We are back to show you the spring soiree of Krina and Shawn in the grounds of Langdon Farms. I have fallen in love with the charming details of the evening event thanks to Sikora Photography who masterfully captured the best shots of the night. Monsoon Catering was brought in for the evening events and offered the best food and an amazing catering experience for the guests. Nahid's Global Events, the event production company spiced up this grand event and incorporated a fabulous oyster bar to spoil the groom and a sweet donut station for the bride's sweet tooth instead of the traditional wedding cake. Brilliant! Krina and Shawn recruited the top-notch Ambiance AV, the entertainment specialists flew over from California just to bring their creative lightning and music to add a magic touch to the elegant location. Swoon Floral Design also added they creativity with a lovely and ingenious world map seating chart. The lovebirds glowed under the lights and wowed their guests with party-ready outfits perfect for a warm spring night! Kudos to Nahid's Global Events and in the bride's own words "My wedding coordinator Nahid Farhoud was instrumental in collectively getting it all together and essentially pulling off each aspect of my wedding weekend program." The treasured moments are all in our full gallery, so don’t forget to take a look!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met on a blind date. My friend happened to be sitting out at a restaurant patio with her dog and friends one Friday night. Her dog Cordury kept going over to Shawn which prompted a casual conversation. As Shawn was about to leave, my friend asked if he was single and/or dating anyone. He replied no to both, to which my friend asked if he'd be interested in going on a blind date. He was for it, saying it didn't seem any different from online dating. My friend volunteered to show him my picture to which he politely declined saying that if I couldn't see his picture then he wouldn't take a sneak peek at mine. She connected us over email and from there the relationship began!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
On Mother's Day at my parents' store, the Drive-in Market, Shawn decided to enlist my parents in the quest to confuse and confound me. I first saw the beautiful ring on my mom's hand. She and my dad led me to believe that Dad had purchased the ring for Mom. Knowing that Dad usually doesn't buy jewelry I sought answers about the occasion, the jeweler, and most importantly I wanted to know where my ring was! Shawn, knowing he was about to propose, watched as I asked Mom and Dad questions. Mom and Dad pretended to be clueless as I walked back and forth trying to figure out the mystery of the ring. Finally, Shawn proposed at the market's check out counter while my parents and customers congratulated us. It was the most fitting and perfect proposal.
Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.
Finding a venue was the most difficult task. We couldn't seem to figure out a place that we both really got a good feeling from and that we felt relaxed in. Sure there were many beautiful locations that we visited but not many felt like "us". We also wanted to find a location that would be easy to travel to for our family and guests. We visited Portland and fell in love with the town and decided to look for venues in that city. Langdon Farms was the last site we visited over a 2 day period and we instantly felt a connection to it and felt it would work perfectly for what we wanted to do for our wedding celebration.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wanted to find a dress that was similar to the color scheme of the sari that my mother got married in. I knew I wanted it to be predominately white with borders of red and green. Keeping it traditional yet updating the look. I found a store in NJ and India that worked with me to design the dress and have it custom made (the wedding dress, Friday night mehndi night event dress, and reception dress). For the colors of the wedding, I knew I wanted teal/gold - which was reflected in the Friday night mehndi night event dress and the reception dress!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
We planned to have a dessert bar with all the desserts that we both enjoy. We both love donuts and enjoyed sampling all the flavors that we wanted at our wedding. We also had our fair share of an assortment of macarons.
We also had an oyster bar that we got to enjoy sampling some of the oysters from the company before we booked them!
Clearly choosing the food options were the most enjoyable aspect of our wedding planning!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests all really had great things to say about all the food that we provided over the 2 days of festivities. We had Monsoon Catering Group travel from Southern CA to Portland to provide food for both the Friday night Mehndi night and our Cocktail hour/Reception. They were absolutely phenomenal!
We had donuts from Portland's famous Blue Star Donuts
We had a Mobile Oyster Bar during the cocktail hour provided by:
We also provided unique specialty sandwiches for lunch the day of wedding catered by the Oregon Deli Co.:
www.oregondelico.com
Beginning Thursday evening as guests began arriving, we had a Hospitality suite stocked with an assortment of all types of beverages, snacks, and playing cards for folks to entertain themselves with while catching up and also meeting new future family members. It was a great space for people to hang out at throughout the wedding weekend.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The day before the wedding (Friday) was a clear and sunny day in Portland - which was amazing. Beginning Saturday morning, we saw the raindrops coming and started getting nervous. For me, I was more concerned about how this would affect my guests. We took our pictures/first look during a break in the weather and it was absolutely freezing. I feel that I can see when my teeth were chattering in some of the beautifully captured moments.
