Reva, Media Operations at Facebook & Anson, Architect
SUM-UP OF THE WEDDING VIBE: Brooklyn summer dance party meets Indian/Western fusion
SOUNDTRACK FOR READING: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder (which was our processional song)
FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE WEDDING
It’s hard to pick one thing since we loved so many aspects of our Big Day, but one moment that stands out for both of us was the Brown Alumni Photo. We brought together over forty of our friends (plus Anson’s mom, who is an alum, class of ’74!) for our wedding and taking a photo outside during cocktail hour with this awesome group was definitely a highlight.
OTHER COOL STUFF WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Our vision for the wedding was to create a fun, yet relaxed atmosphere that represented us and the almost nine years that we have been together. We also wanted to give a few nods to Indian culture (Reva’s family) without having a traditional Indian wedding (it was so far from it!) and also wanted to bring in elements of New England (Rhode Island, specifically), where we met at Brown University and where Anson grew up, alongside a sense of Brooklyn and New York City, where we have spent the majority of our relationship. Overall, we were looking to cut out a lot of the older wedding traditions and create something original and fun. A handful of awesome vendors, along with our awesome planner Jove Meyer, helped us make this happen:
Our ceremony was entirely original and represented a blend of Western (American) and Indian traditions, while also keeping things light and informal with an upbeat procession to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder. We did not have a formal bridal party (no bridesmaids or groomsmen) but made a point to include each member of our immediate family in the ceremony.
The food (by Fig & Pig) achieved a fusion flavor during cocktail hour by bringing in Indian spices to Western favorites (e.g. Chicken Tikka Masala and Waffle Bites with Mango Chutney) alongside New England classics like oysters and lobster rolls. We also served Del’s Frozen Lemonade (a Rhode Island summer tradition) as our welcome drink before the ceremony began. For dinner, we did a hybrid of plated and family style, which allowed us to create a more communal vibe—every table shared two sides, an Indian-style lemon rice and sautéed seasonal greens.
In terms of the look and feel of our big day, we opted for bright, bold colors, taking inspiration from my dress. You’ll notice a focus on bold orange, fuchsia and magenta, yellow, and purples, which nicely contrasted the more rustic look of the Green Building. This visual style was consistent across our paper materials, our table design and our flowers. We also LOVED the wooden barn tables that we used without tablecloths.
As for the reception itself, we wanted it to be a killer dance party above all else and removed a lot of traditions (no first dance, no father-daughter or mother-son dances, etc.). In place, we had two toasts from Reva’s sister and Anson’s best friend. Immediately after the second speech, we went into a full-on dance party thanks to DJ Ben. Our playlist was focused around ’90 and 2000s hip hop, ’80s pop and Motown, with no slow dances. The energy on the dance floor was infectious and many of our friends did not leave it for four hours. In place of a cake and cake cutting, we had a low-key dessert bar conveniently located next to the dance floor. At one point, our planner Jove walked around with a tray of mini ice cream sandwiches, serving them to everyone on the dance floor!
We also really loved our venue, the Green Building, because of the outdoor space attached to it, allowing our guests to easily flow in and out of the main space during cocktail hour and later during the dance party. We originally planned to do our ceremony outside as well, but we had a heavy drizzle that brought everything inside at the last minute. We actually loved doing it inside. The drizzle stopped after the ceremony, and we luckily didn’t have any more rain for the rest of the evening.
