CREDITS – All images sourced from Roma Shah
Photography – Lin & Jirsa Photography
#PeacockBride Roma Shah’s wedding was all about blending different traditions. Her wedding was a mix of Indian and Western elements, from the ceremonies to the decor and even the outfits. The whole celebration found a sweet spot right in the middle of these two rich traditions. Roma shares a sneak peek into their California-based Indian wedding, where she and her partner celebrated their love with friends and family. It was a beautiful fusion of cultures and a memorable day for all. Take a look!
Q) Tell us about your wedding celebration.
Our wedding was a magical weeklong celebration. The festivities began in Bakersfield, California where we hosted the pre-wedding events, including a karaoke night, Mehendi, Grahashanti and Pithi. These events were intimate but full of unforgettable moments. During our karaoke event, my family and friends sang, danced, and performed skits portraying our love story. There was live music and impromptu dancing at my Mehendi. And at the Pithi, we were showered with flowers and loved by all my close family and friends. The celebration continued in Santa Barbara, California for our main wedding events at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
The first night in Santa Barbara was our Sangeet. There was so much good energy that night with all the food, return gifts, and dances including a Gujarati v/s Tamil dance-off, an epic friends dance, and our sibling and solo dances.
The wedding ceremony took place the following morning. Since our families are from different parts of India, we incorporated aspects from both of our cultures into the ceremony and added some Western elements. This allowed us to have all the traditional rituals and blessings our families wanted but also allowed us to express our love in a way that was personal to us. Walking back down the aisle together as husband and wife was the best feeling ever.
Later that evening after a sunset cocktail hour, our reception kicked off with our first dance and heartfelt speeches by our family members. We spent the rest of the night enjoying good food, especially the fresh hot doughnuts and dancing till the very last song which was Love Story by Taylor Swift with all our favourite people. It was the perfect way to end our wedding!
We got to celebrate the beginning of this next chapter of our lives surrounded by our friends and family, making it a week that we will cherish forever.
Q) How did you go about planning your wedding?
After getting engaged in 2020, there was so much uncertainty with the wedding planning process. Our first major decision was to get married in 2022 which gave us a lot of time to navigate wedding planning during the pandemic.
The next thing we had to decide on was our venue. We always knew we wanted to get married on the California coast, so we were looking for a location that felt like a destination but was still close to our hometowns. The Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort was the perfect location and was able to accommodate all our guests. What specifically drew us to this venue was its stunning views of the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. It was the dream setting for our wedding.
Once we picked the venue everything else began to fall into place. We are so grateful for our families and our wedding planner Nutan Shah from Elegant Events who supported us through the entire wedding planning process, from the biggest decisions to the smallest details. It was our amazing vendors who helped bring our dream wedding to life in Santa Barbara, such as our photographer Pye from Lin and Jirsa who incredibly captured all our special moments, and my make-up and hair artist Drea who made me feel so beautiful at every event, Fayaz from Bloom Box Design who created the most stunning décor, and Amit from 3D Sounds who kept the party going the whole weekend. We were lucky to work with so many great vendors from Southern California who made wedding planning easy and our day so special, including Impressive Creations, NFP, Illuminate Events, HC Winds, Henna by Tulsi, Joanie & Leigh’s Cakes, Tasty Temptations, Natraj, and Jay Bharat. It was the best feeling to see everything we had envisioned come together on the wedding day.
Q) How did you decide upon your outfits?
One of the first and easiest choices I made for my wedding outfits was for my reception Lehenga. Growing up in the United States I was influenced by the Western idea of wearing a white dress. Because I loved the contrast of a bride’s white wedding dress with the groom’s black tuxedo, I wanted to recreate that for our reception but still wear something Indian. This Falguni Shane Peacock ivory Lehenga was exactly what I had imagined. It was so elegant and had this beautiful sparkle when I twirled. After trying it on, it was an immediate “Yes!”
For my wedding outfit, I had always pictured myself wearing red. While wedding shopping, I tried on so many red Lehengas, but none of them felt right. At Falguni Shane Peacock, I stumbled upon this pink bridal Lehenga. This outfit had so many unique details. I also loved how many colours it incorporated into the design which balanced the soft pink base. I was so drawn to this Lehenga that I came back to see it a few times. It was different from any other bridal Lehenga I had seen. When I put it on, I could imagine myself wearing it on my wedding day. After finding this ensemble, I realised I was not meant to wear red. This was the perfect bridal outfit for me and it inspired our Mandap.
I am so grateful for Rohini Bedi from Fashion by Rohini, and Babu and Kausar from Yasmin Boutique in Los Angeles, who work with Falguni Shane Peacock and were able to help me get my reception and wedding Lehengas. Throughout the process, the Falguni Shane Peacock team was so responsive and helpful. They designed beautiful blouses and Dupattas based on my preferences. I really appreciate the time they took to personalise my outfits to my style. It made my wedding outfits even more special to me.
Q) Why did you pick Falguni Shane Peacock?
When I stepped into the Falguni Shane Peacock store in Mumbai I was blown away by the outfits on display. The intricacy of their designs and the delicate shimmer of the Lehengas were breathtaking. I truly felt like a bride when I tried on their outfits. One of my favourite aspects of the Falguni Shane Peacock Lehengas was how comfortable they were. This was an important factor for me because I wanted to be able to enjoy myself at our wedding. At our reception, I was able to dance all night long in my outfit without feeling weighed down or restricted. I loved the details, shine, and comfort of the Falguni Shane Peacock outfits so much that I chose them for two of my wedding events.
Q) Describe the moment when you saw yourself as a bride.
Seeing myself as a bride was everything I had dreamed of. There is something euphoric about being a bride, whether it’s the excitement, the nerves, the coffee or a mix of everything. I had never felt more beautiful. My outfit, jewellery, hair and make-up all came together seamlessly. I could not wait to marry my best friend and for him to see me as a bride. We had been planning this day for so long, it was a whirlwind of emotions and I tried to savour every moment. After ten years together, this day was finally here and the feeling was surreal!