We are so grateful to finally have the opportunity to celebrate our marriage with our loved ones, and it is our loving intention for all of our guests to be safe, happy, and able to celebrate with confidence. We kindly request that all attending guests be fully vaccinated, receive their booster shot (if eligible), and follow all local guidelines regarding face coverings.

If attending, please upload a copy of your vaccination record and those of any addressed guests by completing this form (https://forms.gle/pkW69aSg4Y2L...) or emailing it to us at nishantandgabriella@gmail.com by April 1, 2022. Please see below for FAQs regarding vaccinations and additional COVID-19 safety precautions.

Is COVID-19 vaccination required for the event?

Yes, all guests eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (everyone 5 years and older) must do so and provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination in order to be in attendance. We understand that you may have personal reasons for not being vaccinated or if you are not in full agreement with our decision and only ask that you respect it and we look forward to celebrating with you in a different capacity.

Is a COVID-19 booster shot also required for the event?

Yes, all those who are are eligible to receive their booster shot must do so to attend our wedding. With the omicron variant on the rise and the data showing the strength of boosters against this variant, we kindly ask that if you are eligible to do so that you receive a booster dose. For information on the timing of when you are eligible to receive your booster dose please visit the CDC website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru...

Can I submit a negative COVID-19 test in lieu of providing proof of vaccination?

Unfortunately, no. If you are unvaccinated, we will not accept a negative COVID-19 test in lieu of vaccination - your health and safety is important to us too and the risk of someone who is unvaccinated becoming ill is too great.

What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?

Per the CDC's definition: "In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: 1) 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2) 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine".

Additionally for our wedding, we are requiring all of those who are eligible to receive a booster shot need to do so. Please see the FAQ above about the booster requirement for more information.

When deciding what we wanted our wedding to be, we wanted to fully celebrate and embrace our two cultures. Because of this, our two day wedding celebration was created. We will start the wedding on Saturday to celebrate Gabriella's American wedding traditions. We will then continue the celebration on Sunday by participating in Nishant's Hindu wedding traditions.

We know for some of our guests this will be the first time attending and participating in an American wedding, and for other guests this will be the first time attending and participating a Hindu wedding. Embracing and sharing our cultures with our guests is of the utmost importance to us. We believe that with education comes appreciation and below you can learn more about each wedding tradition and what to expect so that you can fully participate with us.

Baraat (Groom’s Parade)

This tradition dates back in times in India when the groom and his family and friends would parade from the groom’s home to the bride's home or wedding venue to start the wedding ceremony. The use of a ghodi, or white horse, as transport for the groom during the baraat is a common part of Indian tradition.

For our celebration, all guests will be invited to participate in the baraat! Our family and friends will dance along a path around our wedding venue and will guide Nishant as he is atop a horse that is adored with embellishments to match the groom’s outfit. We will have traditional dhol music (drumming) and do not worry, our amazing DJ Chirag will help teach and lead everyone in dancing to get the party started!

Milni (Welcoming the Groom’s Family)

The milni takes place at the end of the baraat. Gabriella’s parents will greet Nishant and his family at an entrance mandap (a canopy structure) at the beginning of the ceremony site. During this welcoming ceremony Gabriella’s mother, Jennifer, will perform a series of welcoming rituals and give her blessings. Some of the rituals will include an aarti (a plate carrying lit candles), feeding Nishant sweets (to symbolize the sweetness of marriage), and the placing of a tilak (which in Sanskrit means “mark”).

Traditionally, after feeding the groom sweets, the mother of the bride also attempts to pull the groom's nose in jest to remind him to be humble as he's here to ask to marry their daughter. The groom in return tries to escape the nose-pulling. This is a playful tradition that is a symbol of the joy and playfulness of marriage.

Following the milni, all guests will be seated in the ceremony area.

Kanya Agaman (Bride’s Arrival)

The bride will be led to the ceremony by her father, Michael, and other male relatives.

The ceremonies from this point forward will take place in the wedding mandap, which is a temporary structure constructed for the purpose of the marriage ceremony. It may appear on an elevated platform and is decorated with flowers and fabric. Gabriella and Nishant will be joined beneath the mandap by their parents and the ceremony officiant.

Ganesh Pooja

A pooja is a prayer and offering made to one or more deities. The first prayer in any Hindu ceremony is always to Lord Ganesh, who is the god of beginnings, good fortune, and the remover of obstacles. Salutations are offered so that Lord Ganesha may pave the way for the couple's married life.

Jai Mala (Exchanging Garlands)

Gabriella and Nishant will exchange garlands to show their consent to their marriage. They take their places in the mandap for the ceremony. It's important to note, in Hindu traditions, shoes are not allowed in places of worship. Because the mandap is a sacred ceremony site, you will notice that anyone entering the mandap will remove their shoes.

Kanyadaan and Hasta Melap (Giving Away the Bride)

During this part of the ceremony, the parents of the bride place Gabriella's hands into Nishant’s hands as a gesture of giving her away. This signifies their parental blessings for the marriage.

Agni Pooja

Agni (fire) is lit as a witness to a marriage. Gabriella and Nishant offer various items to feed the fire, and recite vows to be faithful and respectful to one another.

Gath Bandhan (The “I Dos”)

The ends of the couples’ dupattas (scarves) are tied together to symbolize the joining of their lives. Nishant and Gabriella hold hands and accept each other as man and wife.

