Ilana and Vishal are wonderfully sincere and so in tune with one another. They come from quite different cultural backgrounds, but the celebration(s) for their Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding were an amalgamation of them both. The parents wished for a traditional Hindu ceremony, and they got it…with a classy, clean, and modern touch à la the bride and groom. Tucked away in the foothills of the Santa Susana mountains northeast of Los Angeles, the Hummingbird Nest Ranch is a peaceful counterpoint to the frenetic pace of the city below. With it’s spanish renaissance architecture, succulent gardens, and nestled amongst granite mountains, it was perfectly suited to their desert oasis theme.
The formal events of the day began with the grooms horseback Baraat up the road leading to the Villa, where the ceremony and reception would take place. Off the horse and ready to be married, Vishal along with siblings, and both sets of parents waited as Ilana appeared through the archway, with the traditional chunar over her head. Vishal met his to-be-bride and the ceremony began – an hour of traditional rituals followed – and the two were then married!
Just before the sun descended over the western hills, the couple changed into western attire and we took the opportunity for a few photos with friends in the waning evening light. True to their reticence over the spotlight, the couple situated their table amongst the guest’s tables rather than in a main or head-table position. Speeches were made and a desert table was set up in lieu of the tradtional cake cutting and then general dancing began. There were no prescribed formal dances so everyone took the opportunity to promptly hit the floor as their band Jump Start got things rolling. What a great band… they all seemed to connect well musically and were even able to perfectly pull off Los Angeles, California Love – which, as it happens is their wedding hashtag – #californialove2015
For such an event packed day, it seemed to be over way too soon, but as is always the case – time flies when you’re having fun!
In closing, we like to ask the couple some advice they wouldn’t mind sharing with future bride and grooms, so here’s Ilana’s:
