Aarushi Sarkari and Shane Will married in a Hindu ceremony (pictured) and a Christian ceremony during their week-long wedding celebration. Photos: Celisia Stanton Photography and Colette Ellerbroek
A Prior Lake couple’s week of festivities incorporates Christian, Hindu and Indian traditions.
Aarushi Sarkari and Shane Will met as students at Prior Lake High School and married 12 years later in Minneapolis, marking the start of their life together with a multiday Hindu and Christian wedding filled with ceremonies and celebrations.
The couple, who now live in Atlanta, started planning the event a little over a year and a half in advance, which provided them “a nice long runway,” says Sarkari, noting that it was important for her to establish relationships with vendors. “What we wanted to achieve was a highly personalized event,” Sarkari says. “We wanted both cultures to shine and have their own space.”
The couple met as students at Prior Lake High School and married 12 years later in Minneapolis.
The wedding week started on a Sunday with a Haldi at Will’s parents’ house in Prior Lake. Close friends and family gathered for a light lunch and a ceremony where turmeric paste was applied to Sarkari and Will’s skin to symbolize purification, blessings and the start of the wedding festivities. Everyone wore yellow.
On Wednesday, the bridal party gathered for a ladies’ mehndi ceremony. A mehndi artist spent eight hours applying henna designs to the bride’s hands and feet and the guests’ hands for the wedding.
Aarushi Sarkari and Shane Will hit the dance floor at the grand reception following their Christian wedding ceremony.
On Thursday evening, about 150 people gathered for the Jungle Rave sangeet, a party featuring dancing and singing, along with performances from the bride and groom and their wedding parties, at the Lumber Exchange in Minneapolis. Sarkari wore a custom blue and purple lehenga that was made in India, and danced with Real Women Real Bhangra, a group she co-founded.
Shane Will makes a grand entrance on a white horse for the baraat. The streets outside the Mosaic Venue in Minneapolis were blocked off for the procession.
Early the next morning, several police cars blocked off the streets to traffic outside of the Mosaic Venue in Minneapolis, for the baraat. Will made a grand entrance on a white horse, which was one of the more memorable moments of the wedding festivities for Sarkari. Guests arrived in a procession with the groom and then witnessed the Jaimala, a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.
The Jaimala, a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, at the Mosaic Venue in Minneapolis.
Both bride and groom wore custom outfits. Sarkari wore a lehenga in the traditional red with a baby blue veil to complement Will’s outfit. After the ceremony, everyone enjoyed a luncheon highlighting Indian food.
The party reconvened on Saturday for a Christian wedding ceremony and grand reception. The couple performed their vows on a circular stage, surrounded by their friends and family, which eliminated the need for a “groom’s side” or “bride’s side.”
While the week was filled with personalized details that celebrated Sarkari and Will and their life together, Sarkari is especially glad they took the time to write their vows. “It was a really good decision to do our own vows at the Christian wedding ceremony,” Sarkari says. “It was nice to give guests insight into our relationship and dynamic.”
Vendors
- Baraat Horse: The Hitching Company, thehitchingcompany.com
- Catering: Aroma Indian Cuisine, thearomaindiancuisine.com
- Florals: Pansy Floral, pansyfloraldesign.com
- Jewelry: Heidi Gibson, heidigibson.com; Pink City Craft, pinkcitycraft.com; Sokora Jewels, sokorajewels.com; The Millenium Bride, themillenniumbride.com
- Photography: Celisia Stanton Photography, celisiastanton.com
- Planner: Jess Schoen/Ever Weddings & Events, everweddingsandevents.com
- Rentals: Après Event Décor and Tent Rental, apresparty.com; Collected & Co., collectedandcompany.com; Phos, phosevents.com; Pretty Creative Events, prettycreativeevents.com
- Stationery: A Milestone Paper Company, amilestonepaperco.com
- Venues: Lumber Exchange Event Center, lxmpls.com; Mosaic Venue, mosaicmn.com
- Wedding Wear: Thursday: Custom outfits made in India; Friday: Nazranaa, nazranaanj.com; Saturday: Deji & Kola, dejiandkola.com; Indochino, indochino.com; My Darling Bridal, mydarlingbridalmn.com; Roop Saree Sadan, roopsareesadan.com; Sima Couture, simacouture.com; Taj Bridal Store, tajbridalstore.in
