Rooftop Wedding and Armory Extravaganza

Picture a plain rooftop transformed with billowing white material, golden-painted chairs and many people dressed in East Indian garb. The wedding was elegant, funny and very touching. Funny in that at the groom's entrance, his sister was instructed to secure his shoes when he took them off and keep them from the bride's family after the bride's mother annointed his third eye with kumkum and blessed him with a small sacred fire. Todd's sister Eliza was valiant and succeeded in securing the shoes - and put them on her own feet!

So when Eliza came up to read the poem by ee cummings, i carry you in my heart, she was uncontrollably laughing. She was wearing Todd's shoes and he was standing in light blue socks! The poem is one of my favorites and she did finally read it quite well.

The touching parts were: all four parents came up to the altar and all placed their hands on top of each other over Todd and Priya's. Her brother, who was orchestrating all the Hindu ritual, poured a small amount of water on top of all the hands. The water signified that the couple's love would overcome all obstacles. And, near the end of the ceremony, the couple walked over to each of their grandparents in the front row to receive their blessings.

And as Todd read their mutual vows, Priya welled with tears.

They chose to incorporate a sand and stone piece into the ceremony. Everyone present, having traveled from all over the country and from several foreign places, brought small stones from those places that they placed in an elegant, small vase as they entered the ceremonial space. Priya and Todd poured sand into this vase during the ceremony - sand from Ojai, Todd's childhood home, and Mombai, India - Priya's family's homeland. They now have a keepsake vessel to take home with them to Santa Fe.

The second floor of the Museum of Contemporary Craft was transformed by Artemis Caterers into a very elegant post-wedding cocktail hour - dimmed lights, several stations with tasty kinds of pesto, cheese, oysters, wines, fruits - large square glass containers filled with smooth white glass pebbles -

Pedicabs to the Armory.....

The second floor of the armory set up with tables named for all the streets Priya and Todd have lived on - remarkably delicious dinner - downstairs, the entryway transformed into a dance floor with a fabulous danceband -

Many of the women changed from their saris to easier dancing clothes.....

This was a "destination wedding" all planned from afar. They all stayed at Hotel Lucia. The group was just so warm, gracious, talented, thoughtful, genuine and so fun. I will post pictures here when they become available!