An Indian-Jewish Fusion Wedding With Pops of Lime and Periwinkle

When Sarah signed up for Bumble in August 2016, her very first date was with Yash. “I was on time (for once!), but Yash showed up late,” she says. “He made a pit stop at Trader Joe’s to pick up a bottle of Two Buck Chuck. When his Uber driver asked if he wanted to hurry, he casually said, ‘No, drive safe, I don’t even know this girl—it’s not like I’m going to marry her.’” But after their first date, the two were “pretty much inseparable,” says Sarah. “We’ve shared so many memories over the years, but that first date will always be a favorite.”

In November 2021, after selling their home in Atlanta and moving in with their parents while they continued house hunting, Sarah and Yash booked a trip to Anguilla. “We really needed a vacation!” says Sarah. But Yash planned for more than just a quiet week alone. “I knew Sarah wanted it to be private, just the two of us,” says Yash. “We spent the day at the beach, then took a cocktail-making class—which, in hindsight, might not have been the best idea just before proposing! But as the sun was setting, I asked her to marry me. She was so excited, she didn’t even let me finish, just grabbed the ring and put it on herself! We spent the rest of the trip celebrating. It was amazing.”

Sarah and Yash eventually found a home in Southern California, where they planned their wedding for October 5, 2024, three years after their engagement. “We really wanted a small, intimate wedding vibe. Since we’re a more private couple, we wanted a venue that felt secluded and was ours alone for the day, and being in Southern California, we knew we wanted to be outdoors the entire time,” says Sarah. They hired Amorology to coordinate the details, and secured Klentner Ranch in Santa Barbara—without a site visit—to host their 60 guests. “We were nervous the first time we saw it—but we ended up loving it,” says Sarah. (Along with the gorgeous grounds and private booking, the ranch offered another benefit: Sarah and Yash were able to bring their dogs along.) 

The couple envisioned a “California cool” atmosphere that incorporated both their Hindu and Jewish backgrounds. “Honestly, blending Hindu and Jewish traditions was challenging at first, but we discovered a lot of similarities that worked so well together,” says Sarah. “We really wanted to bring both of our cultures and traditions together in a beautiful way—that was the most important part for us. We also wanted to focus on our guests having a great experience and a fun time, since everyone was traveling for us.”

The extended engagement and 18-month planning period took a toll on the couple’s decision-making abilities as they also juggled a cross-country move and Yash’s MBA program. “Thankfully, the wedding day itself was amazing and stress-free thanks to our planning team, but getting there wasn’t easy,” says Sarah. “We had to be really open with each other about communication and clearly define our priorities throughout the planning process. One thing I wish we’d done more of—and would totally recommend to other couples—is setting aside time for self-care and reconnecting as partners.”

Keeping track of the bottom line also presented a challenge. “When you work with professional planners, part of their job is to show you options, and sometimes the sky is the limit on what’s possible—and what it costs,” says Yash. “You just have to be upfront about your budget and what’s most important to you. We weren’t afraid to bring these concerns to our planner and work together on solutions, whether that meant making adjustments, comparing vendors, or getting creative.”

Combining their desire for a small wedding with traditional Indian festivities also took some creativity. “The hardest part for me was balancing family expectations with our vision for the wedding. We wanted to modernize our wedding instead of going fully traditional, so some of our choices weren’t what our families had in mind,” says Sarah. “We were able to work through these things, and thankfully both of our families were supportive, but it can be tough to have those conversations and make those decisions.” 

By keeping their vision in focus, Sarah and Yash were able to create a day of personal moments and family celebrations that satisfied everyone. “One of the most ‘us’ aspects was how we spent the day together,” says the couple. “We love getting ready together at home, so we couldn’t imagine not doing that on our wedding day. We decided to skip a bridal party and spend the morning side by side, getting ready together. It gave us some quiet time to enjoy each other’s company before the festivities, and it was so special to share those moments leading up to our wedding.” See all of those intimate moments unfold in the following photos by Sophie Epton.

