Laura & Raj – Multi-Cultural Hindu Jewish Wedding in the Hudson Valley, NY

There are many benefits to owning my own creative business, but I have to say that one of my favorite perks is getting to know the many interfaith couples that have chosen to work with me over the years. Learning about each couple’s love story and backgrounds is always so sweet, and sometimes I get the added bonus of learning about the wedding traditions of another culture as well.

This was definitely the case with Laura and Raj! Photographed by Dave Robbins Photography, their gorgeous Multi-Cultural Hindu Jewish Wedding in the Hudson Valley was richly colorful and incorporated an array of both Jewish and Hindu wedding festivities. It was a joyous celebration that brought their two cultures together.

In planning their wedding, the couple worked with the luxury wedding planner Erganic Design, who helped them keep both the Hindu and Jewish wedding ceremonies cohesive. They wanted their wedding weekend to feel as if they were truly meshing their families, lives, and cultures together, and planned a weekend full of ceremonies to do this. 

The rehearsal dinner evening began with Henna painting ceremony for Laura by Henna By Tanvi.

Their wedding day opened with the Baraat – an Indian ceremony where Raj rode in on a white horse, accompanied by live music and all of their friends and family dancing around him. Raj and Laura wore traditional red and gold Indian outfits – a "lengha" and a "sherwanired". Laura’s Indian jewelry was all chosen by her mother-in-law, much of which she also wore for her own wedding. 

In both Indian and Jewish weddings, the wedding canopy symbolizes the home that the couple builds together. Laura & Raj used the same structure for the Mandap and Chuppah to symbolize that they are building one home that embraced both of their cultures/religions.

They worked with NYC florist Designs by Ahn on their stunning florals, and used coral peonies as the main blooms, combined with jewel toned marigolds and roses for the Indian celebrations and with softer peach and white flowers and loads of greenery for the Jewish celebration.

Later that day, the Jewish ceremonies began. For their ketubah, Laura and Raj wanted the text to be written in English, Hebrew, and Hindi. We worked with them to design an illuminated border that incorporated coral peonies, peach roses, and succulents, which Laura included in her bouquet. The wreath also included mountain laurel (the Pennyslvania state flower - where she grew up), common violets (the NJ state flower - where he grew up), olive branches and cyclamen to represent her Jewish culture, and lotus flowers and a gold mendhi border to represent his Hindu culture.

For the Jewish ceremony, Laura wore an A-line, strapless, sweetheart neckline, white Azul by Liancarlo wedding dress from Elizabeth Johns in Ardmore, PA. After initially trying it on, she went to other stores to see more dresses and just couldn’t stop thinking about this dress and how she felt in it. As a sweet surprise, Laura’s mother had her new initials embroidered into the dress.

As for the jewelry she wore a necklace inspired by her grandmother’s wedding ring, and her earrings and bracelets were gifts from Raj.

Raj wore a gorgeous custom-made deep blue 3-piece suit from Alan David, a Ferragamo tie, and New York Yankee’s cufflinks.

They also used lanterns throughout the festivities to help the events tie together.  Lanterns were used on the invitations, in the centerpieces for the Sangeet ceremony, and lined the walkway during the Jewish ceremony. 

The invitations and all stationary were customs designed by the couple and Erganic Design.

Abigail Kirsch created a beautiful  3 tiered white cake, with combed buttercream icing in a diagonal pattern with fresh coral peonies and greenery.

Thank you, Laura & Raj, for sharing your beautiful wedding photos with us! We hope your lives are filled with love, joy, laughter, and many more happy years together!