Menaka’s Multicultural Celebration of Love

Menaka’s wedding was a heartfelt celebration of love and cultural unity. As an older bride, she initially felt unsure about how she would look in traditional outfits, but KYNAH quickly put her at ease. Working with their team allowed her to feel confident and beautiful in every piece she wore. Surrounded by her loved ones, and alongside her Vietnamese partner Phu, Menaka cherished each moment of the wedding, knowing that the vibrant colors and personalized details perfectly reflected her unique journey. It was a day filled with meaning, joy, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Our beautiful KYNAH bride Menaka, was truly glowing in the Mastani Pink Ombre Sari Set by Siddhartha Bansal and the Mahika Lehenga by Aisha Rao! Congratulations to this lovely couple - the KYNAH team couldn't be happier for the both of you!

As said by Menaka:

How did you hear about KYNAH? How was your experience working with KYNAH?

Working with KYNAH was a fantastic experience! I chose KYNAH for most of my wedding events, including the Gowri Puja, the night-before get-together, the ceremony and reception, and the brunch the next day. Shrinal helped me figure out my looks, and I was able to customize unique items like a veil for my sari and extra beading on my lehenga.
I loved my bridal appointment. As an older bride, I was initially hesitant about how some of the lehengas would look on me, but Lily instantly put me at ease. My sister and mom had a great time fawning over all the lehengas, and I found my perfect reception outfit, an Aisha Rao Lengha. I also ordered my ceremony sari (Siddharta Bansal) through KYNAH's website.
Following KYNAH's recommendation, I worked with Raabta by Rahul on custom jewelry that matched both my lehenga and sari, perfectly fitting my aesthetic. KYNAH also helped me pick out an outfit for my future husband (Project Bandhi), which he is very excited to wear again because it was so comfortable. My sister loved all my outfits so much that she ended up ordering her outfit from KYNAH too.
I loved being a KYNAH bride, and I'm thrilled to have found a new place for contemporary Indian outfits!

What stood out to me the most about my outfit from KYNAH was the color. I knew I didn’t want to wear the traditional red—pink is really my color. Additionally, I wanted something that wasn't too traditional. My husband is Vietnamese, and I wanted a lengha that could incorporate some Asian-inspired design. The Mahika Lengha from Aisha Rao was perfect; it had the ideal color and design for what I envisioned.

Phu and I don’t have a traditional proposal story. We’ve been together for 7 years, and about a year ago, we looked at each other and said, “Should we get married?” Marriage was never a priority for us; we just loved spending time together. However, we knew it would mean a lot to our families and friends. We met on a camping trip organized by a mutual friend. We started talking and found each other delightful, well-grounded, and interesting. After the camping trip, we both found excuses to visit the Bay Area or LA so we could see each other. We connected right away and began a very fun, sweet, long-distance relationship within California. Then, I moved back to St. Paul, Minnesota. Despite the distance, COVID, numerous job opportunities, and my futile attempts to get Phu to move to Minnesota, we maintained our relationship. We still enjoy being together, and at some point, we discussed the idea of making our relationship permanent. We realized its significance to our parents and the fun of celebrating with our community.

That is so hard to answer. I have many cherished moments, but my favorite was probably walking down the aisle with my dad. Seeing everyone I loved in one room was overwhelming, but having my dad next to me and Phu waiting for me at the end of the aisle made it wonderful. We incorporated many personal touches into our wedding. As someone who works in the field of economic development, it was important to me to hire small businesses that were women-owned, Asian-owned, or Black-owned. We were able to do just that, supporting small businesses for our venue, caterers, DJ, outfits, and more. We included a tea ceremony as part of our traditional Hindu ceremony and integrated the lotus flower into our designs, symbolizing commitment and eternity in both Vietnamese and Indian cultures. For our wedding gift, we gave guests a little bag with a recipe card—one recipe from Phu’s mom and one from my mother—featuring spices from both of our cultures. My nieces, ages 3 and 6, also took part in the ceremony by carrying the manglasutra and the rings. Our amazing caterers, Chow Girls, provided Vietnamese appetizers for the cocktail hour and a South Indian dinner. We had a signature drink, the Bird of Paradise (an inside joke between us), which was Asian-inspired with lemongrass-infused gin, ginger simple syrup, lemon, Flora Green liqueur, and a flower. Our cake featured our favorite fruit, mango, and we had late-night banh mi as our snack.

What is one thing you wish you knew before you started planning your wedding?

I don’t think I have just one thing because I had a great wedding planner (Reena, owner of Kahani Events) who helped me through the whole process. However, I would say that the actual day goes by so fast, so try to stay present as much as you can.