An Elegant Fusion Beach Wedding at Loews Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach, Florida

Inspired by the beach and outdoors, along with pearls and beautiful jewel tones, Sumi Garg (26 and an account executive) and Emir Hazzi (31 and a senior operations program manager) threw a fusion Hindu-Catholic wedding near the water.

“We wanted to get married in Florida because that’s where we met, and I love the water,” Sumi says. The couple incorporated Hindu and Catholic elements into their day in unique ways as a nod to their Indian and Colombian heritages. “I wore the chunney as a veil for the ceremony, then the traditional way for the reception,” Sumi says. Emir, donning a suit, entered on a white horse with a dhol (drum) player leading the procession and a DJ playing music.

“I knew I wanted a white dress, but I still wanted it to honor my Indian heritage,” Sumi says, which she did by wearing a mermaid-style dress in two pieces, like a traditional lengha. Sumi’s dress also served as inspiration for the five-tier cake.

“We went with a modern take and had white pearl and diamond varmalas made to add an Indian touch to our ceremony,” Sumi says of the traditional accessories she and Emir wore around their necks. “Both the Catholic and Hindu sides were impressed with how we were able to honor both religions and cultures.” During cocktail hour following the ceremony, guests penned bucket list adventures for the couple onto puzzle pieces for their many adventures ahead as husband and wife. 

Since Sumi loves the outdoors, the planning team brought the outside in to the reception. Neutral linens and pearl-beaded chargers added texture, and the newlyweds sat under a draped structure accented with greenery. Guests dined on a nontraditional menu, which included vegetarian enchiladas. 

During the La Hora Loca (crazy hour), dancers and stilt walkers brought in favors, noisemakers and masks for guests.