Davina & ChetanSeptember 6, 2014
Late summer in Charlottesville brings sunny days, long warm nights, and an epic wedding weekend for Davina and Chetan. This charming couple welcomed family and friends for an Indian celebration filled with beautiful, vibrant colors, singing and dancing, and even some surprises to create an unforgettable experience for all.
Festivities for almost 300 guests, traveling near and far, opened with a glorious Sangeet at Ash-Lawn Highlands. The pavilion was draped with ribbons of bright fabric and an ornate silver Ganesh greeted guests at the entrance while the talented Jason and Tammy Keefer of Jason Keefer Photography captured every group. The guests themselves were gorgeous and gilded additions to the Sangeet, arriving in rich and elaborate saris and kurtas, each one more beautiful than the last, with the couple arriving in breath taking robes.
The joyful welcome reception included authentic Indian cuisine created by Harvest Moon Catering and intricate mendhi designs painted by local expert henna artist, Palvi Sharma. Davina and Chetan’s talented friends and family performed exciting and energetic Bollywood dances and even Chetan was surprised by his bride, who had a special dedicated dance of her own.
Friday’s revelry was just the beginning, as Saturday unveiled an adventure of sights, sounds, and delight at Mount Ida Farm. The water-side gazebo was transformed into an elaborate mandap by Floral Images Design Studio and Blue Ridge A/V and Lighting, draped in saturated red fabric and lush purple blooms. It was a grand setting with chanting from family and friends as Chetan, mounted on horseback, completed his Barat.
Davina made her magnificent entrance in stunning red and purple bridal robes with opulent gold embroidery and beading, designed especially for her by Bombay Bridal. Exchanging colorful scarves and greetings, the gorgeous couple made their way to the mandap overlooking the pond and fountain. It was a magical scene for all to see and made for great video footage for the artists at Citrus Ceremonies.
The afternoon provided a carnival of fun with food trucks, lawn games, and mingling. Some rest and refreshing brought guests back dressed in new and ever impressive gowns and tuxes for the evening celebration. Under a brilliant stream of waterfall lights, installed by MS Events, guests were seated for dinner and treated to a delicious combination from Harvest Moon Catering and Milan Indian Cuisine. The long day never presented a hitch and DJ Derek Tobler kept the night going and energy high for the happy couple, their kind and warm family, and thoughtful and welcoming friends to dance the night away.
With Davina's amazing heart, kind nature, and infectious smile, it’s no wonder that she and Barb were instant friends. The entire Barb Wired team has been welcomed into the Vaswani family and they into ours. Davina and Chetan were a lovely couple to work with and it was our sincere pleasure to be part of this remarkable weekend. Many congratulations and we wish you a lifetime of love and bliss!
Vendors
Event Planning and Coordination: Barb Wired Event Management
Sangeet Venue: Ash-Lawn Highland
Wedding Venue: Mount Ida Farm
Photography: Jason Keefer Photography
Videography: Citrus Ceremonies
Catering: Harvest Moon Catering and Milan Indian Cuisine
Floral: Floral Images Design Studio
Lighting and Rentals: MS Events
Reception Music: DJ Derek Tobler
Bridal Gown: Bombay Bridal
Henna: Palvi Sharma
Horse and Buggy: Stage Junction Clydesdales
Officiant: Pundit Kannan
Cake: Albemarle Baking Company
Food Trucks: Pizza Tonight, Mouth Wide Open, Pantheon Ice Pops, Got Dumplings
Transportation: Abbott Trailways
Tent: Virginia Tent, FDS Tents
Vocalist: Sachal Vasandani
Hair & Make-up: Lindsay Mikowski