Maria and Krishan have had chemistry since 2008 when they met during their, you guessed it, high school chemistry class. Fast forward to 2016 where Krishan proposed to Maria outside the auditorium right after she graduated nursing school.
Two years later, the high school sweethearts had two ceremonies: one at a Hindu Temple and another at Larsa Banquet Hall. Nearly 70 guests attended the Hindu wedding ceremony, which included several customs, including lighting a fire together and walking around it. They also had a cloth tied together with the bride’s veil that they couldn’t undo until the end of the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, everyone stood up and sang a prayer song.
Maria felt many emotions on her wedding day. “It was the weirdest feelings all in one,” she says. “I felt really happy and excited, but I started to cry. I couldn’t help it.” Her favorite wedding day memory was holding onto her parents as they walked through the doors into the ceremony. “I saw Krishan at the end of the aisle,” she says. “It felt like we weren’t just a couple of high school kids anymore.” Krishan’s favorite moment was watching his bride walk down the aisle. “I was speechless when I saw her,” he says. “I was like, ‘Man, she’s beautiful. God this is really happening.’ It was surreal.”
The next day, they had a second ceremony and reception at Larsa Banquet Hall, where they celebrated with more than 260 guests. The couple exchanged vows, enjoyed dinner and cake, and finished up the momentous occasion with speeches and dancing. Krishan loved the speeches (there were 14!) given by family and friends. “People explained how they watched our relationship grow and how far we’ve come,” says the groom. “All the great memories we created since high school.”
The couple worked hard to incorporate each other’s cultures into the celebrations. They served Indian food at the first reception, a nod to Krishan, and they had mariachi music at the second reception representing Maria’s background. Krishan praises Maria for being “open to my culture and going to the temple with me.” Both wore traditional red Indian attire for the Hindu ceremony. Maria wore a red saree with gold accents and her gold jewelry was purchased in Fiji by her mother-in-law. Krishan wore a cream colored long shirt and pants with red accents. The western ceremony’s color scheme was black, white and gold—the same colors the duo wore at senior prom.
With two wedding ceremonies under their belt, they advise engaged couples to not procrastinate or worry about the small details. And most importantly, Maria shares, “Don’t spend too much on the wedding; save up for the marriage.”
— Kristen Castillo