Sarah and Yash found the basis for their color palette and overall wedding aesthetic from the cross-country move that had landed them on the West Coast. “We wanted a cool, California vibe for the day,” says Sarah. “We moved from Atlanta about a year and a half ago, and we love it here. Southern California was in the middle of a super bloom when we first moved, which was so inspiring.” Neutral hues of sand, taupe, and peach were accented by rich ultraviolet, periwinkle, sky blue, and chartreuse, which were layered together in a multi-piece paper suite from P&P Design.

For their “sangeet-inspired” welcome party, Sarah and Yash wore complementary outfits from Indian designer Anita Dongre. Sarah chose her hand-painted, hand-beaded two-piece set in part for its creative, modern twist on traditional Indian attire. “I was obsessed with it,” she says. “The hand-painted fabric made it look like a piece of art, and I loved every detail. Instead of buying my own jewelry, I borrowed pieces from Yash’s nani, his grandmother. His mom and nani brought so many beautiful options for me to try, and the pieces I ended up wearing matched perfectly and felt really special.” Yash paired his silk bandhgala with linen pants. “The print and all the little details were so unique,” he says. 

All of the couple’s guests joined them for the welcome dinner at La Paloma Cafe in Santa Barbara. “We wanted everyone to participate, since the wedding itself was more western,” says Sarah. “We asked our guests to come dressed in Indian attire, and they all had so much fun with it. That meant a lot to us.” Though the bride had her mehndi applied before the event, Henna by Sanjana set up on-site to provide designs for the guests. “It was a huge hit—our friends and family absolutely loved it. It was so special to see everyone embracing our blended culture,” says Sarah. 

One of the couple’s favorite memories of the weekend was an impromptu dance party started by the couple’s parents. “We hadn’t planned on any dancing, but my mom wanted to learn some Indian dance moves, so Yash’s parents jumped in to teach her and the rest of my family,” says Sarah. “Soon enough, there were dance circles, loud music, a few shots, and everyone joining in. We were having so much fun that a nearby wedding even asked us to turn it down because we were having more fun than they were.”

Though Sarah screened gowns from several designers, she was enchanted by Vivienne Westwood’s designs. “They’re so feminine, sexy, and classic,” she says. She customized the Galaxy Cape gown, with its corset top, draped neckline, and detachable cape, by requesting a version made in heavy silk satin and adding a cathedral veil. “I loved how this dress looked and made me feel,” she says. “The cape added such a dramatic touch, and I knew it would be a showstopper walking down the staircase at Klentner Ranch.”

Sarah and Yash put another twist on tradition by shopping for her gown together. “Besides how I felt in the dress, his opinion was the one that mattered most to me, so I really wanted him there. I also get a bit shy when I’m the center of attention, and he helped me feel more comfortable and confident while trying on dresses,” says Sarah. Though Yash saw all the potential gowns during the process, Sarah kept her final choice a secret. “I knew it was the one when I saw his reaction the first time I tried it on—he was speechless and had such a genuine response,” she says. “That’s when I knew.”

The bride’s Sarah Flint pumps showed off the intricate henna on her feet, which took four hours to apply. “Having mehndi for the wedding was really important to me. I wanted to honor Yash’s Hindu traditions and show his family that their culture mattered to me, too. Plus, it’s just so fun and beautiful!” she says. “The design was awesome—I went with a traditional mandala on my palms but made it personal by including our dogs’ names and paw prints.”

Sarah gave her hair and makeup artists from Triplow Beauty a simple direction: “My vision was minimalistic, natural French girl beauty,” she says. The understated look was a perfect complement to her dramatic dress and the organic, unstructured look of her bouquet from Blooms by Melly. “Originally, I thought about not carrying a bouquet, but after seeing our florist’s work, I was sold,” says Sarah. “She created something beautiful that didn’t overwhelm me or my dress. I loved the colors and the flowers—it felt so natural and gorgeous.”

Yash ordered his custom tuxedo from Husbands Paris during a trip to the city with Sarah. “I loved the ‘70s vibe of their suits,” he says. “We had it made to measure and shipped from Paris to California.” He added a Sid Mashburn bow tie, knotted cufflinks, and boots—plus a meaningful family heirloom, his late uncle’s jade-and-gold ring. “He lived with my family and me while I was growing up, and we were close. My nani gave it to me after he passed, and I wear it most days. I knew I wanted to wear it on my wedding day as a nod to him,” says Yash.

