1. Real Weddings

Michelle & Raj: A Cultural Wedding in Scarborough-on-Hudson, NJ

Michelle and Raj's wedding brought together Czech and Hindu traditions, as well as a guest list spanning three continents. THE BRIDE Michelle Kral TH

Michelle and Raj's wedding brought together Czech and Hindu traditions, as well as a guest list spanning three continents. THE BRIDE Michelle Kral THE GROOM Raj Dhanda THE DATE June 1 Michelle and Raj met at the office where both worked as investment bankers. After a year-and-a-half courtship, Raj got down on one knee before a roaring fire one romantic winter evening and proposed marriage. With 14 months to plan the wedding, the couple was able to concentrate on the logistics of bringing in relatives from the Czech Republic (where most of Michelle's extended family live) and from India (where much of Raj's family live) and on including both cultural backgrounds in their wedding. They also had time to enjoy a bachelorette getaway in Florida's South Beach and a bachelor weekend in the Bahamas..

Along with their wedding invitations, Michelle and Raj sent a map. It was drawn by Michelle's brother Alan, and, in addition to depicting the location of the ceremony and reception sites, the map bore an unusual touch as far as wedding invitations go: Alan's rendering of the headless horseman of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow fame. It was an artistic introduction to the Hudson Valley region where the wedding was to take place.
Michelle wore a silk-satin organza gown with duchesse satin trim.
Both the ceremony and the reception were held at the 100-year-old Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough-on-Hudson. The bride and groom exchanged their vows beneath a giant oak tree on the club's grounds overlooking the Hudson River. The ceremony was a simple civil service performed by a friend. Michelle's cousin, who had traveled from the Czech Republic for the wedding, read a Czech love poem both in Czech and in English. Raj's cousin read a Hindu love poem, also with an English translation. The couple exchanged vows that they had written themselves.
The Sleepy Hollow Country Club has 18 guest rooms, so much of the wedding party, including Michelle and Raj, did not have to leave the celebration. As the party wound down, the revelers moved into the club's bar to continue the festivities until the wee hours.
The Reception Decor
The First Dance
The Cake