Sandra and Bhavik live in New York City and planned a lavish wedding with multiple outfit changes that would celebrate both of their family's rich cultural traditions : Vietnamese and Indian respectively. The Pandemic forced them to reschedule an April wedding in Grand Rapids, MI to a fall wedding in Longwood, FL just north of Orlando. Their wedding on 10/10/20 ended up being a socially responsible and family-oriented event, masked for moments and distanced for others. Bhavik wore statement glasses from Jacques Marie Mage, while Sandra wore Theia Couture. The couples revised wedding celebration ended up being a more meaningful day than either of them could have hoped for : a sophisticated, family-oriented celebration filled with poise. Photographer Arielle Teft captured their intimate day.
Tell us a little about yourselves!
We were both living in New York City, ready for change, ready for something new, a new challenge, a new opportunity, a new adventure, a new place to call home. We never knew each other in the concrete jungle (well, we met once— it was love at first sight, but someone doesn’t remember! ). Magically, we both ended up in Bermuda, a small 21-sq mile island off the coast of South Carolina in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a population of around sixty thousand people. After we were both living there, we had a mutual friend connect us— it was always great to make new friends on “de rock” as the locals called it. So, we met for happy hour drinks and immediately kicked it off. It felt like we had already known each other for years—we shared stories, we laughed, and most of all we had a lot of fun. Later that week, we took our first adventure together. We explored Jobsons’ Cove and took a walk down the beautiful pink sand beaches of Warwick Long Bay - where it all started… Fast forward—four years, we took our adventures from Bermuda to Miami and now currently reside in New York City. We made our own Bermuda triangle, and came back full circle, in love and ready for our new journey!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
The pandemic really put a wrench in our plans. Originally, we were supposed to get married in Grand Rapids, Michigan back in April 2020 but two weeks before our wedding we had to cancel it. We ultimately decided on Enzo's On The Lake in Orlando, Florida where Bhavik’s family lives. We really fell in love with the venue and the beautiful scenery. It really felt more like a destination wedding (even though it was right in Bhavik’s hometown).
Tell us about your outfits!
We wanted to bring both our cultures into the mix so, we actually planned to wear three different wedding outfits: an Indian outfit, Vietnamese outfit and something more American formal. But ultimately for our small wedding, we decided to keep things sophisticated and elegant and wear our original reception outfits. It was great because it felt really elegant with our families in black tie wear.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
In both our families, food is always most important! The team at Enzo On The Lake went above and beyond to take care of us on our wedding day. Everyone loved it!
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during Covid?
Enjoy the moment, soak it all in and most of all have fun. It is so much easier when it’s a smaller wedding and you get to cherish the moments with the people who matter most.
Ceremony and Reception Location + Catering : Enzo's On The Lake @enzosonthelake | Photographer : Arielle Teft @arielleteftphotography | Flora : Peddles - Vicki McCullough
Peddles.com | Groom's Tuxedo : Suit Supply @suitsupply | Groom's Glasses : Jacques Marie Mage @jacquesmariemage | Bride's Dress : Theia Couture @theiacouture from Lovely Bride NYC @lovelybridenyc | Engagement Ring : Brilliant Earth @brilliantearth | Wedding Rings : Custom from NYC Diamond District