G I R A + A A R O N
Gira and Aaron’s love started with a game of Jenga, strengthened during almost two years of long distance and became forever with a huge Indian/Polish wedding. The festivities were a beautiful fusion of their cultures, rich family love and a bit of Texan flair!
F R O M T H E B R I D E
We first met…
We both had a rough week & decided to swing by Valhalla at Rice University with our mates. Neither of us were dressed to impress (it’s a bit of a dive bar), but after a few minutes, he asked me to play Jenga. That Jenga game resulted in 6 dates in a row!
We knew it was love…
What’s really crazy is we spent the first 1 year & 9 months in a long-distance relationship (Houston & D.C.). I always said I would never be in a long-distance relationship; they are too hard and complicated. It was a “hard set” rule I had. But after about 3 weeks of dates & chatting non-stop, I knew. I just knew. I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt right. Everything felt right in the world. We also said I LOVE YOU about 3 weeks in. Again – crazy! Neither of us ever said that so early! I guess when you know, you know.
The proposal…
Aaron is an amazing athlete. He competes in triathalons & ultra-marathons around the world. Prior to his Leadville 100 (100 mile run through the Colorado mountains), we took a trip to Aspen. He popped the question during a picnic at Maroon Bells. It was the most gorgeous place ever.
Our wedding photographer…
We went with Joseph West! The minute we saw his photos, we knew we loved them! It was important to have a photographer who had worked with dual-culture & Indian weddings. I wanted to make sure they knew the traditions. Joseph has actually travelled to India to shoot a wedding. He has a way of making you feel beautiful and comfortable just the way you are. He captures the moments that matter in a very documentary-style. He caught some amazing moments I didn’t even realize happened like Aaron hugging my grandfather who gave me away, and my uncle kissing me on the forehead as I checked out the decorations the morning off. His photos helped me relive the entire day.
T H E W E D D I N G
Our dream wedding…
We come from very different backgrounds, which made our weddings so special & tricky! It was important to celebrate the union of both our families, so we had two ceremonies (with a British tea time in between)! We created a custom fusion menu celebrating Aaron’s Polish/Belgian heritage & my British-Indian family; we threw in a bit of a Texas flare!
The theme was rustic-industrial (bringing a garden inside a warehouse). Our colors were blush pink and coral. The bridesmaids wore dress of their choosing in that color range.
Our focus was on the food, drinks & music! We wanted everyone to have a great time! We called it a big Polish-Belgian-British-Indian-East African-Texan party!
Ceremony location…
The Astorian in Houston, TX.
Reception venue…
The Astorian in Houston, TX.
Pre-wedding celebrations…
A mendhi party / rehearsal dinner the night before at Hotel Icon. All the girls & guys got henna!
The bridal party…
5 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen. All were friends we had known for years & who helped us get through our long-distance time.
The bridesmaids wore…
The bridesmaids wore a dress of their choosing in blush pink or coral. Everyone has different body types, so I wanted them to feel good! As a former bridesmaid, I know how annoying it is to get a dress you spend loads on & don’t feel comfortable in. I told them all to get something they would wear again for a date night!
The groomsmen wore…
Similar to bridesmaids, they all chose their own suits! Our amazing florist (Westside Flower Exchange) gave them corsages in our colors.
The groom wore…
Tuxedo, in “Justin Timberlake” style (as he says). He looked AMAZING.
The dress(es)…
I wore two dresses: Christian white lace wedding dress from an independent designer in Italy for the Christian ceremony, and a beautiful pink to gold ombre sari for the Hindu ceremony & reception.
I wanted to feel comfortable & beautiful in both dresses. The minute I told Almas’ Sari shop my colors, she happened to have a sari another bride returned in my exact colors. It was love at first try.
Wedding flowers…
I am really lucky. My best friend of 22+ years’ mum did our flowers. I gave her pretty few examples of what I liked and didn’t like – and she made it happen. It was even more beautiful than I ever imaged. She knew us & our personalities so well. The flowers were light & airy. It felt like she brought a garden inside.
