Elizabeth + Praneeth's Lexington Wedding

From the Bride: I did not have one, but two weddings! I grew up in Kentucky, and my husband is originally from India. We wanted to honor both of our heritages. The Saturday of our wedding weekend we had a Christian ceremony, in a traditional American fashion. My 93-year-old grandaddy walked me down the aisle, as my dad passed away when I was 17. Instead of bridesmaids, I had my Shih Tzu, Lilly May, walk down the aisle as my dog of honor. Later that night I changed into an Indian Lehenga and did a choreographed dance, which friends joined in on. We had a flash mob dance that ended with confetti!

Then on Sunday, I wore a beautiful Saree and had a Hindu ceremony at the local Hindu temple. Guests had a vegetarian Indian lunch catered and got to watch the intricate and interesting ceremony. The stage was beautifully decorated, and guests got to come up and take photos with us after the event. My friends and family had so much fun picking out beautiful Indian outfits to wear!

I made my ceremony very meaningful. My grandmother (who LOVED weddings) had passed away. To honor her, I used magnolia flowers from the huge tree in her yard. I now live in Georgia and used some of the magnolia leaves from my tree, and pinecones from my yard as part of the decor. I wore her jewelry as my something blue and had the blonde fur coat she gave me turned into a shorter coat and a stole I wore for photos. I also had guests sign Christmas ornaments instead of having a guest book! Our first dance was a choreographed dance that was a mashup of different American and Indian love songs.

Bride’s Advice: Enjoy every part of the process, and the time you spend with family and close friends planning and preparing are just as important and meaningful as the big day.

Photography + Videography: Franzetti Photography | Location: Lexington | Venue: The Carrick House & The Bharatiya Temple | Florals: Jeanie Gorrell Floral Design | Wedding Planner + Event Designer: Planned to Perfection of the Bluegrass | Caterer: The Carrick House | Cake: Tinker's Cake Shop | Music: BMF Sound Design | Transportation: Gold Shield | Stationery + Paper Goods: The Sunshine Garden | Hair: Ivey Bell Salon | Makeup: Caitlin Navarre Beauty | Bride’s Attire: Lara's Bridal | Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Jewelry: (Shoulder Jewelry) Wedding Tiara Pollock's Jewelers | Credits: (Henna Artist) Anna Rose Fedorchuk (Caricature Artist) Rob Maystead