Terracotta and Orange Anchored This Hindu-Christian Fusion Wedding at the Four Seasons Baltimore

To celebrate their marriage, Aimee and Ayush planning a Hindu-Christian fusion wedding filled with vibrant shades of red and orange at the Four Seasons Baltimore in Maryland. "My fiancé, Ayush, is originally from India and is a Hindu, and I am from the United States and am Christian. We knew from the very start of wedding planning that we wanted our wedding to be a fusion of our two cultures and religions," explains Aimee. "Indian weddings are very colorful and lively, so we picked a color palette that incorporated the vibrancy of an Indian wedding into the darker fall shades that I had always envisioned at my wedding. We blended traditions from both cultures and religions." 

Honoring their heritage and blending elements from both was a key focus for Aimee and Ayush as they were planning their Maryland wedding. "The fusion element of our wedding is what really personalized the day," notes Aimee. "Ayush and his family and friends started the day by doing a baraat boat ride in the Baltimore Inner Harbor, complete with dhol players and a DJ. After the boat docked, his group met up with other guests and everyone danced their way into the Four Seasons to the beat of the dhol players—and the many curious, lively onlookers along the waterfront promenade only contributed to the celebratory feeling of the day! Once inside, the Hindu ceremony commenced and was followed by a luncheon featuring traditional vegetarian Indian cuisine. After a short break, the Christian ceremony was held, officiated by my childhood pastor which made it extra special and personal. During our cocktail hour, one of our signature drinks was a French 75 to tie in our connection to New Orleans—the city where Ayush and I met and got engaged! Lastly, our reception featured a small Sangeet—Ayush and I even surprised our guests at the reception with a choreographed Bollywood dance to Jason Derulo and Tescher’s 'Jalebi Baby!' We spent weeks practicing before the wedding to make sure we had every move down! Ultimately, it was extremely special getting to honor both our cultures and traditions and celebrate our union with family and friends from all over the globe. Our fusion wedding was unique to us as a couple and the most memorable (and fun!) way we could have imagined kicking off our marriage!"

Given the many events taking place over the course of their wedding celebration, it was paramount to Aimee and Ayush that the design feel cohesive rather than disparate. "We made sure to choose design elements that could be carried through the entire day," explains Aimee. "We used a wide variety of florals, candles, and gold votives to tie our fusion theme together. We used the Ludwig leaf in particular as a design element to bring our fusion concept to life."

Looking back on their fusion wedding, Ayush and Aimee encourage current to-be-weds to " relax and enjoy the wedding planning process—the day will go by so fast and there's no point stressing the small stuff!"