Saptapadi (The Seven Steps)

The sacred fire signifies purity and a source of energy. Nishant and Gabriella circle the fire seven times, taking their first steps as a married couple and represent the beginning of the journey in life together. While the couple makes their rounds (known as pheras), family members that are present on the mandap bless the couple with rose petals and rice, celebrating a pivotal part of the ceremony.

With each step, they make a vow to each other that together we will: 1) Pursue physical vitality; 2) Pursue strong mental energy; 3) Pursue prosperity and share our worldly goods; 4) Fill our hearts with great joy, peace, trust, and spiritual values; 5) Raise healthy and virtuous children; 6) Live in harmony with nature; and 7) Remain lifetime companions and friends.

Nishant takes Gabriella’s hand and leads her for the first four pheras, and then they switch places and Gabriella finishes the last three by leading him to the culminating step – signifying balance and completion in their marriage.

When the couple makes their last round together, they rush back to their seats, racing to sit down first. As part of the tradition, it is said that whoever takes their seat first will be the ruler of the household.

Mangal Sutra and Sindoor (Symbols of Marriage)

Nishant will apply a sindoor (red vermillion powder) to Gabriella’s hair parting and places a mangal sutra (a sacred necklace) around her neck and a symbol of his love, commitment, and respect. The mangal sutra is made of black and gold beads. Traditionally, Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity, is invoked in the mangala sutra and the bride is said to receive blessings throughout her marriage. These two offerings (the sindoor and mangal sutra) signify the bride's status as a married woman.

Akhand Saubhagyavati (Advice from Married Women)

Married women from Nishant and Gabriella’s families whisper good wishes in the bride’s ear and bless her with an unbroken wedded life.

Kansar (Offering of Sweets)

Nishant and Gabriella feed each other sweets signifying their first meal together as husband and wife and demonsting that they will share all things in life.

Aashirvaad (Blessing)

The pandit (priest) declares the bride and groom as husband and wife and blesses the newlyweds with a happy and prosperous life together. He asks the congregation to join him in showing the couple with blessings and good wishes. The couple then seeks blessings from family and friends as the ceremony concludes.

Steeling of the Groom’s Shoes

Playfulness and joy are an overall theme of Hindu wedding celebration. In such spirit, as soon as the groom’s shoes come off, the bride’s sisters will begin scheming to steal them. If they are successful, it's going to cost the groom a pretty penny to get them back.

Sangeet and Garba

The Hindi word sangeet translates to "sung together" and represents the song- and dance-filled prewedding event where the festivities truly begin (this event is also sometimes referred to as garba in Sanskrit). The sangeet is all about having fun. The goal of the sangeet is to revel in the joy and happiness of the occasion. During the sangeet, friends and family will generally perform dances and songs they've prepared.

While normally the sangeet is an event prior to the wedding day, we will participate in similar song and dance as part of our wedding reception following our Hindu ceremony.

The Processional

Members of Gabriella and Nishant’s immediate family and wedding party process down the aisle. The processional begins with the bride's mother, grandparents, groom’s parents, and follows with the groom. The paired-up wedding party processes in and also the flower girl (Nishant and Gabriella’s niece, Zoey). The processional ends with the bride making her entrance escorted by her father.

Words of Welcome & Introduction

Once Gabriella meets Nishant at the end of the aisle, the officiant will say a few words of welcome. The officiant will also offer an introduction and some reflections on the meaning of marriage. Nishant and Gabriella’s officiant is the Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, one of Gabriella’s most influential professors from her undergraduate studies.

Readings

As performed in their original wedding ceremony, members of Gabriella and Nishant’s family will be invited up to perform special readings that represent parts of each one of their religious background; a biblical reading to represent Gabriella’s Catholic upbringing, and a sanskrit poem to represent Nishant’s Hindu tradition.

Officiant Addresses Couple

The officiant will then address Nishant and Gabriella and talk about the responsibilities of marriage and the sanctity of the vows that they are about to take.

Exchange Vows

Nishant and Gabriella will each take turns reciting their vows. Vows are commitments and promises that you make to one another. Nishant and Gabriella have opted to both write their own as well as use traditional phrasing.

Ring Exchange

After Nishant and Gabriella recite their vows, they will each say a few words about what the ring symbolizes and then will place a ring on each other's fingers. It's considered to be a symbol of their marriage.

Closing Remarks & The Kiss

The officiant will say words of encouragement to Nishan and Gabriella and bless them in their union. The ceremony traditionally ends with the bride and groom sealing their marriage with a kiss.

The Recessional

The officiant announces the celebration of the marriage of Nishant and Gabriella and turns to the guests to introduce the married couple for the first time. Nishant and Gabriella will then lead the recessional down the aisle followed by their parents and wedding party.

Jordan Almonds

Parts of Gabriella’s family lineage comes from Italian background. Jordan Almonds are candy-covered almonds that Italians give out at weddings. Tradition (and superstition) says that you put an odd number of Jordan Almonds in a little sack and tie it to a wedding favor for each guest to take home. There should always be an odd number of candies in each sachet symbolizing the indivisible nature of marriage.

Italian Wedding Cookies

Platters of traditional Italian cookies are a staple at any milestone event in Gabriella’s family. It is a common cheeky phrase to say “The nanas and aunties have started baking cookies in the kitchen” when a couple starts to get serious when dating. While we will have traditional wedding cake the first day, we will have a blend of both Italian wedding cookies and traditional Indian sweets as part of the reception on Sunday, symbolizing a blend of Gabriella and Nishant’s two cultures.