Minimalist Moments Amongst The Redwoods

July 13, 2022

Mansi Pathak in the Anya Gown by Seema Gujral at KYNAH

Mansi Pathak was a bridal dream! The elegant Anya Gown & custom Jeena Lehenga was perfect for her breath-taking NorCal wedding! The KYNAH team was so happy to hear that we able to comfortably deliver her pieces to her on time and that she felt a part of our little family after her bridal experience with us! Congrats to this beautiful couple, we wish them all the love & happiness on their future endeavors! As said by Mansi:

How was your experience shopping with Team KYNAH?

If I had to distill my experience shopping with KYNAH down to one word, it would be *seamless*. From the moment I stepped foot inside the LA pop-up for my bridal appointment, I felt like I was joining a small family. The KYNAH team was so genuinely warm and kind, allowing me to spend as much time as I needed exploring the dresses while simultaneously helping me Facetime my mom and sister who weren't able to be there in person due to flight complications.

When I said YES to my dress, the next steps were laid out for me clearly, including expectations for how long each step would take and lots of patience as I asked the team to send sample color swatches and customizations. I knew I was in good hands when I would send measurements and have the team respond with guidance like "We typically recommend at least X inches for a blouse" or "can you double check this measurement? It seems a bit short for your height."

In the end, I received both my Sangeet and Wedding outfits with tons of time to spare and both needed the most minor alterations, which I was able to get done for <$100 at a local tailor in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why were you drawn to the Anya Gown and custom Jeena Lehenga? What made you say "Yes!"?

I had a very clear vision of what I wanted my wedding dress to look like and I went to a dozen bridal stores around the Bay Area looking for it. Time and time again I was let down by either the lack of quality work, the price tag, or the fact that every dress was missing some key aspect of what I was looking for. That is until I found the Anya Gown. It was exactly what I wanted with one big exception — it wasn't white. I was able to work with the KYNAH team to change the color to the perfect shade of ivory, as well as make customization to the back to essentially create my dream dress.

Since I was having an American wedding ceremony, I knew I wanted to bring some traditional Indian style to my Sangeet. I wanted to wear red, but also wanted to have a lehenga that was bright, colorful, and whimsical to match the feeling of the day. The Jeena Lehenga was exactly that. I'm not a huge fan of pink and ruffles, so the accompanying dupatta and blouse were not for me. But, once again, the KYNAH team helped me customize a matching blouse and a dupatta that would perfectly complement my husband's kurta.

Mansi Pathak in the Jeena Lehenga by Chamee & Palak at KYNAH

How did you meet your husband? Tell us a little bit about your relationship.

My husband, Tom, and I met at work. I actually think I best tell the story

of our relationship here (on our wedding website). What stands out to me most is that when we first started dating, I think we both thought the other was really cool and potentially out of our league. But it quickly became apparent that we were just two goofballs who were able to bring out the mutual weirdness in each other.

What was theme/aesthetic behind your wedding?

We have both been California natives for the majority of our lives, so we knew we wanted to have a wedding that highlighted the natural beauty that California (especially NorCal) has to offer. From the moment we drove the windy roads up to our venue, Waterfall Lodge, we were certain we had found our spot. We were surrounded by the most magnificent redwoods and nestled into the trees were adorable little A-frame cabins. There was a beautiful clearing for the ceremony, an old barn for the reception, and many string lights. It felt like a fairytale. Our aesthetic for the wedding was to bring pops of Spring colors into the greenery of the forest, but to keep everything minimal to not distract from the grandeur of the Redwoods.

How did you start planning your wedding? What were your first steps?

We started planning our wedding in March 2021, which we knew was going to

be a crazy time given all of the rescheduled COVID weddings. Our first step was to find our venue and nail down the date. We created a spreadsheet of our criteria, scoured The Knot and WeddingWire, and scheduled at least a dozen tours. I'd also recommend tackling photographer, videographer, and caterer EARLY. We heard that good vendors can book out about a year before the event. I started looking for my dress in June and visited KYNAH, where I found "the one" 9 months before my wedding!