Sweeping Boston Views Surrounded This Jewel-Tone Sangeet Celebration at The State Room
“We met through the Indian Aunty Network,” explains Tara Prasad of her romance with Vignesh Shettar. “Think Indian Matchmaking on Netflix, but in real life with aunties matchmaking across the United States.” Despite living in different cities—Tara in Boston and Vignesh in Chicago—their connection grew strong over a year of long-distance romance. Their journey culminated in a memorable proposal at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The proposal had an unexpected twist, as it took place on a particularly unique day. “Vignesh happened to plan the surprise proposal on the anniversary of the museum’s huge art heist (also a Netflix series), so security was extra suspicious of him as he was walking around nervously before popping the question,” she laughs.
With the proposal behind them, it was time to dive into planning. One of the first details they settled on was the venue for their sangeet, which is a traditional Indian pre-wedding celebration that typically occurs one or two days before the wedding itself. The Sangeet often features bright colors, music, mingling, dancing and performances. “We fell in love with the incredible two-story city views from atop The State Room and wanted our sangeet to have a completely different feel from our more classic ceremony and reception at the Newbury Hotel,” the bride explains. The modern, elegant and colorful ambiance of the locale, with its panoramic city and harbor views, was the perfect backdrop for their pre-wedding celebration.
The sangeet was a vibrant affair, adorned in shades of pink, purple, green and blue. The two-story space was bursting with blooms, cobalt blue lounge furniture, black linens and gold accents that added a luxurious touch. The real show-stopper was the couple’s seating area—iron structures dressed in blooms and hot pink taper candles framed a blush settee, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Boston Harbor.
For the occasion, Vignesh wore a custom, deep-blue sherwani that perfectly complemented Tara’s stunning lehenga in shades of royal purple and ivory. “We had a bangle and bindi cart and henna artist for guests. The photo booth was a lot of fun to capture full-size portraits for our guests to take home,” she details. The evening was filled with traditional music and dancing, and the decor was a highlight. “Our decorator, Brian, surprised us with an incredible tree that tied into our beautiful trees at the reception,” Tara shares. The decor against the stunning clocktower and harbor views was truly spectacular.
As the evening unfolded, guests were treated to refreshing cocktails, delectable bites and jubilant entertainment from family, friends and the love birds themselves. Stand-out moments included a full group shot captured by their photographer Anastasiia from the second floor, at Tara’s parents’ request, and their sangeet dances that left everyone in awe.
Reflecting on their wedding planning journey, Tara had some advice for other couples: “Identify the details of your wedding that are really important to you and lean into those. I love stationery and ‘little details,’ so I got deep into the process of designing our invitation suite and custom stationery, and it was so fun!”