Rashna & Sean: A Secret Garden Affair At The Bronx Zoo

 

One of the best parts of our job is seeing a wedding become a marriage of different cultures. Special rituals, customs, and traditions bond two people together in a way that happens once in a lifetime. With this idea in mind, we are excited to introduce Rashna, our Bride & Blossom Featured Bride for March. “The Indian culture is beautiful and something that I think more people should be exposed to,” says Rashna. “What better way to celebrate my culture that at my wedding?” She and Sean exchanged vows on a beautiful day at the Bronx Zoo. Here, Rashna shares the first part of their love story.

 

 

Part 1: Proposal & Planning

When Rashna accompanied a friend on a Tinder date, she wasn’t expecting to find love herself. The date was super casual – everyone was to hang out at a Memorial Day barbecue. Rashna and Sean, who was also hosting the party, ended up talking and hit it off immediately. When asked what drew her to Sean, Rashna says, “We balance each other. I make up for the things he lacks and vice versa. Our personalities are somewhat different, but our in-depth qualities are similar.”

After two years of dating, Rashna was feeling the pressure to get married. “I was pushing engagement, mainly because of my culture and age,” she recalls. Around this time, the couple was planning a trip to Paris. When it came to the subject of marriage, Sean played it cool, a little too cool. Rashna looks back and says with a laugh, “He actually tricked me into thinking that he didn’t want to talk about marriage at all. At that point, I was internally freaking out and even considering how I was going to move out!”

Little did she know that Sean had planned the ultimate romantic proposal. After touring the light show at the Eiffel Tower one evening, he turned to Rashna and asked, “Is this the end of the sparkles?” There was a pause and then Sean said, “I know how to keep the sparkle going.” Rashna says, “He proposed to me right there on the lawn of the Eiffel Towel… with two bottles of red wine! We were going to visit my father in England right after Paris, so that made the trip all the more special!”

 

 

After the excitement (and relief!) subsided, Rashna started the wedding planning process. New York City is full of incredible venues, but the couple sought a setting that would not only express their love and personality, but also the merging of two cultures. A willingness to step out of the box combined with a love for animals led them to the Bronx Zoo. “We both wanted a venue that was unique from a ballroom or hotel. When we looked at the Bronx Zoo, one of the highlights was that it was going to offer a different experience during every part of the wedding. There were animals roaming the grounds outside. The ceremony was in the Zoo Center, which had a Kimono Dragon exhibition going on at the time. The building has this beautiful dome that really lent to the Hindu ceremony. Then the cocktail hour was in the Madagascar exhibition. We loved that our guests would be immersed in a new experience each step of the way.”

 

 

When asked about how she envisioned her special day to look, Rashna replies, “I always wanted a secret garden, whimsical feeling to my wedding. I tried to incorporate that in the color scheme and florals.” Evoking a sense of spectacular beauty, the palette featured white and vibrant jewel tones. The colors unfolded dramatically through out the ceremony and reception, echoing the venue’s mesmerizing atmosphere.

 

 

Look forward to next week for Part 2 when Rashna talks about her traditional Hindu wedding attire, jewelry, and hair flowers.

Couple’s Vendor List:
Venue: Bronx Zoo
Photographer: Dideo Films Photography
Bride’s Attire: Traditonal Kanjeevaram silk saree (ceremony) and reception lehenga by Tarun Tahiliani 
Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin (ceremony) and Tamara Mellon (reception)
Groom’s Tux: Allen David (reception)
Cake: Butterfly Bakeshop
Caterer: Moghul Caterers and Bronx Zoo
Hair: Liz Lazo
Makeup: Patricia Longo
Invitations: Azure 
Music: 74 Events
Lighting: Frost Productions