After spending the morning together, Sarah and Yash dressed separately before their first look. “Even though we were together in the morning, I still wanted that special moment of seeing each other all dressed up before the excitement kicked in. It was important to me to have that moment just for us,” says Sarah. “It just made everything feel so real. Your wedding day can feel surreal, but doing the first look together really made us realize, ‘This is it, it’s our wedding day, and we’re getting married.’”

Sarah and Yash lined the ranch’s dramatic stone staircase with cascading floral arrangements that led toward the ceremony space constructed on the sweeping lawn. “The arrangements looked like organic wildflowers, almost as if they were naturally growing from the ground, which made everything feel colorful, natural, and beautifully organic,” says Sarah. The pair signed their ketubah before kickstarting the rest of the ceremony proceedings.

Sarah and Yash focused on incorporating both of their families’ backgrounds into their ceremony. “We really wanted our wedding to feel like a blend of our two cultures, with Indian and Jewish traditions mixed in throughout the weekend,” says Sarah. After signing their ketubah, the couple exchanged vows under a structure inspired by both the Jewish chuppah and the Hindu mandap. “The chuppah consists of four poles with a cloth draped across the top. It represents the couple’s new home, with open walls symbolizing the importance of welcoming the community into their lives,” says Sarah. “The mandap, in Hindu tradition, is a covered structure with pillars. The four pillars represent the parents who raised the couple.” 

Hydrangeas—a nod to Sarah’s childhood home—and Indian-inspired garlands of jasmine adorned the structure and the ceremony chairs. “We wanted the mandap and chuppah to have a real ‘wow’ factor since it beautifully blended both Hindu and Jewish cultures,” says Sarah. “We started the ceremony with a traditional Hindu prayer and included Hindu elements throughout: We set up a puja stand with a Ganesh statue on rustic wood tables, along with a flower-adorned bench used during the ceremony.”

The ceremony began with a traditional baraat that welcomed the groom. “Two dhol players led Yash and our guests to the ceremony, playing as everyone danced their way over,” says Sarah. “Yash arrived in a vintage blue Mercedes convertible, adding to the festive vibe.”

Though Sarah typically dislikes the spotlight, she made an intentional decision to walk down the aisle solo. “It was important to me to honor my independence and strength as I started this next chapter of my life with Yash,” she says. “As someone who doesn’t like being the center of attention and will avoid it, I wanted to take this moment to put myself in that position and have all eyes on me. I really wanted to focus solely on Yash as he focused solely on me.”

The moment had as much impact as the bride and groom anticipated. “Walking down the aisle and seeing Yash was the best moment of the day for me,” says Sarah. “His reaction was just full of emotion and happiness—it meant so much. I felt so connected to him and was genuinely just so happy.” Yash agrees: “Watching Sarah walk down the aisle was one of the most special parts of the weekend,” he says. “She looked so beautiful, and after being together for eight years and putting in so much work to plan this day, that moment made everything feel so real.”

Sarah and Yash gently blended traditional Jewish and Hindu wedding ceremony elements into a rich, meaningful text. They included the Hindu invocation to Ganesh, exchange of garlands, and wedding necklace, then melded the Hindu seven steps with the Jewish seven blessings. “The seven steps, or saptapadi, require the couple to take seven steps together, with each step symbolizing a vow,” says the couple. “In Judaism, the seven blessings are part of the marriage vows. (And for fun, we raced back to our seats afterward to see who would get there first—Sarah, of course, won!)”

Sarah and Yash’s efforts to include their family throughout the ceremony included asking their sisters to officiate. “Yash’s sister, Dulari, represented the Hindu traditions, and my sister, Kati, represented the Jewish ones,” says Sarah. “It made the ceremony so personal to have two people we love officiate for us.”

Even the couple’s four-legged family members had a role to play. “Our florist made custom flower collars with light blue ribbons for our pups, Nala and Bernie. They wore them down the aisle and through the ceremony—they looked adorable and nailed their walk!” says Sarah.