Reception décor…
Again my best friend’s mum (Westside Flower Exchange) and Chelsea Wenner with Belle of the Ball (our wedding planner) put it together. The head table had this gorgeous long train of flowers, and each table had a beautiful centrepiece of blush/white flowers with a hint of green. Everyone who took home a centrepiece said they lasted for weeks!
We wanted everything to have a rustic-industrial feel. We aren’t very over-top kind of people, so the table settings & general flowers were simple & elegant.
On the menu…
We had a British tea time between the Christian & Hindu ceremonies with light drinks, and a cocktail reception between the Hindu ceremony & reception.
The menu was an excellent fusion of both our cultures: Polish & Indian, both with a bit of Texan flair. It was important to celebrate both our cultures. Dinner was buffet style due to the very different families we had. Everyone still talks about the food!
Bomboniere…
We had macarons in our wedding colours with cute henna patterns. Additionally, A Fare Extrodinaire (our caterer) provided chicken & waffles + churro bites for the late night exit.
Memorable moments…
Aaron & I could not stop crying during the ceremonies! It was beautiful and silly at the same time. I don’t know when else in your life you get to be in one room with everyone you love! We have a lot of Jewish friends, so as a surprise they gave us the Hora with Hava Nagila playing. Our friends and family were in on it, so lifted us up. It was amazing.
Wedding soundtrack…
Entrance song: DMX, Ruff Ryder’s Anthem (because why not)
First Dance: St Lucia, All Eyes On You (this song came out when we first started dating, and it reminds us of our long distance relationships and travel)
Cake Cutting: John Mayer, Wildfire (one of our favourites, and the lyrics remind us of each other)
M A R R I E D L I F E
The honeymoon…
Albania & Montengero. It was amazing & beautiful! A lesser known part of the world meant we were the only Americans. Albania was closed off to the world until 1991, so it’s an interesting mix of culture dynamics. We like to travel off the beaten path. We even ran into a CNN travel crew working to promote Albanian tourism at one of our lodges in the Alps.
Future plans…
Non-stop adventures & travels. We have yet to spend a day together without a new adventure. We’re huge dog lovers, so we plan on being involved with rescue organizations. At some point we would love to have family (kids & more dogs), but want to enjoy newlywed life first!
In 40 years we hope to…
Have a beautiful family with grandkids. We will never stop travelling and hope to discover more new places even when we are in our 60s-70s.
W E D D I N G W I S D O M
The engagement…
This is the best time ever. Everyone will ask you ridiculous questions & provide out-dated advice, but just roll with it. It’s kind of funny at times. I feel like in Indian culture, a bride-to-be is so spoiled. All the grandmothers & aunts spoil you with food & clothes!
The planning process…
Planning can be stressful, especially if you come from different backgrounds & expectations. My family is HUGE and Aaron’s family is quite small, so adjusting to the number of relatives & guests was quite hard at times.
Celebrate the differences in your backgrounds. While relatives’ religious views can seem frustrating at times, remember you are starting YOUR family together as husband & wife. Your values should be front & centre.
Also hire a planner if you can, or at least a day-of-planner. We both work full-time, and so does my mom. My entire family lives in the UK & Australia as well, so without Chelsea, I don’t know what we would have done. Various planners have different packages, you don’t have to spend too much, but they help narrow down vendors & provide general organisation.
On the day…
Enjoy it! You will never experience every person you love in one room again! Make sure a good friend or wedding planner constantly provides food too! I would have forgotten to eat if it hadn’t been for our planner!
Photographer: Joseph West / Wedding Planner: Chelsea Wenner, Belle of the Ball / Dress: Independent designers (both) / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Flowers: Westside Flower Exchange / Cake: Who Made the Cake / Catering: A Fare Extrodinaire / Engagement ring: custom design from Hal Martin / Bridal Wedding band: independent designer on Etsy / Hair and makeup: Kristin Daniell / Stationery: Minted / DJ: DJ Alx/Karma DJs