An Amalgamation of Cultures

By Minoti Benegal

Megha Ananth in the Mahi Lehenga by Seema Gujral at KYNAH

There was something so effortless about how Megha Ananth carried off both her Seema Gujral pieces, the Mahi & Kaila Lehenga, and we could not be more in love with it! While each piece offered their own unique styles, she was able to capture the essence of them so radiantly! The KYNAH team was thrilled to hear that we able to help her comfortably make the right decisions. Congrats to this sweet couple, we wish them all the best on their future endeavors!

How was your experience shopping with Team KYNAH?

The shopping experience was great! I did all the shopping online, which was super convenient with my busy schedule. It was also amazing to see all the designer options as I live in the midwest currently (Omaha) and don't have any options for bridal or designer Indian clothing. I also loved that there is an updated KYNAH social media (I frequent instagram) because I was able to see the different lehengas on different girls and feel confident in my decision without seeing them before I purchased.

What was it about the Kaila and Mahi Lehenga that made you say "Yes!"?

Why were you drawn to them?

I looked at almost every single designer on the KYNAH website and found that I gravitated towards the sparkle and glam of Seema Gujral designs. Once I had made that decision, I knew I wanted two very different outfits. The Mahi Lehenga was for our "Welcome Party" which was a fusion of a Sangeet and an American rehearsal dinner. The vibe for that party was bright colors with a party atmosphere. I felt the Mahi Lehenga was perfect for that party bride feel. We ended up having food stations (Indian, Italian, Kansas City BBQ) and a karaoke DJ with a stage for guests to sing karaoke and the whole party was a blast!

The Kaila Lehenga was the perfect decision for my reception outfit change. I am South Indian so I wore a pure traditional silk saree for our Hindu ceremony in the morning. We also had a Christian ceremony in the afternoon and I wore a traditional Western white dress for that. I wanted something that was the perfect fusion of the two - something that looked very bridal but from both an Indian and an American perspective. It was a huge hit and the dancing pictures turned out beautiful with me twirling in the sparkly lehenga.

Megha Ananth in the Kaila Lehenga by Seema Gujral at KYNAH

How did he propose?

Luke proposed in December of 2020 on the first day of a week-long vacation in Vail, Colorado. We had just arrived the day before and decided to take a long walk through the villages when he asked me to stop with him and sit on a park bench near a beautiful creek. I'm a very outgoing person but I knew I wanted my proposal to be just us, an intimate moment between just the two of us that we could remember forever. After he proposed, we facetimed our family and close friends before heading up to Vail Village for a wonderful lunch and celebratory drinks!

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme/aesthetic?

The biggest theme behind our wedding was fusion. I am a Kansan-born Indian girl of immigrant parents and Luke is a Kansas native with German heritage. We wanted to honor both sides of our families by doing both a Hindu ceremony and a Christian ceremony. We are also both pretty modern, progressive people so we wanted to find a way to do both ceremonies but make it appropriate to fit our beliefs. I wanted a fusion of traditional and modern for both the Hindu ceremony and the Christian ceremony and luckily we found an amazing Hindu priest and an amazing Christian pastor who were both willing to listen to our beliefs and incorporate ceremony elements that felt unique and important to us. Aesthetic wise, I wanted each of the different ceremonies to have its own look. Our invitations were a fusion of traditional Indian with American modern — they were acrylic invitations but still had many extravagant elements that make Indian wedding invitations so beautiful. When it came to our ceremonies and reception, I wanted to differentiate the two. My aesthetic for the Indian wedding was more vibrant, with pops of bright pink included in the florals and the candles. My sari was a traditional Kanchipuram sari that was a coral color. For the American, I leaned more towards a traditional look with lots of white and blush florals and my bridal bouquet was pure white orchids. The reception had white and blush florals but acrylic chairs and menus for the touch of modernism.

If you could've invited any celebrity to your wedding who would it have

been and why?

We did have the Kansas City Mayor at our wedding, which was a huge honor. I think I would likely choose Beyonce because she is a modern day icon with her talent, beauty, glam, and style. I think Luke would likely want a famous athlete.