Traditional Indian nuptials feature a vibrant sangeet pre-wedding party and a stunning Hindu wedding ceremony filled with fuchsia florals in the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Sakshi & Jerome’s luscious wedding at the New Orleans Museum of Art celebrated their love story through culture and Indian traditions.
They kicked off their wedding celebration the night before their ceremony with a sangeet (a dance party!), including mehndi/henna artists who adorned guests with beautiful body art designs. On Saturday, the couple held a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Jerome arrived at the ceremony on horseback in a traditional Indian baraat (parade) to welcome the groom to the ceremony. Following their vows, the couple treated guests to a second parade: a New Orleans second line!
An evening reception at the art museum honored their floral theme perfectly with fuschia florals and decor mixed with gold details at every corner! Additional reception highlights included custom escort cards made with hand calligraphy magnolia leaves tucked inside a gorgeous flower wall, a flower-embellished cake, and American-style desserts infused with Indian flavors like pistachio and rose.
More details on their love story and gorgeous culture-fusion wedding are below! And check out their sweet wedding video here.
- Couple: Sakshi Jain & Jerome McFarland
- Occupations: Assistant Principal (Sakshi) and Product Manager (Jerome)
Day 1: Sangeet & Mehndi
Quick Facts:
- Wedding date: November 13, 2021
Wedding location: New Orleans, Louisiana - Bridesmaids & Groomsmen gifts: Clothes to wear during the ceremony.
- Ceremony entrance song: “Welcome Back” by Mase
- First dance song: It was a mashup of an Indian song and an R&B song.
How they met…
We knew of each other for quite some time through mutual friends, but lived in different cities (Sakshi in LA, Jerome in SF) and weren’t directly friends ourselves. Finally, at a friend’s birthday party in LA (where Jerome was visiting), we realized there was a mutual interest and decided to try dating long distance.
Day 2: Traditional Hindu Ceremony
Their first look…
The proposal…
Jerome: I surprised Sakshi with a Christmas Day proposal at our apartment. After returning home from lunch with her parents, I welcomed Sakshi into our home via a ‘rose petal’-strewn entryway and bouquet-decorated living room, accompanied by romantic music from our favorite artists.
With the help of one of her best friends, I’d arranged a Zoom meeting enabling her close friends and family to observe remotely via hidden camera. After popping the question and getting my “Yes,” I switched on the television making the Zoom meeting visible, making Sakshi aware of our hidden audience for the first time…and allowing us to receive their live congratulations and well-wishes!
Wedding attire & shopping experience…
My wedding dress was a lehenga from an Indian designer called Falguni Shane Peacock. Jerome wore an Indian outfit as well called a sherwani. We collaborated with a stylist in India to help us get all our wedding outfits together. This was helpful because it got all our looks to be cohesive for each event.
Indian Baraat (parade):
Cultural elements…
We had a full-on Indian wedding. Our ceremony was a Hindu ceremony.
Favorite wedding memory…
After our ceremony was finished we exited with a second line!
Reception:
Decor details…
Florals…
Dancing into forever…
Sweet details…
Advice for other engaged couples…
Decide early on what is most important for you and plan to optimize for those. Identify early on any points of disagreement and solve them early in the planning process.
Looking for more Indian wedding inspiration like this Hindu wedding?
Click here.
Vendors:
- Planning & Design: Alchemy Events
- Photography: Bella Lumi
- Sangeet Venues: The Cannery
- Ceremony/Reception Venue: New Orleans Museum of Art
- Indian Catering: Tava Indian Street Food
- New Orleans Catering: Toulouse Gourmet Catering
- Bar: Cafe NOMA
- Florals: NOLA Flora
- Entertainment: KhanCept Entertainment
- Candles & Decor: Firefly Ambiance
- Rentals: True Value Rental
- Flower Wall: Paper Flowers NOLA
- Cake & desserts: Sucrette Tailored Confections
- Mehndi: New Orleans Henna
- Video: Nathan Willis Wedding Films
- Bride Hair & Makeup: Blush & Glow
- Bridal Party Hair & Makeup: Faces of Virtue
- Steaming: The Wedding Steamer
- Sangeet Lehenga: Papa Don’t Preach
- 2nd Line: Young Fellaz Brass Band
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