Engagement Party

tbh I probably started picturing my engagement party

the same month I met Abhishek.

The engagement party was the first event (of many) that Abhi and I were gonna have on this long “lets get married” journey so it was a big deal to me to kick it off the right way.

It was July 2021 (still Covid, but restrictions were easing) so I decided to throw it in my parent’s backyard. The theme was pink, lavender, moroccan vibes with floor pillows and lush rugs. This was in the peak of the whole picnic trend so I just built on that with a maximalist, Indian flair.

In true SJ fashion, I was extra and spread it over two days. For the first day, I had my friends over for drinks and dosas-an iconic combo in my opinion.

The second day, I had a Chunni ceremony. This ritual marks the official engagement in Indian customs. Proposals aren’t that common in India since the bride and groom’s families meet and agree to the marriage/family union and plan an engagement together. It’s kinda hard to keep it under wraps because the parents will approach the couple and talk about the union, guys’ family, wedding etc.

But since my parents knew Abhi for the past decade- and already loved him since forever- they kept his plan to propose under wraps lol Abhishek pulled off a proposal with our friends in Austin so this engagement party was our chance to celebrate traditionally with our families.

Fact: I had the best vendors and family friends to help me pull off this DIY engagement party.

Photography

Taylor Denton
taylordentonphotography.com
@taylordentonphotography

Ishan Karnik
@itk.jpeg

Videography

Jacob Lum
@jacoblumm

Hair & Makeup

Jena Sachez
@magixinthemakeup

This is a day I needed captured from a lot of angles because I stay coming back to photos to relive memories. Just big on visuals here. I also love meeting with photogs beforehand so they feel comfy capturing me candidly. I always point out who family is so that they can get photos of them too! If you don’t have time to connect with them before make sure you email them or have a designated person you trust to relay your vision.

I’m just saying -photos last forever. You might think you’re not into it now but you’re gonna wanna pull this out later in life when that nostalgia hits.

Day two

Chunni Ceremony

Red is considered auspicious and a lot of things (ex: clothing, jewelery etc) being auspicious play a large role in Indian weddings. The leading women on Abhi’s side of the family draped and gifted a hand embroidered veil called chunni to signify the engagement.

This was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole process. We don’t have this ritual in Bangalore so it was cool to experience something new. The sari the women from my husband’s side signifies that I’m joining they’re side of the family so it’ll forever be special. My grandmother in-law had it hand embroidered in Bhavnagar, my husband’s family’s native place. And we all know I’m obsessed with heritage clothing so it instantly captured my heart.