An Eclectic Hindu-Catholic Fusion Wedding at The Rattlesnake Club in Detroit, Michigan

For their eclectic wedding at The Rattlesnake Club in Detroit, Michigan, Brianna and Pavan beautifully blended aspects from their faiths and celebrated with two ceremonies: one Hindu and one Catholic. “The vision for our wedding weekend was to blend aspects of both of our cultures and faiths with the hope of sharing with loved ones where we both come from,” shares Brianna. “We joke that our parents are now multicultural wedding planners! Leading up to the wedding weekend, I had a small Mehndi party with close family on both sides. In the Indian culture, the Sangeet occurs the night before the wedding and serves as a celebration of the union of not only the couple, but also the bonding of both families. This is a night of Indian food, music, dancing, and henna. Our actual wedding day included a Catholic Ceremony in the morning followed by the Hindu ceremony and reception. We ended the night at Temple Bar, a neighborhood dive bar my parent’s frequented in their college years.”

“Indian weddings are known for bright, vibrant colors,” and Brianna and Pavan packed their Detroit, Michigan, wedding plenty of vibrant hues. To kick off the day, the couple took portraits around the city by some of their favorite bright and colorful wall murals. Additionally, the couple incorporated bold ranunculus and zinnia blooms added plenty of color the wedding’s floral arrangements.  A particular highlight of the couple’s wedding was the attire, all of which was lovingly selected and filled with meaning. Notably, Brianna’s wedding dress came from “Brides Project in Ann Arbor, MI. Staffed by volunteers, Brides Project raises funds for families impacted by cancer,” explains Brianna. “This mission resonated with us since both Pavan and I are in health care. In addition, it felt necessary to help decrease my impact on the environment since the gown was gently used. My vision for my wedding dress was simple, yet elegant! I also got my mid-length veil at the Brides Project.” Beyond Brianna’s attire, the traditional Indian attire was also packed with meaning as it was hand-selected in India by the mother of the groom who made a special trip just to gather outfits for everyone. “Pavan’s mother, Subhadra, graciously traveled to India for a month before our wedding to custom purchase all of the Indian attire for both of our families. Pavan rocked some jewels on his Sherwani both days. For the Sangeet he chose a deep blue with gold and for our wedding day it was gold and red. My mother-in-law, with impeccable taste, picked out the fabric for both of my outfits. Bright colors are worn for the Sangeet, therefore my lehenga was a variety of orange, blue and gold. I chose deep purple and green with gold accents for my wedding day saree with a gold veil.”  Looking back on their whirlwind wedding weekend, Brianna and Pavan don’t have just one favorite moment, rather the entire weekend was filled with joyful highlights they recall with fondness. "Pavan and I decided not to have a first look before our ceremonies. It is hard to put into words the emotion we both felt when we saw each other for the first time as I was walking down the aisle. It was also so special to have both of our moms and dads at our sides as they walked us down the aisle. Both sets of parents made us who we are today! My two sisters and Pavan's brother walked together down the aisle which was very sweet. Father Duane married us at St. Matthew Catholic church. He has helped me celebrate all of my sacraments since baptism. He developed a close relationship with Pavan during pre-canna. And, finally sharing our written vows during the Hindu ceremony was a moment we will never forgot.”