During Shawn's Baraat there was another break in the weather and all the guests were able to dance in the procession without getting rained on. When it was my turn to walk to the mandap inside the tent there was also another break in the weather and I was able to walk over with all my maternal uncles as they held my mother's chundadi (saree given to my mother from my father when they got married). Once I was united with Shawn on the Mandap, there was an absolute torrential downpour - the pouring rain was absolutely deafening. This was then followed by the brightest sunlight peaking into the tent... The priest commented that the Gods had been blessing each aspect of our wedding with the rain. It was a really special experience.
Coming into the tent, with my uncles, I hadn't known what to expect. I was trying to soak it all in. The flowers, the greenery, the candles, all the faces of our family/friends. I had the DJ play an old 80's song that I wanted to dance to the Mandap to. Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give You Up.
It was fun, it was festive, and I had my uncles dancing with me down the aisle. I loved that moment!
For events other than your ceremony, please tell us as much as you would like about the decor, style, dances, and all the special details.
On Friday,
During the afternoon - Shawn scheduled a golf game for anyone that was interested at Langdon Farms Golf Course.
I had my Graha Shanti puja and Pithi Ceremony during this time.
Lunch was provided for everyone to enjoy after the puja and golfing
On Friday night we had our meet/greet - Mehndi night. I wanted an evening for all our guests to come together and enjoy catching up with other family members, meeting new family members and making friends. We had dinner and open bar. I didn't want to have anything too scheduled, just a dressed up yet casual evening. We played a slideshow of pictures of Shawn and I growing up. I had my mother and father's wedding album out including Shawn's parents wedding album for people to go through and observe the differences between a Hindu wedding in India in the 70's and a Catholic wedding in New York in the 70's We, of course, had Mehndi artists available for all to enjoy experiencing. There was also a table of bangles and bindis for our guests to enjoy as gifts.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I think it's important for every bride to stay true to what they want and what they hold most important to them. Weddings can be tough in that you may end up wanting to please too many people which then makes the wedding planning process even more stressful than it already is. For me, I wanted an "intimate" Indian wedding - almost an oxymoron when describing Indian weddings. It was important for me/us to have a connection with each and every one of our guests. Our guest list was kept at 250 and we ended up only having 2 no-shows. I would also say to try and savor every moment. It absolutely goes by in a blur. I would constantly be reminded to check in with myself and be aware of what was happening around me and who was there. I wanted to soak in every moment and feeling. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience and I know that I will never forget the feeling of sitting across from my incredible partner that I was so fortunate to have met and then sitting beside him as his wife.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I wanted to incorporate as much of my mother's jewelry as possible. We bought some more modern pieces in India that would still work with my mother's jewelry.
My hair/makeup person: Beauty by Lishma - Lishma Patel - www.beautybylishma.com/
Was incredible! She completely took care of me and everything I needed. She's so incredibly talented. Not only did she apply my Mendhi but she also was one of the Mendhi artists I used on Friday night. She knew I wasn't comfortable with heavy make-up and worked with me to apply just enough to make me feel beautiful. She has a gift for enhancing peoples inner beauty and letting it shine in her work. I feel so fortunate that she also traveled to Portland and stayed with us for 3 nights to prepare for all of the wedding wknd festivities.
My wedding coordinator Nahi Farhoud
nahidglobal.com/
Was instrumental in collectively getting it all together and essentially pulling off each aspect of my wedding weekend program. She was instrumental in helping me with flower/decor decisions. She whittled down my options so that I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed and could effortlessly say "yes" I like this or "no" this isn't my style. I will forever be grateful for her for dealing with everything so that I could actually enjoy the process of getting married and not be bogged down with any issues.
Looking for inspiration for your big day? Look no further! Check out our wedding stories to get the best ideas for your special day!
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Lishma |
Lighting: Ambiance AV |
DJ: Ambiance AV |
Mehndi Artists: Beauty by Lishma |
Cinematography: byDesign Films |
Bridal Jewelry: Blue Nile |
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Langdon Farms |
Planning & Design: Nahid Global |
Floral & Decor: Swoon Floral Design |
Baraat Dhol Player: Dholnation - Malinder Tooray |
Photo Booth: Portland Photo Booth Party |
Photography: Sikora Photography
Beauty by Lishma,
Ambiance AV,
byDesign Films and
Blue Nile
are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.
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