as they/we could before the week-of so that they could feel present and relaxed at each event and spend every minute with loved ones. For example, I had their food and drink order for every single meal so I could just bring each meal to them to save time (not ordering, waiting in lines, etc.). Our team steamed every outfit earlier in the week and laid them out with each box of jewelry so getting ready was seamless.” —Aneesa Glines, planner
Having everyone under one roof at a central spot was also key to the success of it all.
“The StateView was such a welcoming place. The lobby had lots of tables and lounge chairs where we spent time relaxing. We had pizzas, subs, and beers, and got to welcome every guest who walked in. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was getting to greet every guest as they arrived. Thanks to my planning team handling all the details, I got to be in jeans and a T-shirt hugging every single guest as they arrived and hand-deliver their welcome bags.” —Shantha, bride
