Once upon a wine and cheese party, Virginia (Ginny) met Nitin. From the moment they spotted each other, they knew how important the other would become in their lives, and rushed in headfirst. For Ginny, it was the “’double D’ dimples,” full-faced grin, and boyish magnetic personality that sold her. For Nitin, it was a little simpler: “I was invited to a wine and cheese party. I saw her. Boom.”
Holding hands the rest of the night, the couple were inseparable from that moment on. And Nitin’s proposal to Ginny was as much of a magical surprise as their chance meeting. Five years later, the couple planned an exciting trip to Kauai. Though Ginny thought it was just a romantic getaway, Nitin had another idea in mind. He waited “until Ginny’s guard was [completely] down” to pop the question. After an exhausting day hiking the Na Pali coast, Ginny wanted to relax in the spa at the room, but Nitin convinced her to watch the sunset on their private beach with some champagne instead. As the sun began to set, Nitin pulled out a small box from his pocket, beginning his heartfelt preamble to the big question. Finally, he took the plunge. As Ginny recalls, there were tears and so much joy. Suddenly, after a few minutes, Nitin said, “You haven’t answered yet…,” but Ginny just assumed that after all of that, a straight answer wasn’t necessary.
As Ginny so deftly put it, their wedding was “tradernative,” or traditionally alternative, and the ceremony was a testament to that. To honor both of their families and backgrounds, they melded a traditional Hindu ceremony with a customary Christian wedding ceremony, creating an explosion of color and culture as bright and unique as their love.
On the big day, the ceremonies were split into three parts: One short Hindu ceremony, a small Hindu reception, and a Christian ceremony followed by a traditional large reception. As a part of the initial 45-minute Hindu ceremony, Nitin rode on horseback to the ceremony site while his family danced and sang around him in a baraat—a giant procession of the groom’s family complete with music, dancing and a whole lot of celebration. Ginny’s face ached from smiling as he rode up on that white horse to take their vows.
At the reception, the joy of the day was contagious—even the DJ and Nitin’s elderly grandmother were busting a move! A touching toast to their respective families, seven laps around the fire at the Hindu ceremony, and their first dance to Beirut’s “Postcards from Italy” were highlights of the couple’s day. But what truly made their day special was that it marked the start of their own beautifully “tradernative” life together.
—Adrianna Valencia
