New York to Mykonos – Blending Indian and Greek Cultures over 3 days of Indian Wedding Celebrations
As seen in VOGUE India
Nikita and Rishi met at Carnegie Mellon University and continued their common path to New York, where they live to today. They both have been raised with strong ties to Rajasthani and Punjabi traditions respectively, in New Yersey and in Virginia. From their first date to 9 years later in Mykonos, they have been complementing each other and step by step making their dreams come true; a major one has been to bring their friends and families from all around the globe to one place to celebrate their wedding over a series of events that would honor their Indian backgrounds, as well as the local Greek culture.
The décor and all florals were distinct for every event; the brief was clear; match the color palette and any decorative items – from furniture to stationary and signage – with the event concept adding personalized elements in details and making sure that operational functionality and their guests overall experience were at the forefront of every function. Make it unique, make it outstanding, make it resemble our story, let our guests enjoy every single moment.
The first event was a Greek themed evening with the dress code being an all white outfit; small details like golden wreaths and white/blue Greek charm bracelets added to the vibe. The key moment was when traditional musicians started playing Greek music and dancers in local outfits gave a show bringing guests to the dancefloor where a huge party started; one that even included the typical Greek plate smashing!
The Haldi and Mehndi ceremonies were hosted on different mornings under the Greek sun and with unobstructed views of the Aegean sea. The balcony venues filled with colors – yellow for Haldi and multicolor for the Mehndi. Bright outfits, lots of traditional Indian décor that the bride’s mother and aunt brought from India, matching furniture and draping, and fun vibes with the couple getting a little more “brighter” on that morning.
The Sangeet was clearly marked as the most important event for the bride, Nikita, who asked for a “sky full of stars”. Thus, the concept was built around covering the entire open air venue with fairy lights and filling it with candles. It was a night of dances and performances and traditional Indian music till hours after midnight. The ceremony featured a massive Mandap on a Sunset Terrace which was filled with smooth colored flowers, as well as emotion. All traditional elements of the ceremony were included (from the Barat to the exchange of garlands and the walking around the fire) and all steps followed for a union that marked the end of a path and the beginning of a new one.
The wedding reception had a clear brief; make it a huge party! And this we did with great music, a semi indoors hall filled with chandeliers and gold/white themed furniture and decoration, a huge dancefloor, cliffside views to a starry night, and an open bar to keep the night going. All events featured a combination of Greek menus alongside an extensive Indian buffet (carefully curated by an Indian chef and the bride’s mother), which was a key objective for the couple and the families, so that guests could enjoy their favorite and familiar flavors together with local cuisine so that they would get as much as possible from the location that hosted the celebrations too.
All events took place at the various venues of the Myconian Collection and specifically at the Royal Myconian Hotel and were beautifully captured on photo and video by Wedding Nama
