Beautiful Traditional Ceremony at Minneapolis Marriott City Center

Wedding: June 23-24, 2017

Ceremony & reception: Minneapolis Marriott City Center, Minneapolis

Honeymoon: Italy and Greece

Ashley Agnish and Saurabh Gupta will tell you one thing about a traditional Indian wedding: It’s a lot like a fairy tale. After dating long-distance between Alabama and Seattle, the couple now lives in Alabama, but chose to get married in Minneapolis to be near family and make it convenient for the largest number of guests to join from all over the world. They celebrated their love with not one ceremony, but three, each steeped in its own rich traditions. A sangeet mehndi on the first evening involved a celebration featuring various food stations set up in an Indian fair theme, a traditional henna station and performances by friends and family. The next morning was the wedding ceremony. Saurabh participated in a baraat, or groom’s procession, riding on a white horse adorned in regalia. Police shut down one lane of a downtown Minneapolis street as Saurabh rode to meet his bride, followed by 300 dancing guests. Ashley was escorted by her brothers and sisters, walking over scattered rose petals to sit by Saurabh’s side beneath a mandap canopy decorated with crystals and fuchsia blossoms. That evening was the reception, filled with dancing, gorgeous garden-themed décor and plenty of delicious food. Both Ashley and Saurabh are foodies, and they agree a highlight of the wedding was myriad mouth-watering Indian dishes and delectable sweets served between dances. The grand celebration was a dream come true for both families, and, of course, the couple.