Happy Anniversary: Priyanka and Pat

Priyanka and Pat are such a wonderful couple. The first time I met them we spent hours talking about their wedding and going over all the details. They had a ton of stuff incorporated in their special day and my team and I were so honored to be a part of it. All of these lovely details were captured by CKQN Photography and the video from PNG Wedding Films.

Priyanka and Pat had two ceremonies. Their first was an Indian/Hindu ceremony at Vaishnav Samaj Temple in Addison Illinois.

Before the wedding started the groom had to dance in with his family and be greeted by the bride’s parents. Priyanka’s family shares a tradition where the bride’s mother has to pinch the groom’s nose while the groomsmen try to stop her. When she finally “gets” his nose, she takes him to the Mandap to await for his bride. The groomsmen didn’t put up too much of a fight at all…

Priyanka’s mother brought handmade fabric and beading from India for the couple’s Mandap. The Wedding Mandap is a decorated structure with four pillars were the couple stands under during the wedding. This is where Priyanka and Pat took sacred vows and participated in traditional elements of an Indian/Hindu wedding.

One of my favorite parts of the Indian/Hindu ceremony is when all the females come and whisper advice to the bride. Some of these moments were really fun to watch. Wonder what these ladies had to say?

Afterwards the couple and their wedding party took some fun photos near the temple before getting ready for the next half of the day.

Priyanka and Pat chose to have second ceremony incorporating the traditions found in American style ceremonies at the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn. Before the ceremony they changed clothing and took these next few adorable shots together in a nearby park.

Priyanka and Pat had a standing ceremony right before dinner service. They exchanged personal vows and asked their dear friend to officiate for them. The florals used for the ceremony were done by Flowers by Stem and were sure to incorporate purple and black- the couple’s favorite colors.

These pretty purple and black details were found in the ribbon escort cards and the centerpieces. I loved their guestbook idea of filling whisky bottles with advice for their milestone anniversaries. I hear they did read their first year anniversary advice- how fun!

After dinner the couple had their first dance while guests blew bubbles- so cute – followed by the cake cutting. This cake cutting had an extra sweet surprise with a groom’s cake, created by Luscious Layers Bakery, and game tickets to Pat’s favorite baseball team. Actually, the surprises didn’t stop there- guest after guest had surprise dances for the happy couple. And dance they did! Cage and Aquarium (and those adorable little girls) made sure everyone was out on the dance floor.