Maya & Rob – An Indian-Jewish Wedding
- by Signature Weddings
- 862 days ago
- in Traditional Weddings
- outdoor wedding
A traditional yet contemporary wedding…This was what struck us when we first looked at Maya and Rob’s real wedding. The colours, the people, the culture and the excitement that you see in the photos are awesome! What better ways to celebrate your wedding in style – Malibu style! A big thank you to Maya & Rob and Suzanne for sharing with us the beautiful wedding images as well as the story! Brides, be prepared to jot down some notes while you are browsing through these wonderful images =)
OUR COUPLE
Rob was born and raised in New Jersey while Maya grew up in Los Angeles. They met on the night of February 28, 2008 in a Santa Monica bar where Maya was celebrating her roommate’s birthday. They now reside in Los Angeles, California.
A PROPOSAL
“On December 20, 2008, Rob treated me to a special brunch at Paradise Cove Restaurant on the beach in Malibu, followed by a drive up to Malibu Lake where Rob had long talked about. At this hidden lake surrounded by a park and several Malibu homes, Rob surprised me with the proposal and a beautiful ring that contained the diamond from his great-grandmother’s engagement ring – it was given to him by his mother and grandmother after meeting me.”
THE WEDDING VENUE
“We both wanted an outdoor wedding overlooking the ocean in the summertime. After looking at many locations along the Orange County and Los Angeles coastline, we found Cypress Sea Cove, a private residence in Malibu whose grounds are rented out for special events and movie shoots. We were immediately taken with the stunning, panoramic ocean view from the high cliff the property sits on. The old, Victorian-style estate and its meticulously-sculpted gardens added to the romantic feel of the property. While many of the hotels and catering halls we viewed had strict guidelines about food, alcohol and schedules, Cypress Cove was entirely accessible and gave us much more flexibility to plan our perfect day.
AMBIENCE
The floral scheme was primarily deep magenta purple and white, with some green. Since the wedding site was dramatic enough with the blue ocean and sky, the green palms and grass, and colourful flowers, decorations were kept subtle and natural to blend with the natural setting.
ATTIRE
For the wedding ceremony, Maya’s nine bridesmaids wore purple silk sarees with gold threading which Maya’s dad brought back from India. Rob and his groomsmen wore thin-cut purple ties from Thomas Pink with dark blue suits and blue shoes.
Maya wore an Indian bridal saree purchased from Little India just outside LA. She chose a white silk saree with gold beading and embroidery, with hints of red. The blouse piece and palu were in the traditional Indian wedding red colour while accessories included white, gold and red bangles, 24 karat-gold earrings, necklace and tikka, a traditional Khasi necklace, and bridal mehndi (the henna designs on the hands). Khasi is a tribe of India where Maya’s mother is from. For the reception, Maya changed into a strapless, Western-style wedding gown.
THE WEDDING
“Neither of us are extremely religious, but we both cherish the rich cultural and spiritual backgrounds of our cultures and wanted to celebrate that with our families and friends. In that spirit, we blended several traditions of Hindu, Jewish and American marriage ceremonies.”
Maya: “Following Hindu tradition, we said a prayer to Ganesha, took seven symbolic steps around a fire (Maya’s dad built the fire ‘pit’ that we walked around), Rob gave me the Mangala Sutra (a necklace that grooms puts on the bride as a symbol of marriage), then my mother and my aunt from India dabbed mustard oil on our foreheads (a traditional Khasi custom).”
Rob: “We were married under a traditional wedding Chuppa covered by a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl). In Jewish weddings, it symbolizes the home the couple will build together. The Chuppa was actually built by Maya’s stepfather using bamboo poles, and was wrapped in vines and bright purple orchids with purple-and-white tallit. We also incorporated the Kiddush Blessing (blessing of the wine that is sipped by the bride and groom from the same cup). At the end of the ceremony I ‘broke the glass’ (traditional of Jewish weddings).”
DREAM TEAM
Photography Suzanne Karp
Flowers Gretchen, Flower Power LA
Stationer Lunsey Taulbee
Caterer Truly Yours Catering
Resource from: SignatureWeddings