We Can't Stop Dreaming About This Couple's Romantic Wedding at Santa Barbara Historical Museum in California
Three months after a serendipitous introduction to Mudra Patel (34 and a VP of product management), Paul Cressman (35 and an attorney) knew he wanted to marry her. “In fact, I told his little sister that very thing. She was just such an amazing person, with such a kind heart, and everything just felt so easy with her,” recalls Paul. And had fates not aligned, Paul might not have even met Mudra just a few short months earlier. At the time, Paul was a practicing attorney in Philadelphia. Over a long holiday weekend, he came to visit a friend in New York City, but was originally set to depart on Sunday. Thankfully, this friend convinced him to stay a little longer and that night they met up with his friend’s girlfriend, who happened to bring along her best friend. And, as any rom-com lover could predict, that best friend was Mudra.
“We were soon connecting over our love of food and wondering where in New York City we could get sushi and a burger at the same restaurant. We wound up finding such a place and proceeded to connect even more over shared interests (like science, technology, business, politics) and hobbies,” recalls the couple. “We wound up talking for the next several hours on what felt like everything and anything; we were out so late, we closed down a couple of bars. We just remember how refreshing it felt to have such an organic and easy conversation with another person.”
“Not to sound cliche again, but we had another ‘before we knew it moment’ when we realized we had been talking the whole night. It was around 5:30 in the morning and Paul asked me whether I had ever seen the sunrise over New York City. We walked down to a park on the Hoboken waterfront and watched the sunrise. It was such an amazing way to end the perfect night,” says Mudra of couple’s fateful first date.
Roughly four years later, the couple decided it was time to take the next step in their relationship. “After much discussion about our future and the life we wanted to build, we decided sometime in late 2018 would be a great time to get engaged. The decision to spend your life with your best friend and partner is an easy one, but the actual moment Paul asked me was a special surprise,” says Mudra.
“It was a Friday night after a long work week for both of us; we changed into our sweatpants and got ready for dinner. Paul made dinner and we spent the evening chatting about work and how much we loved each other. I said, ‘you know it doesn’t matter how, when, or if you ask me, it’s moments like these that matter the most.’ Just then, Paul asked me to grab our sangria and go sit outside on our patio. I obliged, taking my big blanket to go sit outside, while Paul changed out of his sweatpants and followed me outside. I instantly made fun of him for changing into a nice shirt, but then he got down on one knee and began to tell me again why he loved me so much. At this point, I finally realized what was happening, started laughing and crying at the same time, and said an emphatic ‘yes’ (after saying ‘no’ about 10 times in disbelief).”
About a year prior to their engagement, the couple took a trip to Santa Barbara and immediately fell in love with the town, so it was a simple choice for their destination wedding. Unfortunately, the pandemic meant the couple had to postpone their wedding, and pivot from their original wedding venue. Still, after a three-year planning process, the couple was finally able to say “I do” in Santa Barbara. The couple “aimed for an aesthetic that felt elevated, romantic, and timeless. Mudra’s style tends to be pretty clean, neutral, classic, and my style is a bit brighter, colorful, and vibrant. Our wedding design and color palette felt like a good mix of both of us,” explains Paul. The wedding weekend included multiple events, each with a distinct feel and color palette. To start, the couple celebrated a mehndi night with a coastal vibe and a white-and-yellow color palette. “Because this event was held on a rooftop, with views of the mountains and the beach, we wanted the decor to be minimal and let the Santa Barbara backdrop really shine,” says Mudra. To match the coastal feel, both Mudra and Paul donned deep blue outfits custom-made in India. For the main event, the color palette centered on soft shades of pink and mauve, with lots of lush greenery. And to cap off the weekend, the couple hosted a brunch with a coastal white color palette.
When the day of the ceremony and reception rolled around, Mudra and Paul opted for a first look to start the day, which ended up being Paul’s favorite moment from the entire wedding. “Up until that point, I had heard so much about Mudra’s dress and was anxiously waiting to see her all day. When that moment finally came, I remember standing at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum with my back to the entryway and having an overwhelming sensation of anxiety and excitement sweeping over me. I distinctly remember hearing the footsteps approaching behind me and finally being able to turn around to see her. At that moment my breath was taken away by how beautiful she looked in her dress and all the anxiety melted away. I knew I was there with my best friend, and we were doing it together. Of all the moments I have, it’s this one which sticks in my head rent-free and always makes me smile.”
To kick off the ceremony, Paul entered with a traditional baraat, after which Mudra’s brother escorted her to the mandap. The couple chose to abbreviate their Hindu ceremony to “about 45 minutes, which the pandit (Hindu priest) jokingly reminded us after he had completed the ceremony. We both got a little chuckle out of that. We kept the parts that were rooted in symbols of love, commitment, and unity,” says Mudra. Because vows aren’t traditionally recited during a Hindu ceremony, the couple opted to exchange hand-written vows later after the wedding.
While Paul cites the first look as his favorite moment from the wedding day, Mudra’s happened during the reception. “Right before Paul and I gave speeches I remember holding the mic and looking at everyone I loved and then to Paul and feeling immense gratitude and fullness. It was the first time I felt teary-eyed, was a beautiful reminder of why people have weddings—besides the obvious of celebrating the love between you/your partner, it’s the one time in your life were everyone you love will be in one room looking at you with love.”