Indian style California wedding: Ben + Divya
We have the absolute pinworthy wedding to share with you today – the wedding of Ben (co-founder of Pinterest) + Divya (Facebook employee & Ben’s favorite #1 Pinner). It all began with a little pinboard titled, “So it turns out we’re getting married”. Deep reds, intricate mehndi designs, bright orange marigolds, and lots of pretty shoes were pinned across the many months leading up to their celebration. Looking at the stunning images from Bonnie Tsang now, it’s easy to see that Ben + Divya pulled off exactly what they had envisioned. Modern, yet steeped in Indian traditions, their wedding, held in the lush Nestldown retreat in Los Gatos, is unlike any Indian wedding you’ve ever seen. But, of course, nothing steals the show like the glowing bride in her saree!
It’s so fun to see the pin that inspired Divya’s ornamented mehndi, applied by Threads Beauty Bar.
Our good friend, Andres Montaño designed our invitations. We loved Andres’ fun & whimsical design style and were super excited when he agreed to help design our invitations. He was incredibly patient and took a lot of care to make sure we were happy with the final product. We wanted something that was personal and fun, and couldn’t be happier with what he designed! We liked his font choices and art so much, that we used it for all the other paper goods in the wedding: table cards, decorations for the welcome table, table numbers, etc.
We knew we wanted to do an outside wedding, because one of our favorite things about California is just how much natural beauty there is. We were also excited to incorporate personal traditions. For me, this meant picking some of my favorite Hindu traditions, like lighting a special lamp, having the parents exchange garlands, and taking 7 steps around a holy fire. For Ben, it was more about picking some of his favorite food and music. In the end, we felt it was the perfect marriage of both tradition + bits of our personalities.
Together with her parents, Divya walked down the aisle to, You’re So Cool by The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Listen to it here:
We love how they found creative ways to reuse certain flower arrangements (considering flowers can hike up your wedding costs pretty fast) in different areas. The marigolds you see hanging during the ceremony were later used as garlands for their families to wear, and the bridesmaids bouquets were reused (also, after the ceremony) as their centerpieces!
Divya’s Mom brought handfuls of Indian paper kites (reminiscent to what lots of kids in India grow up flying) back from India to give out as favors.
They danced their first dance as Mr. & Mrs. Silbermann to California Stars by Wilco.
We can’t thank Ben + Divya enough for allowing us to share their personal and beautiful wedding with us. We wish them the very best!
Photography: Bonnie Tsang / Wedding Coordinator: Christy Daly from Trisha Dean Events / Catering: Cafe Primavera (American) and The Mynt (for Indian) / Flowers: Flower Divas / Invitation design: Andres Montaño / Hair & Make up: Farzana Fazam from “Beauty by Farzana” / Music: Big Fun DJ’s / Cake: / Glass Slipper Gourmet / Henna: Threads Beauty Bar / Bride’s dress: Amy Kuschel – Saree from Chennai, India / Bride’s shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids dresses: WeddingtonWay / Groom’s suit: Banana Republic
Sarah Jenks | Nutrition Coach for Brides-to-Be on Sep 26, 2011
I love the marriage of the modern chic and traditional Indian elements in this absolutely gorgeous wedding. And that indoor space, oh my! Thanks for sharing with us.
CN on Sep 26, 2011
Love the location. So understated and gorgeous.
Kristine {In Love, Engaged} on Sep 26, 2011
I love the characters they used for the invitations and then carried throughout their decor. So cute! I also really love the colors--and the bride is stunning!
Melanie on Sep 26, 2011
I am so into researching Indian weddings right now...nice timing, hon... ;) I love the bride's henna work on her hands.
Kate (Floret Cadet) on Sep 26, 2011
The marigold garlands are to die for!
Abbey on Sep 26, 2011
This is delightful!
kimmy sheorey on Sep 26, 2011
cakelets ??????????????i mean how much cuter can this get ? love it . i am a die hard pininterest fan , my reason to feel happy , so much talent and beauty , in a world or horror , this is my safe place , where you realize the beauty that surrounds us , those wedding pixs of divya and ben are mindblowing -wish you all the joy and happiness .love from india!!!!!!!!
Yezdi on Sep 27, 2011
Till now I thought that fairy tales were just fairy tales. Not anymore.
wedding toasts maid on Sep 27, 2011
Everyone loves this people many people used in the invitations and transported throughout their design. Therefore adorable! Furthermore like the colours–and the bride of the event is amazing!
Barn Weddings on Sep 28, 2011
Awesome wedding, thanks for sharing this to us. One of an inspiration wedding to have for couple who wants to be married. Looking forward always.
Tracy R. on Jan 4, 2012
Beautiful wedding, beautiful couple. Congratulations, Ben and Divya!
Bharat on Mar 22, 2012
Good Pics especially Cakes and flowers
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