#AkshitKiHoGayiAish

Our Story

There She Goes
September 2018

It was an unusually sunny September morning in Seattle. Akshit decided to take a cab to work that day. Unlike any other day, much to his surprise, he found a distracted, curly-haired girl hop into the same cab, headed to the same destination. They parted ways. Call it a stroke of serendipity or just dumb luck, but they kept meeting in a cab to work every day. It took several awkwardly silent cab rides until they finally decided to get coffee. They'd see each other every day. It only hit them three months later that they didn't mind each other's company.
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
November 28, 2018

From their endless conversations, Aishwarya knew of Akshit's love for Japanese food. She made a cautious proposition of meeting over sushi after work. As scared as they were about a real date, by the end of the evening, they could both see it work. The awkward dates turned into hours of binging 'Scrubs' and 'Community' over takeout dinners. Between the afternoon coffees and the weekend-long video-gaming, there was barely a spare moment spent apart. Before they knew it, nearly three years had passed. They still liked each other's company just as much. And they were just as inseparable.
It Cannot Wait, I'm Yours
May 20, 2021

The weather decided to comply that day. Aishwarya watched a nervous wreck of a man tear down his entire wardrobe to find that perfect outfit. Knowing Akshit, she wasn't too surprised by the effort he put into just another date. All he told her was that it's a surprise. After a painfully long ride with a chatty Uber driver, they finally got there. Akshit dragged her by the hand through a deserted parking by the pier to a tiny building that read 'Seattle Seaplanes'. She had her suspicions. He whisked her away to an island (wasn't really an island) far, far away. They got to a quaint resort in Alderbrook where a table for two was set up right across the lake. Ten minutes into dinner, Akshit finally got down on one knee, completely forgot his speech, popped open the jewelry box and asked her to marry him. In that moment, there was absolutely no doubt in Aishwarya's mind that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Happy Together
December 12 & 13, 2021

There are few things in life that give you that sense of undiluted happiness you never want to let go. Akshit and Aishwarya seem to have found it in each other. And so, they have finally decided to celebrate their togetherness through a beautiful, cross-cultural wedding, in the hope of creating memories that will last them a lifetime.

Events

Pre-Wedding Ceremonies

Bridal Mehendi

Thane, Maharashtra, India
Dec 10 2021

Wedding traditions in India call for a mehendi ceremony held before the wedding where artists paint the bride's hands and feet with henna designs. The family joins in as well in getting their hands painted while they engage in fun conversations and games. Henna is associated with luck and positivity. Join us in wishing the bride good health and prosperity through her marriage.

Mehendi Party with the Groom's Family

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 11th 2021, 7PM

The groom and his family plan on having an intimate gathering with a limitless supply of witty banter, dancing, music and mehendi.

Shagun & Chunni

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 12 2021, 9AM

The Chunni ceremony symbolizes the bride's acceptance into the groom's family. The Shagun ceremony, similarly, represents the groom's acceptance into the bride's family. During this ceremony, the bride's family presents the groom with a shagun which is a token a good luck.

Haldi

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 12 2021, 11AM

The Shagun & Chunni ceremonies will be followed by the Haldi ceremony where the groom will be doused in turmeric, oil and water while the family sings for him and blesses him with luck in his marriage.

Sangeet Night

Show events

Wedding

Show events

Vratham & Paligai Thalikal

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 13 2021, 8AM

The Vratham involves a sacred thread being tied around the wrist of the bride to protect her from any harm that may come her way as she embarks upon this journey as a married woman. Before the wedding ceremonies begin, the bride's family as part of sprinkling the Paligai, germinates grains of nine kinds, sowed in clay pots. These sprouts symbolize good fortune for the bride and groom. These pots are immersed into a pond or the sea for fish to feed on these grains after a few days following the wedding.

Sehrabandi, Baarat & Milni

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 13 2021, 9AM

As part of the sehrabandi, a bejeweled headgear blessed by the elders in the family, is tied around the groom's head in the process of prepping him for his marital journey.

The baarat is the wedding procession leading the groom to his bride on his wedding day. The wedding guests follow the groom seated on a white horse or in a car as they dance along the journey to the wedding venue.

This is followed by the milni where the groom and his family is greeted by the bride's family. Milni literally translates to introductions which is the very core of this tradition, wherein the elders in both families formally introduce themselves and greet each other with a garland of flowers.

Maalai Maatral & Oonjal

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 13 2021, 10AM

The Maalai Maatral ceremony is the exchange of flower garlands between the bride and the groom indicating that the bride has picked the groom to be her husband. This event is replete with fun moments as the bride and groom's friends and family lift them both up while they dodge each other's attempts while everyone cheers on.

Oonjal literally translates to a swing. The groom leads the bride by her hand to a beautifully decorated swing where they are both seated. The swing itself symbolizes the turbulence the bride and groom could face in life as a married couple. The sumangalis or married women in the family sing for the couple and toss colored rice-balls in all directions around the bride and groom as a gesture to ward of all evil and bless them with harmony in their marriage.

Kanyadaanam

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 13 2021, 11:30AM

The Kanyadaanam is an emotional moment for the father of the bride and the bride herself. It marks the father giving his beloved daughter away to the groom. Following this, the groom presents his future wife with a saree who is then taken away by the women in the family to help her drape it around her for the Maangalya Dhaaranam.

Maangalya Dhaaranam & Sapta Padi

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dec 13 2021, 12PM

As part of the Maangalya Dhaaranam the thaali or twin pieces of gold weaved into a yellow thread is tied around the bride's neck, marking that the groom has accepted his bride as his partner in life. The first knot is tied by the groom, followed by two knots tied by the groom's sister, as the newlyweds are showered with flowers by the guests.

The Sapta Padi marks the culmination of the wedding, where the bride and groom take seven steps hand in hand. With each step, they vow to love and support each other through their entire lives and stay committed to the marriage for all of eternity. The couple then walk around the holy fire, at the end of which, the groom takes his bride's right toe and places it on an ammi kal or a grindstone, bestowing upon her the ability to stay unfazed by the trials in life.