How did you meet?

We met on Hinge—Tim’s profile said he liked people with interesting backstories, and Kiran teased that she had one worth hearing. We clicked instantly on our first date, which turned into a 4-hour conversation, and we knew something special had begun.

When did you become engaged, and how?

We got engaged on April 1st, 2023—no joke! Tim had planned to propose at a 30′ beach swing we’d visited on one of our first dates, but when we arrived, the swing was broken, throwing his plan off. After some missed chances throughout the day, he finally proposed as we stood by a scenic overlook at night. Kiran says it felt like a movie—the surprise proposal, the ring Tim made himself, and the moment so perfectly imperfect. After Kiran said yes, we celebrated by buying drinks for an entire bar. As we left, the whole place erupted in cheers. It was like walking off the set of a rom-com!

#WeddingGoals

We had many things we were particular about, and one example was incorporating a horse and carriage into the day. For Tim, it was a nod to his childhood, where horse-drawn transportation was part of everyday life. But for me, it was something straight out of a fairytale, and I felt like a princess ready to ride into her happily ever after. The carriage transported us from our afternoon ceremony site to the dinner reception. Tim was initially worried about the steep hill between the two locations, but we found a vendor with a pair of strong horses that handled it with ease. It ended up being a magical part of the day.

How did planning go? Favorite time? Worst moment?

Planning was a mix of excitement and challenges! Our favorite part was dreaming up how to blend our two cultures into one seamless celebration. But the toughest part was definitely keeping the budget in check while trying to incorporate all the unique elements we envisioned. Balancing what we wanted with what was practical took some careful decisions, and there were moments when it felt overwhelming.
In the end, though, it all came together beautifully.

What was the biggest challenge of wedding planning?

Finding a venue that could handle the complex logistics of our wedding day. We had a Sikh morning ceremony, a vegetarian lunch reception, an afternoon Amish ceremony, and a Western-style dinner with evening dancing—all in one day! Balancing these diverse elements while sticking to our budget felt like an impossible task at times, but we eventually found the perfect spot to make it all come together.

How would you describe the ceremony? Was there anything specific that made it unique to you as a couple?

Our ceremony was a beautiful blend of cultures and traditions that truly reflected who we are as a couple. The day started with a Sikh ceremony in the morning, followed by an intimate Amish ceremony in the afternoon. Each part of the day honored where we come from, while the western dinner and dancing brought everyone together to celebrate. What made it unique was how seamlessly it all flowed, blending two very different worlds in a way that felt completely natural to us. It was a true reflection of our journey and our families coming together.

 

 

Any memorable moments from your reception? Toasts? Fun dances? Performances?

Our reception was packed with unforgettable moments, but the incredible speeches were definitely the highlight! Kiran’s friends’ along with his sister and father had everyone laughing, while Tim’s brother and sister surprised us with heartfelt and funny stories. Kiran’s younger sister, a classically trained dancer, performed a mesmerizing solo inspired by the Bollywood movie, Devdas. And the night ended on a high note with a conga line-style dance to the Bhangra song “Rail Gaddi,” with nearly everyone on their feet, winding through the venue. It was the perfect way to close out an incredible celebration!

Did you have any special cultural features to your wedding or factors that celebrated the heritage of you or your family? 

Absolutely! Our wedding was a true celebration of both our cultures. We began with a Sikh ceremony in the morning, honoring Kiran’s Kenyan Punjabi heritage. The venue’s indoor space was transformed into a temple, complete with a priest and holy book. In the afternoon, we had an intimate Amish ceremony to reflect Tim’s roots, where all of our guests joined in singing traditional hymns. The day ended with a Western-style dinner and dancing, blending our worlds beautifully. Each part of the day was a heartfelt tribute to the cultures that shaped us.

Any funny or unexpected wedding moments that happened throughout the day?

One funny moment happened while we waited for the second ceremony to start on the mountaintop. The guests arrived early and were asked to wait for a few minutes, so a few people started posing for a group photo with the stunning view. Soon, it snowballed into guests laughing and calling out to others to join in, until nearly all 150 guests were crammed into the shot! Someone asked our official photographer to capture it, but she just laughed and said, “I’m not wrangling that chaos—you’re on your own for this one!”

Special Songs:

First Dance Songs: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley

Last Dance Song: “Rail Gaddi” by Chirag Pehchan

Special Dance Song: 

“Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka” from Devdas in the Bollywood movie.

Classical dance solo at the reception by Bride’s sister, Jaspreet Sembhi.

 

What was the best part of your day – from each spouse’s perspective, please?

Kiran: It was definitely the incredible speeches. “Speeches have always been my favorite part of any wedding, but ours surpassed even my highest expectations. The speech-givers blew everyone away with thoughtful, funny anecdotes, filled with love and warmth. I’ll treasure those words and moments for the rest of my life.”

Tim: The best part of the day was seeing so many friends and family who had traveled all the way from Ohio and Pennsylvania to California. Since many of them don’t fly, they took a cross-country train just to be there, which made the day even more meaningful and special.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?

Kiran got to wear not one, but two wedding dresses!

When Kiran learned that Amish brides traditionally wear plain gray dresses, she couldn’t help but think it was a little sad that, to an outsider, the bride looked just like everyone else, except in gray. So when we found Kiran’s dress in London, we knew we’d found the perfect blend—technically the right gray for an Amish wedding, but covered in 20 lbs of silver pearls and faux diamonds, giving it all the shimmer and splendor that made it totally Kiran! It was love at first sparkle.

For the morning (Sikh) ceremony, Kiran wore a traditional red lehenga over a beautifully contrasted ivory underskirt that perfectly matched Tim’s ivory-colored kurta and rich red palla. During our photo shoot, the outfits popped so breathtakingly against the sparkling blue infinity pool that it looked positively regal.

We absolutely loved our photographer, Wendy from The Freckled Photographer. She was outstanding! Not only did she capture the most stunning and candid moments throughout the day, but she made us feel completely at ease in front of the camera. Her ability to blend into the background while still capturing every key moment was incredible. She had an eye for those perfect shots—especially during our photo shoot by the infinity pool, where the colors of our outfits popped so beautifully. She has such a calm and gentle presence, yet was clearly excited about our wedding. Beyond her talent, we feel like we’ve gained a personal friend. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to document such a special day!

Looking back, what do you think your guests will remember most about your wedding?

We think our guests will remember the incredible blend of traditions and cultures throughout the day. From the serene mountaintop ceremony with breathtaking views to the mix of Sikh and Amish traditions, it was truly a unique experience. They’ll probably also remember the warmth and connection between all the guests, and the feeling that, despite coming from very different backgrounds, everyone came together to celebrate as one big family.

 

Advice from the couple:

Stay true to yourselves and what’s meaningful to you as a couple. It’s easy to get caught up in traditions or what others expect, but the best weddings reflect who you are. Also, be flexible—things won’t always go exactly as planned, but those little surprises often turn into the best memories. And don’t forget to enjoy the process—it’s about celebrating your love, so make sure to have fun along the way!

What would you have done differently if you had the chance?

Honestly, not much! But if we had to pick something, we might have given ourselves a bit more time between the different parts of the day to relax and soak it all in. The day was packed with incredible moments, but it flew by so quickly. Having a few extra pauses would’ve let us catch our breath, and fully take in the magic around us.