Like many couples, Amita and Sagar wanted to have a destination wedding to make their celebration memorable – and to have a bit of a vacation – both for their guests and themselves.  Since they love being out in nature and by the water, Lake Tahoe was the perfect choice for their wedding location.

Amita and Sagar selected the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe as their wedding venue.  Their special day was picturesque, relaxed and fun – as beautifully documented by Tahoe-based Theilen Photography – full of the rich colors and customs of Indian weddings that have existed for hundreds of years.  The lake, mountains and evergreens provided a majestic backdrop for the ceremony.

For many years, Lake Tahoe wasn’t hosting a lot of Indian weddings. But that is now changing, as couples like Amita and Sagar have begun to discover that Tahoe provides a spectacular setting for the pageantry of an Indian wedding. As Caity Hunt, Senior Event Sales Manager for the Hyatt Regency noted, “Our wedding staff is now familiar with the traditions and cultures of Indian weddings… The couples we have worked with try to find a balance between meeting their cultural expectations and having it blend with their current American lives.”

Amita and Sagar chose a Hindu ceremony that mixed traditions of both Gujarati and Telugu cultures. They infused rich tradition with a casual fun and playfulness, as seen in these two Indian rituals:

Angulyabharanamu  (Exchange of Wedding Rings)

While 200 guests looked on, Amita and Sagar exchanged rings as a symbol of their commitment. Once the rings were exchanged, they were placed into a pot for a game where Amita and Sagar each tried to pull the rings out of the pot first to see who would “rule the roost” at home. Amita won, but Sagar laughed, “Amita cheated all three times!”  To which Amita replied, “Without a doubt, I did not cheat during the ring game; Sagar mistakes excitement and exuberance for cheating.”

Talambralu  (Showering of Rice)

Amita and Sagar showered each other with turmeric-coated rice, which according to tradition, is supposed to bring the couple a life filled with happiness, love, and laughter.  And judging by these photos, they are certainly off to a great start with that!

India’s Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities each have their own marriage ceremonies and customs. Typically, Indian weddings are a multi-day celebration with many events.  But Amita and Sagar deviated from Indian traditions somewhat for their Lake Tahoe celebration.  Sagar explains, “We didn’t want a ton of events, so we and our guests could relax and enjoy the area.”

But one tradition that Amita felt was essential for celebrating their heritage was the Mehendi Ceremony, where a professional mehendi artist applies henna (a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the henna plant) in intricate designs to the hands and feet of the bride. These designs symbolize joy, beauty, spiritual awakening and offering. According to tradition, the darker the color of the bride’s henna, the more her partner will love her.

Amita and Sagar’s main advice for other Lake Tahoe wedding couples – hire a wedding planner (they chose Lindsay Townsend with Cloud Nine Event Company). “The money you spend on a planner will be worth it – the time and stress you save will be worth the cost, many times over!”

Looking back on their spectacular celebration, Sagar remarked, “The whole weekend felt very ‘Tahoe’ – everything was beautiful but not over the top… it was all very relaxed and fun.”  And it was perfectly captured in this delightful wedding video produced by Darren Baca of Reel Eyes Media:

Vendor Credits

Photographer:  Theilen Photography  |  Videographer:  Reel Eyes Media  |  Ceremony & Reception Venue: Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe  |  Bride’s Attire: Shyamal & Bhumika  |  Groom’s Attire: Manyavar  |  Hair & Makeup: r!ah Hair Studio  |  Mehendi: Henna Blessings  |  Caterer (Indian Food for Reception): Ruchi  |  Décor & Floral Design: Red Carpet Events  |  Music: DJ Tanveer  |  Hindu Priest: Vinod Dave  |  Mandap Rental: Avasar Mandap  |  Stationery: Reno Print Store and Deckle Edge  |  Wedding Planner:  Cloud Nine Event Company