From a month-long trip in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia, surfing in the waters of Tofino and, to being proposed to under a shooting star in the night sky - Amrita and Joe commemorated their unconditional love for one another with an ethereal, vinatge wedding.
As said by Amrita:
How did you hear about KYNAH? How was your experience working with KYNAH?
I heard about Kynah through instagram. As soon as my insta algorithm got wind of my wedding plans, I started to see a lot of photos of lehengas from Kynah. I loved the modern touch that all the lehengas had and I knew they would be one of my first choices for places to buy all my wedding outfits from. Even though I lived in Toronto, the Kynah team did not let that take away from the excitement of shopping for my wedding outfits - they sent me pictures and videos of all the lehengas I was interested in and helped me choose the one best suited for my vision. I also had a Zoom consult with Aisha about a lehenga for my ceremony, but unfortunately the one I wanted was no longer being made by the designer.
What about the Amayra Lehenga stood out to you? How did you know it was the one!
I had my eye on the Amayra Lehenga from the start! The design theme of my wedding was ethereal vintage garden, and the delicate gold embroidery on the lehenga fit the theme perfectly! I also fell in love with the sleeves of the piece - they were subtle yet so unique that it made the perfect show-stopper reception lehenga for a summer wedding. I also knew I did not want a dupatta for my reception dress (one less thing to worry about, especially once the dance party got going) and so the sleeves on the lehenga were perfect because they still gave the same illusion but without the extra hassle of worry about whether the dupatta was sitting properly. I was initially unsure about whether the sleeves would drag on the floor or not, but the team at Kynah completely understood my vision and hesitations and tailored the lehenga and specifically the sleeves to perfection - they were just long enough to graze the floor when my hands were down, but they never once got in the way of any dancing.
If you could go back to one moment from your wedding, what would it be?
My heart had never felt so full before our wedding day - having all the people who were part of your life growing up watch you commit your coming life to the love of your life was something so surreal and uplifting. We had both our ceremony and reception on the same day, so while it was a long day (my ceremony make-up started at 4am), at the end of the dance party and then after some long goodbyes with our dearest friends, we made our way back to our private cottage where our thoughtful day-of-coordinator Alex had decorated the outside and inside with all the gorgeous flowers from our wedding ceremony. We shared some cuddles with our dog Rivo, who was also our ring-bearer, and then had a private dance to our favorite song - Waves of Blue by Majid Jordan. We knew that between the couple of left feet Joe and I both have that it could not have been our first dance song, so we opted for it to be our last song at our reception but we were so caught up with chatting with friends that we missed it when it was playing! But sharing a dance to that song at the end of the night was the perfect way to end the best day of our lives - holding each other, steeped in love and gratitude.
How did he propose? Tell us more about your relationship!
Joe and I met in 2019, so the majority of the time we were dating, our choice of dates was very limited due to the on and off (mostly on) Covid lockdowns. Joe loves to travel, so the lockdowns were particularly hard for him, so much so he decided to drive across the country to get his fill of adventure in the summer of 2020. He drove from Toronto to the small, hidden coastal town of Tofino, in the western most province of British Columbia, where he brought me the following summer and proposed. During our month-long trip, we spent a week hiking in the breathtaking Banff National Park, two weeks learning to surf in the Pacific Ocean in Tofino, and a week exploring Vancouver and Victoria. After a long day of surfing, Joe and I had a seven-course sunset dinner at the Wickaninnish Inn. It was something out of a movie: the sky was different shades of pink and purple, and we were serenaded by the waves crashing on the rocks the restaurant was perched on. After dinner, Joe took me to a secret cove next to the Inn. It was only lit by the moonlight until I realized Joe had also brought some tea lights with him. At that point, I knew I would remember this day for the rest of my life. We sat on a Muskoka chair and Joe told me all the reasons he was grateful to be my partner. He went on for quite some time, and it's as if the universe told him it was finally time to ask the big question he was gearing up for, we saw a shooting star in the night sky. He then said "well if that isn't a sign" and asked me to marry him. I never thought I would be the girl to cry, but I couldn't hold back tears as I
said yes.
While Joe and I have only known each other for four years, we have done so much in such a short span of time: we adopted a dog, we bought a house, we planned a wedding, and are now getting ready to welcome our first child this summer! Even amongst all this constant change, we have both found so much peace and stability in each other, and that's how we know we are meant to be.
Do you have any advice to give brides who are just getting started with the planning process?
My biggest piece of advice would be to have a list of 2-3 things that you want to focus on. Especially in traditional Indian weddings, there are lots of people involved in the planning process and everyone wants to have a say. To balance that with the fact that it really is *your day*, I would say that having a couple of things that you want to be a true reflection of you will save you a lot of time and energy. For example, my parents wanted specific things for each of the meals served to our guests. So aside from respecting my vegan values, I let them choose the dishes for the Indian food. I focused my wedding planning on the outfits, the decor, and the overall vibe of the wedding. Looking back, it was helpful to know from the get-go what my top priorities were as it guided what decisions I stood firm on and what decisions I was fine compromising on. And while planning an Indian wedding can sometimes get pretty crazy, once the wedding day comes, just know that you tried your best to make it a special day for your guests and yourself, and just let the small things that do not go as planned roll off your shoulder.
Vendors
Photographer - Robin Sassi - robinsassi.com/ - insta: @robinsassiphoto
Videographer - Jeremy Tozer - robinsassi.com/
Groom's Tux - Harry Rosen - www.harryrosen.com/en - insta: @harryroseninc
Venue - Queen's Landing Hotel - www.vintage-hotels.com/queens-landing/ -
insta: queenslandinghotel_notl
Day-of-Coordinator - Alex Hourigan from Parallel Event Co - no website -
insta: @paralleleventco)
Hair and Make-up - Honor Beauty - www.honor-beauty.com/ - insta:
@honor_beauty
Jewelry (Choker, Earrings and Tikka) - Saree Room - www.thesareeroom.com/ -
insta: @thesareeroom
Henna - Sana Khan - no website - insta @sanakhanhenna
Florist - Hunt and Gather - www.huntandgatherfloral.com/
Backdrop for Reception - Boutique Linen Rentals -
www.boutiquelinenrentals.com/ - insta: boutiquelinenrentals
Cake - Dolled Up Desserts - dolledupdesserts.com/ - insta:
@dolledupdessertsbaking
DJ - 905 DJCO - www.905djco.com/ - insta: @905djco