Darlene & Mat: A Cultural Wedding in Atlanta, GA

To incorporate aspects of numerous cultures into their wedding (he’s from South India; she’s from Pakistan), Darlene and Mat chose a fusion theme for their Atlanta celebration. THE BRIDE Darlene Joseph THE GROOM Mat Mathews THE DATE September 5 Mat, a 27-year-old consultant, began his marriage proposal to Darlene, a 25-year-old program analyst, the old-fashioned way: He asked (and received) permission from her father. The next day, Mat put the second phase into action by convincing Darlene to accompany him to the Michael C. Carlos Museum on the Emory University campus, under the guise of picking up a friend. As they waited on a bench outside the museum, Mat suddenly fell to one knee and plucked a small box from beneath the bench. Unbeknownst to Darlene, Mat’s roommate had hidden the ring there earlier and was waiting in the shadows to capture the moment on video. “We both cherish that video so much because it shows the anticipation on Mat’s face and the confusion that turned into excitement and joy on mine,” Darlene says.