From the Baraat to the Tea Ceremony: Anshu and Brian’s Wedding at Brooklake
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Photo credit: House of Talent Studios
Some of the best wedding stories begin unexpectedly.
For Anshu and Brian, theirs began during a visit to Brooklake Country Club. They were touring the property while we were in the midst of another wedding there, and what was meant to be a brief introduction became the beginning of a wonderful relationship—and, eventually, the opportunity to plan their own celebration.
From the outset, Anshu and Brian wanted their wedding to feel personal—not simply a reflection of where they came from, but of who they had become together.
Their celebration brought together traditions from both of their families, weaving them throughout the weekend in ways that felt thoughtful, natural, and deeply personal.
The result was a wedding where culture became part of the visual language of the day.
Anshu’s wardrobe was one of the most striking expressions of that idea. Her traditional bridal attire gave way to a qipao for the baraat and Garba, creating a beautiful connection between the traditions that shaped both of their families.
That same dialogue continued throughout the design.
Chinese lanterns were incorporated into the mandap, their warm glow becoming part of the setting for the Gujarati Hindu ceremony. Anshu’s entrance beneath parasols added another layer to the ceremony, creating a moment that felt graceful, ceremonial, and unmistakably her own.
And then the energy shifted.
The door games brought laughter and playful competition, while the Garba filled the celebration with music, movement, and an unmistakable sense of joy.
What made the celebration so compelling was not simply the number of traditions represented, but the way they were woven together. Nothing felt separate. Each element became part of the larger story of Anshu and Brian and the families they were bringing together.
Perhaps the most poignant expression of that came at the conclusion of the Gujarati Hindu ceremony.
Anshu and Brian incorporated a Chinese tea ceremony alongside Akhand Saubhagyavati, bringing traditions from both families together in one of the most meaningful moments of the celebration. It was a beautiful reflection of what the day represented—not two separate traditions placed side by side, but two families, two histories, and two lives becoming part of one shared future.
Everywhere, there were details that revealed something about them.
The qipao. The lanterns glowing against the mandap. The parasols. The Garba. The tea ceremony. The laughter of the door games.
Individually, each was beautiful. Together, they told a much larger story.
A story about family, heritage, and the traditions we carry with us. But also about the freedom to reinterpret those traditions—to make room for something new, something personal, something entirely their own.
For us, the celebration held an added significance.
A chance encounter during a venue tour had led us here, to a wedding that was so distinctly Anshu and Brian. It was an honor to watch that initial connection grow into a relationship and to help shape a celebration that reflected not only where they came from, but where they were going together.
In the end, the most beautiful part was not that different traditions came together.
It was that Anshu and Brian made something new from all of them.
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