At the conclusion of the Hindu ceremony, the couple’s elders bestow their blessings on the couple. Sarah and Yash followed this with a traditional exchange of vows and rings, the Hindu exchange of floral garlands, and the Jewish ritual of the breaking of the glass. “The pieces of glass represent the years of marriage,” says the couple. “[We] really smashed it!”

After the bold greenery and pastel blooms of the ceremony palette, the cocktail hour and reception decor pulled in lively lime as a complement to the coral, periwinkle, pink, and lavender florals. Sarah and Yash offered four signature cocktails, with Nala’s Night Cap, an espresso martini named for their dog, turning into an instant favorite. 

Whoa Nelly Catering began the guests’ dining experience with a grazing station stocked with salty snacks and fresh vegetables—plus passed bites that included curried chickpea and brown butter pancakes and house-smoked black cod on crispy potato pancakes. 

“We wanted a mix of California-style cuisine with Indian flavors, so we chose a caterer who could do both and also focus on fresh, local ingredients,” says Sarah. “For the main course, we offered a plated dinner with options of seared sea bass with pomegranate salsa, herb salad, turmeric couscous, and cauliflower purée; grilled lamb loin with pan-roasted heirloom tomatoes, braised market greens, spiced chickpeas, and basmati rice; or paneer tikka masala with sunburst tomatoes.”

An escort display of personalized gold and glass plant misters was an homage to the couple’s shared green thumb. “Since we’re plant lovers with lots of greenery at home, we wanted that reflected in the wedding,” says Sarah. “It was such a fun, personal touch that really brought a piece of our life into the day.

A sailcloth tent draped in luxe citron satin enclosed the couple’s reception space, while candles inside wooden lanterns lit a path lined with lush florals

Blue and white linens with an Indian-inspired print dressed long tables, while citron-hued rollback chairs matched the draping. The couple chose a solid blue linen for their family tables, allowing them to stand out from the rest.

The tablescape’s blue and white elements complemented the colorful centerpieces. “Citron plates and clear glass chargers decorated the green and solid blue tables, while embroidered tables had blue scalloped plates,” says Sarah. “Our home is filled with plants, and I enjoy making floral arrangements, so incorporating a wildflower vibe in our wedding flowers felt natural.”

Smaller wooden tables—like the sweetheart seating for the newlyweds, decorated with jasmine garlands and taper candles—were painted in a fresh citron green. “We opted for a sweetheart table last-minute to spend as much time together as possible,” says Sarah.

Sarah and Yash cut a petite, heart-shaped cake with vintage icing techniques from Alessia Patisserie & Cafe. “We decided to skip the big wedding cake and go for something smaller, which was delicious,” says Sarah.

A checkered white and wood dance floor lined with growing floral arrangements was set up next to a custom sign reading “Wanna Dance the Night Away.” “Perfect for us, since we both love to dance,” says Sarah.

In place of cake, Sarah and Yash brought in a McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams truck to serve up cups and cones filled with salted caramel chip, Santa Barbara strawberry, mango sorbet, and Golden State vanilla ice cream to their guests. “It was cool to see their big blue ice cream truck roll up to end the night!” says Sarah.

Sarah looked for a second look until the very last minute, finally finding her one-shoulder twill mini dress from Solace London the day before the couple left for the wedding. “I wanted a look that felt fun and classy but would still be easy to dance in,” she says.

The dress was a perfect fit for the dance floor, which was kept full by White Noise from Dart Collective. “We couldn’t decide between a band and a DJ, so we went with both!” says Sarah “They mix dance, pop, funk, EDM, and groove with live instrumentation and DJ performance—think Rufus Du Sol, Fred Again, Tame Impala, and Kygo vibes, but with a fresh spin on the open-format dance band sound. We loved that they had such a big set list and could seamlessly blend so many genres. They were a total hit!”

The one-of-a-kind music set was the perfect way for the couple to close out a wedding experience built around infusing their personality into traditional elements. “I would recommend not being afraid of breaking tradition, and being true to who you are as a couple,” says Sarah. “Do what makes you feel special and forget the rest!”