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Indian Summer

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Rebecca Olson & Sanjay Gupta; May 15, 2004, The Shell House at Ashley Hall School

Photographs by:

Liz Banfield

Here Comes the Bride: Rebecca made her own elaborate entrance to the ceremony, arriving atop a chair carried by her brothers, Mark Olson and Randy Burroughs.

In Good Hands: Before the ceremony, Rebecca’s hands and feet were painted with intricate henna designs in a ceremony known as mehendi—often, the groom’s name will be hidden within the patterns and swirls. Tradition also dictates that a good, deep color signifies an auspicious union for the couple; some brides even believe that the darker the color, the more the groom’s mother will love them.

Figure of Beauty: In order to bring an authentic feel to the wedding, Sanjay and Rebecca borrowed a number of classic Hindu statues from a store in North Charleston.

Have Your Cake and Eat It: Jim Smeal created the five-tier chocolate and vanilla buttercream cake with raspberry filling and edible rose petals; the scrollwork was based on a design used on the invitations, which were ordered from India.

The Bold & The Beautiful: Tara Guérard took the warm, vibrant colors of the ceremony and the couple’s dress and carried them through to the reception, which was held under a tent on the lawn outside the Shell House. Rich red roses and periwinkle delphinium in gold pots made striking centerpieces, setting off the Bengaline linens in teal, red, and orange, and the tiny glowing tealights in colored glass holders.

World Fusion: Simple red and gold menus described the sit-down dinner, catered by J. Bistro. “The food was fantastic,” says Rebecca. “We had a mixture of Indian and Lowcountry dishes, including some of Sanjay’s favorites.”

Something Gold, Something New: In keeping with their plans for an Indian wedding, Rebecca decided against a white dress and instead searched the Internet for a tailor in India who would hand-sew and ship the traditional lengha (two-piece dress) and choli (scarf). “Indian wedding dresses are usually red for wealth and fertility,” she says. “The first dress they sent me was purple instead, and I had to send it back. I received the correct one just four days before the wedding—luckily it fit perfectly. I even wore the top piece with jeans later in the evening.” Sanjay wore the traditional silk sherwani and an ornate saffa (turban), as well as the tikka (red dye) on his forehead. During the ceremony, the couple presented each other with flower garlands, which they wore around their necks.

a Little Horseplay: During the baraat—the wedding procession of the groom—Sanjay rode in on a white horse decorated with garlands of flowers, while guests danced to bhangra music around him. “A policeman came over, and we were worried we might be in trouble for the noise,” recalls Rebecca. “As it happened, he just asked if he could take a picture!”

Bye the Way: Instead of hiring a getaway car, the newlyweds left their reception in a rickshaw. “One of the reasons we chose Ashley Hall for the wedding was that we didn’t want our guests—most of whom were staying downtown—to have to drive very far after the reception,” says Rebecca. “For us, leaving on the rickshaw was perfect—I couldn’t have picked a better way to say goodbye.”

East Meets west Although it was a predominantly Indian wedding, the couple decided to allow for a few American touches—like bridesmaids. Rebecca gave friend Janet McFadden a necklace from a store in Chicago specializing in Indian jewelry, which she paired with a taupe lengha.

It’s All Relative Sanjay takes a moment with his mother, Damyanti Gupta, who came to the U.S. from Northern India in the 1960s.

Power Dressing: Flower girls Rachel Haggerty and Rachel and Jessica Bidock—daughters of the couple’s friends—donned the traditional salwar kameez.

All In Favor: Sanjay’s family filled the favor boxes—decorated with the “Om” symbol and sent from India—with a mixture of nuts and raisins.

Facing the Music: Wedding guests—including former CNN anchor, Bill Hemmer—danced to bhangra music during the baraat. As well as hiring a reggae band for the reception, the couple asked Sanjay’s brother, a D.J. in Michigan, to provide the music.

Ritual Act: Rama Madugula, the couple’s pundit (wedding officiant) performed the ceremony in both Sanskrit and English and made sure to describe each ritual aloud for those guests who were attending a Hindu wedding for the first time. In homage to Rebecca’s Lutheran upbringing, her brother also read aloud the Lord’s Prayer.

little altars everywhere Guests were seated around the mandap, the wooden structure in which a Hindu ceremony takes place; the groom’s parents traditionally sit on the left and the bride’s parents sit on the right, while the couple takes their place in the center to exchange vows. “The mandap is usually more ornate,” says Rebecca, “but we kept it simple because we didn’t want to block people’s view!”

In Good Light: Lamps hung from the trees around the tent, bathing guests in an ethereal glow as they dined.

A Kiss Before Dancing: “It’s impossible to pick my favorite memory of the day,” says Rebecca. “There were just too many.”

Location Deliberation: “We searched all over for a venue that held that special Charleston charm and finally found the Shell House at Ashley Hall,” says Rebecca. “It was perfect.”

Indian Summer