1. Real Weddings

A Colorful, Traditional Indian Wedding at Ocoee Lakeshore Center in Ocoee, Florida

Nisha Kalidas (28 and a lawyer) and Vinesh Kapadia (28 and a consultant) had a traditional Hindu wedding that—get this—lasted four days, had two palet

Nisha Kalidas (28 and a lawyer) and Vinesh Kapadia (28 and a consultant) had a traditional Hindu wedding that—get this—lasted four days, had two palettes and was planned in just six months. It all started at Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Florida. “We wanted to be outside and have a fun and relaxing atmosphere,” Nisha says. Everything took on a natural theme to match the setting. Their waterfront-park ceremony was set up so that all 250 guests had a view of its landscape and the couple. They even added some color with white folding chairs, red pomander accents on their mandap (Indian wedding arbor) and white draped fabric. The reception at Ocoee Lakeshore Center, however, had a whole different look with purple, white and silver details. Guests found their purple escort cards from India on a hanging branch display. Kamini Design also outfitted every white and purple table with a floating orchid or  branch-lined centerpiece to bring in the theme. But what was most important to Nisha and Vinesh was spending time with their loved ones. Soltren Photography snapped away as absolutely everyone rocked out to old-school hip-hop, pop and Indian music throughout the night. See every beautifully shot moment of their wedding, below.

Wanting a design that was soft and elegant, Nisha picked a chic updo hairstyle with a slight beehive along the top and tucked-in curls. Her flower crown enhanced every detail with a halo of baby’s breath and white hypericum berries from Kamini Design.
Their ceremony decor was specifically set up so everyone would have a view of the couple and the natural surroundings. Rows of white folding chairs curved around the ceremony space with red lisianthus pomanders at the end of each one.
Vinesh had a mini celebration of his own before the ceremony at Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Florida. He took part in a traditional baraat (grand entrance), where he rode to the ceremony space in a vintage white Rolls-Royce. His friends and family members took it from there and even carried him at one point.
Their flower girl was ready for the two-hour Hindu ceremony in a cute, traditional outfit. Interweaving bright blue, green, pink and gold patterns covered her look with standout details as she spread fuchsia rose petals down the aisle.
Nisha and Vinesh knew they wanted an outdoor celebration and made sure to take advantage of the natural scenery at Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens for the ceremony in Winter Park, Florida. Tons of greenery surrounded Nisha and their guests as she walk down a winding path to the waterfront wedding.
Instead of a bouquet, some Indian brides carry a holy coconut, Nisha says. Hers perfectly matched her red and white lehenga with red fabric along the top and lines of crystal detailing.
The couple exchanged flower garlands from Kamini Design under an all-red-and-white mandap, or wedding arbor. Red lisianthus pomanders hung from strands of crystals at the center and formed their backdrop. Since Nisha specifically asked for a chandelier at the altar, they also had a gold lighting display that was draped in more crystals.
Even their flower garlands matched the color scheme. Each was filled with red roses, white hydrangeas, greenery and white lisianthus, which brought out the wedding colors and their natural inspiration for the outdoor wedding. (These garlands also played an important role of connecting the couple and showing their acceptance of each other when the ceremony began.)
Since her lehenga was mostly white, Nisha purposefully chose red jewelry to contrast it. Her dramatic drop earrings had a slight leaf design between each red stone to draw in the day’s natural theme. It perfectly matched her necklace, as well as the red and silver bangles that lined her wrist.
Their escort card display resembled a tree and specifically marked their color scheme change for the reception at Ocoee Lakeshore Center in Ocoee, Florida. Guests found their seats hanging from curly willow branches on purple place cards. Their florist, Kamini Design, also filled the trumpet vase with purple and white delphiniums to give it that natural feel.
To make sure everything matched, Nisha and Vinesh had their entire stationery suite made in India. Guests were pointed to their seats with standout plum and white escort cards that had ornate, paisley detailing along two corners.
Their reception was all purple and white. Everything from the chair covers to the table linens to the fabric backdrop to the uplighting fit their palette. They even made the place settings match with plum napkins and white menus.
Every other table had a different design. Tall, white centerpieces stood out among the reception with cylinder vases of curly willow-tip branches and white hydrangeas. Kamini Design also accented one with candlelight in crystal votives.
Nisha and Vinesh had their own special seating to watch the reception at Ocoee Lakeshore Center in Ocoee, Florida. The purple velvet couch was placed on stage in front of the entire celebration with a bold, purple fabric backdrop. To make it stand out even more, a cascading display of modern white tiles with floral details decorated the accent.
She chose a completely different hairstyle for their reception. The updo and flower crown were switched out for a half-up, curled wedding hairstyle with a silver headband. It looked elegant as they swayed around the dance floor. “Our first dance was ‘Girl on Fire’ by Alicia Keys,” Nisha says. “My husband chose it because he said it described his feelings for me.” How sweet is that?
The table at the center of the reception had a little more natural flair than the rest. A low arrangement of purple orchids, magenta roses and greenery from Kamini Design decorated the base of the centerpieces. Tealight candles highlighted it even more in tall and low mercury glass votives set by each place setting.
Vinesh couldn't have looked sharper! He sat next to Nisha during the reception in a formal black-and-white tuxedo with a notched lapel. His purple bow tie and pocket square even matched her sash.
Nisha and Vinesh's wedding cake by Desiree McVay put a modern spin on the palette. The square tiers were covered in fondant and wrapped in purple ribbon along the base. Small and large silver squares cascaded down every tier, creating a geometric pattern that perfectly matched their square cake topper.
For the reception at Ocoee Lakeshore Center, Nisha wanted a completely different look. She danced around the reception with their guests in this a velvet magenta sari. "It had sparkles coming down the whole thing and a wide skirt that was like a balloon,” Nisha says. Ornate gold detailing highlighted the outfit while a purple sash wrapped around her.